2005 European Dressage Championships

Sweden and Spain Share the Bronze

What are the odds for two teams to collect the same amount of points in a nations' cup, one in a thousand? Exactly what Mrs Mariette Withages was thinking. "The rule that the third rider on the team with the highest score would determine the medal was made 13 years ago. We never really expected this rule was going to be needed," Withages said. At the 2005 European Dressage Championships both Sweden and Spain gathered 213,125% points and both landed on the bronze medal spot.

Spanish Ignacio Rambla scored 69,500% on Distinguido, Louise Nathhorst got 68,625% on Guinness, so bronze eventually went to Spain. However, in an act of friendship, fair play and sportsmanship, Spain requested the FEI to change the rule so that they could split the medal with Sweden. FEI Dressage Committee Chairwoman Mariette Withages made several phone calls to the FEI headquarters in Lausanne on Friday and the next, on Saturday July 30, 2005, there was a special medal ceremony in which Spain symbolically handed over the bronze to Sweden.

Spain relied heavily on the performances of top scorer Beatriz Ferrer Salat and Juan Antonio Jimenez. Ferrer's Beauvalais did not look as sparkling in the Grand Prix as he did in the Special and Kur. The 18-year old wasn't as electric behind but got better and more fluent later in the competition. In the Grand Prix, he broke into canter in the trot extension, but his flying changes, for instance, were awesome. Ferrer Salat ranked 9th in the Grand Prix with 71.833% and team mate Jimenez followed right behind her with 71.792%.

The surprise ride for the Spanish team came from Ignacio Rambla on Distinguido. At the Sunshine Tour in March and even one week ago at the national show in Bonn (GER), numerous mistakes crept into the combinations' test. In Hagen, everything just came together and Rambla got 69.500% for a fantastic ride.

The Swedes supported on Jan Brink's 74,292% for their high placing in the team ranking. Tinne Vilhelmson and Just Mickey showed lovely flying changes that were uphill. Some loss of impulsion in the second piaffe and loss of rhythm in the first extension influenced their mark. Vilhelmson got 70,208% and was the second best Swedish combination. Louise Nathhorst and Guinness excelled in the canter work with outstanding changes and great pirouettes, but there was not enough brio in the trot work to make their score hit 70%. They received 68,625% from the judges.

Text and Photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed without permission

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