Gothenburg, Sweden – Aug. 24, 2017 – They may have been thrown slightly off course a few times in recent years, but Team Germany showed that they most definitely have the bit between their teeth once again when following up their Rio 2016 Olympic team victory to claim their 23rd Dressage team title at the Longines FEI European Championships 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The German team consisted of world’s number one ranked combination, Isabell Werth, Helen Langehanenberg on Damsey FRH, Sönke Rothenberger on Cosmo 59, and Dorothee Schneider on Sammy Davis Jr.
“This is the latest press conference I’ve ever been at in my life, and the driest, so I hope we can go to the bar and have a little party soon!” Isabell Werth said. “We really couldn’t expect at the beginning of the year that with two horses out of the team that went to Rio we really would dominate the Europeans here in the team competition. All of us are really happy!”
Already in the lead after Langehanenberg scored a 74.985 percent and Schneider scored a 74.585 percent on the first day of the Grand Prix, the team inched ever-closer to that top step of the podium. When third-line rider Rothenberger took his turn with Cosmo 59, they earned a 78.343 percent to become the new leaders despite a spooky moment and a mistake in the tempi changes. Rothenberger’s score brought the German total to 227.915, so victory was already well within their grasp long before anchor rider Isabell Werth came into the ring.
Meantime a fierce battle was raging between neighbors Denmark and Sweden for silver and bronze, with that result finally sealed by the performance from Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour. Riding the 14-year-old Atterupgaards Cassidy which she has partnered since her Junior years, the 25-year-old sparkled for a score of 78.300 percent which put the result beyond doubt. Denmark had not been on a European medal podium since 2001 so there was plenty to celebrate along with team-mates Anna Kasprzak, Anna Zibrandtsen and Agnete Kirk Thinggaard.
And for Sweden it was their fourth team bronze, and Rose Mathisen, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven, Therese Nilshagen and Patrik Kittel were all riding horses that still have something to learn so Chef d’Equipe, Bo Jena, rightly admitted to feeling “really proud” of them.
Carl Hester and Nip Tuck made a valiant effort to claw back a podium place for the British who were always compromised once reduced to a three-member side, and his score of 74.900 percent placed him individually fifth but Team Great Britain finished two percentage places behind the Swedish bronze medallists while the defending champions from The Netherlands lined up fifth.
Last to ride into the ring, it was only a matter of putting the icing on the German cake as Olympic silver medalists, Isabell Werth and her fabulous mare Weihegold swaggered their way through a lovely test that demoted team-mate Rothenberger to runner-up spot in the individual rankings while Denmark’s Dufour finished third and Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Dorothee Schneider slotted into fourth and six spots respectively. The top 30 riders now go through to Friday’s Grand Prix Special.
Individual result (in the team competition):
1. Isabell Werth/GER/Weihegold OLD/83.743
2. Sönke Rothenberger/GER/Cosmo/78.343
3. Cathrine Dufour/DEN/Atterupgaards Cassidy/78.300
Final Team result:
1. Germany – 237.072
2. Denmark – 224.643
3. Sweden – 221.143