After day one of the Eventing dressage yesterday at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, it’s Germany who hold the advantage in the team and individual standings. The team are on 83.8 after two riders with Australia second on 91.0 and the Swedish just fractionally behind on 91.7. Britain lie fourth with 93.2.
William Fox-Pitt is flying the flag in the individual standings in third after a composed test on the relatively inexperienced 10-year-old Cool Mountain, owned by the Honourable Teresa Stopford Sackville, for 42.0. Our leader is German individual rider Simone Deitermann with Free Easy NRW on 36.0 with German team member Ingrid Klimke in second on 41.3.
Nicola Wilson was the very first rider to go this morning with Rosemary Search’s Opposition Buzz and while the crowds were sparse, there was still an atmosphere in the large main stadium. They got the team off to a solid start with a mark of 51.2 which leaves her in 18th position after 40 starters today.
After her test, Nicola said; “I’m disappointed with the mark. It was hard going first but someone has got to do it and today it was me. You just have to go in, be calm and keep your blinkers on. Opposition Buzz was lovely and very rideable and we haven’t disgraced ourselves. He’s not really built for dressage but is a true trier. I’m looking forward to supporting the others now and to doing our job on Saturday.”
The second team rider for team GB was William Fox-Pitt with this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event champion Cool Mountain. William commented; “Cool Mountain has definitely improved since his trip here in the spring and this score will be a personal best for him. He’s ready for the challenge but this is a truly different challenge than the one he faced here in April. I have to say it never entered my head that I’d be back here this autumn! It was a superb test – he’s only ten and this is his first Championship. The cross country course is fair but demanding and is similar to many Mike Etherington-Smith courses, there isn’t one fence you’d look at and think it’s unjumpable.”
The first of our individual riders, Pippa Funnell, back in the British squad after a five year gap and riding Roger and Denise Lincoln’s Redesigned, was the final rider of the day and the nine year old Bramham winner coped exceptionally well with the experience but his rider had different feelings;
“I’m gutted. I set my expectations quite high and was hoping for something excellent. When you take into account Redesigned has never been in an arena like that he coped really well with the atmosphere. I had to aim for balance and this is not a disaster but he’s been training really well. It’s really great to be here and back with my old team mates,” said Pippa. Their score was 45.5 which puts them eighth overall.
