Results summary
Grade I Individual Test:
Gold – Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance (LAT) 78.792%
Silver – Sara Morganti and Mariebelle (ITA) 77.417%
Bronze – Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg (GBR) 75.958%
Grade I Freestyle:
Gold – Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance (LAT) 80.674%
Silver – Sara Morganti and Mariebelle (ITA) 79.827%
Bronze – Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg (GBR) 77.140%
Grade II Individual Test:
Gold – Heidemarie Dresing and Poesie 143 (GER) 77.267%
Silver – Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quater (DEN) 74.586%
Bronze – Jemima Green and Fantabulous (GBR) 73.000%
Grade II Freestyle:
Gold – Heidemarie Dresing and Poesie 143 (GER) 80.973%
Silver – Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quater (DEN) 78.374%
Bronze – Jemima Green and Fantabulous (GBR) 76.307%
Grade III Individual Test:
Gold – Rixt van der Horst and Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. (NED) 77.100%
Silver – Tobias Thorning Joergensen and Jolene Hill (DEN) 76.4%
Bronze – Tessa Baaijens-van de Vrie and Happy Grace (NED) 73.000%
Grade III Freestyle:
Gold – Rixt van der Horst and Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. (NED) 80.634%
Silver – Tobias Thorning Joergensen and Jolene Hill (DEN) 79.807%
Bronze – Francesca Salvade and Escari (ITA) 76.274%
Grade IV Individual Test:
Gold – Louise Etzner Jakobsson and Goldstrike B.J. (SWE) 72.917%
Silver – Pia Wulff Jelstrup and Zafia (DEN) 72.222%
Bronze – Nicola Naylor and Humberto L (GBR) 71.389%
Grade IV Freestyle:
Gold – Alexia Pittier and Sultan 768 (FRA) 78.055%
Silver – Louise Etzner Jakobsson and Goldstrike B.J.(SWE) 75.145%
Bronze – Pia Wulff Jelstrup and Zafia (DEN) 74.995%
Grade V Individual Test:
Gold – Regine Mispelkamp and Pramwaldhof’s Bayala (GER) 73.179%%
Silver – Britney de Jong and Caramba N.O.P. (NED) 73.154%
Bronze – Lena Malmström and Fabulous Fidelie (SWE) 71.641%
Grade V Freestyle:
Gold – Regine Mispelkampand and Pramwaldhof’s Bayala (GER) 77.700%
Silver – Britney de Jong and Caramba N.O.P. (NED) 76.490%
Bronze – Lena Malmström and Fabulous Fidelie (SWE) 75.615%
Team Competition:
Gold – Germany (Heidemarie Dresing, Regine Mispelkamp, Melanie Wienand, Isabell Nowak) 224.454
Silver – Netherlands (Rixt van der Horst, Tessa Baaijens-van de Vrie, Loes Cevaal, Britney de Jong) 223.362
Bronze – Denmark (Karla Dyhm-Junge, Tobias Thorning Joergensen, Katrine Kristensen, Pia Wulff Jelstrup) 221.974
Wednesday: Grade I, II and III Individual Tests
The FEI Para Dressage European Championship in Ermelo, The Netherlands, commenced Wednesday with the Grade II individual medals decided.
Gold for Heidemarie Dresing in Grade II
Germany’s team stalwart Heidemarie Dresing clinched the gold with a classy performance riding the 10-year-old Poesie 143 for a score of 77.267%. This was the young horse’s first Championship, and Heidemarie was thrilled with their result.
“I’m very happy with her performance, especially because she is not that experienced. She started off the test a bit tense, but she did so well and she produced some great trot work,” Heidemarie said of her and Nadine Plaster’s Oldenburg mare.
“She’s quite a sensitive mare, so it’s difficult to find that balance between being energetic and too calm, but we found that in part today and I have very strong hopes for her in the future.”
Many athletes have decided to take the opportunity this year to present their younger horses and give them some much needed experience of a Championship atmosphere, Heidemarie being one of them.
“I’m really aiming to build Poesie up for the future [with this experience]. I want her to be with me all the way until the Paralympic Games in Brisbane 2032,” she said of her talented equine partner.
The silver medal went to Katrine Kristensen of Denmark with her partner from the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, Goerklintgaards Quater, with the combination finishing on a score of 74.586%.
“I’m so satisfied with Quater, he really tried to stay focused in the arena and I took a very cautious approach,” Katrine said of the 17-year-old gelding. “I didn’t press him too much to give him a very good experience, as we are in here two more times this week.”
The Danish warmblood gave Katrine a fluid, relaxed test allowing her to ride into the transitions between the walk and trot movements which punctuate this A test.
“It’s the hard part of riding in this Grade because we need to have an active trot but a relaxed walk, and we have to trust that if we ask the horse for more, they also stay calm in the walk,” Katrine explained. “But I think I managed that balance between them.”
Katrine also announced that she is competing while 21 weeks pregnant with her second child at this event. “I could feel the baby kick as I went up the centre line, as if they were saying ‘come on!’” she beamed.
Taking the bronze medal was Great Britain’s Jemima Green with the expressive and exciting Fantabulous, scoring 73.000 at the first Championship for both.
Elated with their result, Jemima was emotional when talking of their time in the arena together.
“I’m just very overwhelmed and surprised, I wasn’t expecting this at our first Championship as he’s only seven,” she smiled through the tears. “It was such a big ask of him and he really tried for me, he felt nervous, but he really worked with me. You just hope these kinds of outcomes find you, but until it really happens, you don’t want to actually realise it.”
Rihards Snikus wins Grade I
Retaining their Grade I individual Champion title were crowd favourites, Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance, posting the highest score of the day of 78.792%.
The pair performed a graceful and accurate test, but ever the competitor – speaking through his sister Elene Brigman – Rihards felt there was more to improve upon for the team test, on Friday.
“Of course, Rihards is happy with first place, but he knows some little things that could be improved which we will try to get on point and even better for the next start,” Elene said of the result.
Being a seasoned campaigner with multiple World, European and Paralympic medals to his name, the 17-year-old Latvian warmblood King of the Dance knows when he is in the white boards of the arena and when he needs to perform.
“He really enjoys competing and actually being the king of the dance, he knows it’s his job and both he and Rihards are very similar in that way,” she said, to which Rihards smiles.
Making it a battle for the title was Italian world number one, Sara Morganti riding Mariebelle, finishing on a score of 77.414% to claim the silver.
“The test felt beautiful because the mare was really listening to me,” Sara said of her partner from the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
“She was attentive and really concentrating, so it was one of those tests that you hope to have in your life, where it all comes together.”
The 13-year-old Belgian warmblood gave Sara an active ride, really demonstrating to the crowds just how much trust exists between the horse and athlete.
“One of the main things that made me really happy is that she was very calm, which is my main aim of the test,” Sara said of their performance.
For the second time today, bronze was claimed by Great Britain, this time Mari Durward-Akhurst took the accolade with the ever-dependable Grade I expert, Athene Lindebjerg on a score of 75.958.
The combination has really solidified their partnership in the 12 months since their bronze medal winning performance in Paris, and Mari was delighted with the horse’s test today.
“She felt amazing, it was a really good test, she was so forward. She loved it and that’s what really matters,” she said of the 18-year-old mare. “It makes it so special because she just loves every minute, as do I, but it’s just so nice that she enjoys it so much.”
Battle for the Grade III medals
Finishing up the first day was the hotly contested Grade III individual competition, which saw the home nation claim two of the three medals on offer.
Gold went to Rixt van der Horst with the impressive young horse Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. The Westphalian chestnut gelding and the team steadfast that is Rixt entered the arena as the first combination to go and held onto their lead throughout with an unbeatable score of 77.100%.
“It’s always exciting to be the first one into the arena and Fonq was a little tense, but I think we did a proper test with no big mistakes so I’m very happy”, Rixt said.
“I think the picture was really harmonious and he settled in, but I was also pleased with the level of activity. It’s really nice to be here on home soil and I feel a little bit of pressure with everyone expecting results after having such a good result in Paris, but it’s really nice to be here.”
Team compatriot, Tessa Baaijens-van de Vrie took the bronze medal with a score of 73.000% at what is her mare’s first ever Championship.
“I am very happy with Happy Grace,” Tessa smiled, speaking of her and J.P. Baaijens’ Dutch warmblood.
“At first she was scared of all the flowers, but her trot was very nice, so she is a drama queen but a lovely one. I was particularly pleased with the walk on the long rein, we have trained for it so much and now, for the first time, she did it well and she was relaxed.”
Interrupting the Dutch duo was Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Joergensen, who took the silver medal with Jolene Hill to score 76.400%.
The combination performed a cohesive test.
“I’m just happy to have her back in the arena and with the level of fluency I got in the test. The transitions are our strength and going back and forward between the strides, but to be honest, I just enjoyed the moment,” he said, clearly pleased with the result.
Tobias also announced that this Championship is to be the 17-year-old mare’s final competition.
“She’s happy and I’m just going to enjoy my last competition with her, she has been with me for so many years now, and we never competed without getting a medal, so I wanted to stop at the top.”
Thursday: Grade IV and V Individual Tests
Grade IV gold for Louise Etzner Jakobsson
It was a closely fought battle for the medals Thursday morning at the FEI Para Dressage Championship in Ermelo. Louise Etzner Jakobsson of Sweden won her first gold medal at the age of 65, in Grade IV, earning herself the title of ‘golden grandma’, competing in front of her grandson who was at the event to see her crowned champion.
Riding the extravagant Goldstrike B.J, the pair produced a soft yet expressive test to take the top mark of 72.917%.
“He’s called Goldstrike, so it’s about time!” Louise said of her result with the 14-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, who she has owned for almost five years. “I’m very pleased, I don’t think it has sunk in yet. It will take a while to understand what I have achieved with my horse.
“We’ve been working on our trot work for a couple of years now, and that’s the best part of today, he’s been so much stronger and now we can trot with more cadence. The canter work has always been very good, but today he really did so well.”
Less than a mark behind Louise was Denmark’s Pia Wulff Jelstrup riding Zafia to a Championship personal best score of 72.222% to take the silver, and Pia was thrilled with the 11-year-old mare.
“It’s our best performance in this programme, it felt so harmonious, and she was with me the whole way round” she beamed.
“We’ve had a lot of problem with her halts in the past, but all three were outstanding. We’ve been working towards this for two years and today it finally came together for us.”
Great Britain is making a habit of winning the bronze medal at this year’s Championship, with Nicola Naylor claiming the nation’s third of the competition. Riding Humberto L at their first championship together, the athlete was overjoyed with their result and first experience in the arena.
“To go in there and have a solid test where he felt happy was my goal. We really went in with that aim of enjoying our moment and I’m so pleased that’s what we got,” Nicola said of the 13-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.
“His canter work was breathtaking, the other highlight was that he stayed soft and he felt on-side, which is great for his first time in that environment.”
Germany clinches Grade V gold
In another thrilling battle for the title, it was the smallest of margins that saw Germany’s Regine Mispelkamp top the podium in the Grade V individual competition, beating the Netherlands’ Britney de Jong by just 0.025 marks, one of the closest wins that has been witnessed in recent Para Dressage Championships. The excitement was palpable and it was clear from the start that in this Grade, the podium placements are no longer a foregone conclusion.
“I’m so happy with the mare, she was concentrating so hard for me, and we were together the whole test. She gave me a really strong walk, and her canter felt so uphill and forward,” Regine said of her rising star, Pramwaldhof’s Bayala.
The 10-year-old Oldenburg mare is new to Championship level, and Regine felt this year was her time to shine.
“I wanted to give her the experience of a Championship so that she can learn, but I never expected this result. I came into this competition thinking that Britney will be the European champion. But now, we are the winners! I can’t put it into words what this means, I’ll need some time to process it.”
It was down to Britney and Caramba N.O.P’s final centre line to determine who would win the gold, their marks coming in throughout the test were constantly jostling the Dutch duo between first and second place. Although it wasn’t maybe the medal she had hoped for, the young rider was pleased with their performance.
“My result could have been a little bit better, but I think we rode a good test, we didn’t have any big mistakes, so I am happy with our score,” Britney said of her silver medal at her first senior European Championship, with the 18-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.
Caramba N.O.P is no stranger to a competition arena, and lit up their test with his active trot work.
“His trot felt good, and the half passes were great. The simple changes are one of his best parts of the test,” said Britney.
Competing on home soil made the silver medal even more special for the 24-year-old athlete.
“For the last four years we have been first reserve for the Netherlands, so this was our first really big competition, and it feels amazing to represent my country at a European Championship in the Netherlands.”
It was down to the final combination into the arena this afternoon to decide who would claim the bronze and it was Sweden’s Lena Malmström who filled the third spot, with Fabulous Fidelie’s expressive trot work propelling them onto the podium. The athlete was overjoyed with the 13-year-old chestnut mare’s test.
“This is my first ever medal at Championship level so I’m feeling great. I was so happy I just cracked [with emotion]. You build up so much expectation, but we did it! Her trot work was fantastic, maybe she was a little bit excited in the canter at times, but she was amazing,” Lena said of her Swedish Warmblood partner of six years.
Saturday: Germany crowned new European champions in Ermelo
In a thrilling day of competition on Saturday, it was down to the final athlete of the day to determine the team medals at the FEI Para Dressage European Championships.
The morning session saw the Grade V competition culminate with the final scores for the German and Dutch teams, completing on 224.454 and 223.362 respectively. Thus, throwing down the gauntlet and leaving only room for the Danish and British teams to try and catch them, when their team scores were being calculated at the end of the Grade IV competition this afternoon.
The Netherlands’ Britney de Jong rode into the arena with a point to prove after a slightly disappointing test with Caramba N.O.P on Thursday. The pair produced a dynamic and active test, laying down a score of 74.395%, and bringing a team medal closer into sight.
“As soon as I entered that arena, I knew what I needed to do. I am really happy about our test, as it was more forward and we got more expression into it,” she said of her ride with the 18-year-old gelding whom she has partnered for seven years.
“We still have a pretty long wait to find out the results until the end of the competition, but it feels good to have put in a strong score for the team.”
It was then down to the individual Grave V champion, Regine Mispelkamp riding Pramwaldhof’s Bayala to see what they could do to close the gap, knowing she had to score higher than 73 to put the Germans into the gold medal position above the Dutch.
When the combination finished their test and Regine beamed a winning smile as her final score of 74.105% was announced, it was clear that the German team were the ones to beat. Gold was all but secured.
“She felt so great. She was so light in the hand and really concentrated more on me, which is what makes me so happy, she is beginning to talk with me in the arena, and we are communicating so well,” she spoke proudly of the 10-year-old Oldenburg mare.
The stakes were high for Regine as the last athlete in the team to compete, but she remained calm and collected as she entered the arena.
“Yes, there was pressure, but when you are sitting on your horse, you forget about everything else and just trust them to do their best. As long as you are with your horse, all will be good,” Regine said.
Suspense until the last minute
It was a long wait until Denmark’s Pia Wulff Jelstrup entered the arena with Zafia this afternoon for the Grade IV competition, to see if they could shake up the leaderboard. With a couple of small errors in their test, it just wasn’t quite enough to top the team rankings, scoring 72.108% to give a final team tally of 221.974. This left them more than two points adrift from the top, and over a mark behind the Dutch. But all was not lost, the bronze medal was still within their grasp.
“I’m pleased with my horse, but I had a few not-so-good moments myself, which let her down. It was me who was at fault, not the horse, she was great as always,” Pia said of her test with the 11-year-old Danish warmblood mare.
It was then down to the final athlete to enter the arena after two days of stiff competition, Great Britain’s Nicola Naylor, to determine the medals.
Riding with the pressure of a possible team bronze medal on her shoulders with Humberto L, Nicola did remarkably well to settle the sudden nerves of the 13-year-old gelding. Ultimately, the combination fell just short of the required score to secure a medal, finishing on a mark of 71.406% which put the team on a total of 221.267, less than a mark off a podium finish. It wasn’t to be for the Brits.
“It’s been such an exciting couple of days for all the nations, which is just how it should be,” Nicola said of the standard of competition.
“The sport has revolutionised in terms of the quality of the horses and what riders are now able to do thanks to the right backing, which can only make the sport better, if everybody is really fighting for their place on the podium. It’s going to make it more exciting, more encouraging and hopefully more nations will want to take part in the future.”
German team make Para Dressage history
And so, for the first time in Para Dressage history a new team are being crowned European champions, and it is Melanie Wienand with Lemony’s Loverboy, Heidemarie Dresing and Poesie 143, Isabell Nowak and Siracusa OLD, and Regine Mispelkamp with Pramwaldhof’s Bayala taking the gold for Germany in yet another extremely close competition at this year’s Championship.
“The outstanding ladies of the team and their horses did an amazing job,” said Chef d’Equipe Klaus Roeser, as he spoke of the team’s historic win. “Thank you, the Netherlands, Denmark and Great Britain, for a great two days of sport. The closeness of the competition means that the world is really shifting together in performance improvement. We’re happy that we won a tough competition and we’re really proud of our team, but we are also proud of all Europeans for putting up such great competition.”
Host nation, the Netherlands rose to the occasion with their new team of equine Championship first timers in Happy Grace for Tessa Baaijens-van de Vrie, Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. with Rixt van der Horst, Happy Hero for Loes Cevaal and Caramba N.O.P with Britney de Jong, to claim the team silver medal.
“I’m very proud of the whole team that we accomplished this, I think it’s very special to win a team medal in our home country,” Rixt said of their success.
Team bronze was secured by the sterling performances of Denmark’s Karla Dyhm-Junge with Miss Daisy, Tobias Thorning Joergensen and Jolene Hill, Katrine Kristensen on Goerklintgaards Quarter and Pia Wulf Jelstrup with Zafia.
“We are really very excited about the outcome, all our riders had been in the arena and we had to wait for the very last result to come before we knew whether we had a medal or not,” team trainer Astrid Gemal said of the team performance.
“It was very tense, but all the riders did such a good job and in the end the team had done enough, which was a fantastic result.”
Sunday: A flurry of gold medals for Germany on Grand Prix Freestyle day in Ermelo
As the sun shone over Ermelo on the final day of competition, the FEI Para Dressage European Championship 2025 got underway with all five Grades competing for their individual Grand Prix Freestyle medals.
Grade III gold for Rixt van der Horst and Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P.
In the first Grade to go, Rixt van der Horst and Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. of the Netherlands strutted their way to Grade III Freestyle Gold for a score of 80.634%.
Riding to a medley of Survivor by Destiny’s Child and Vivaldi, the combination produced their most dynamic test, yet.
“I picked that [Destiny’s Child] song because I’ve been through a difficult time in the past few years, and also Fonq has come a long way and is now shining with me, so I thought the music was really suitable for both of us,” Rixt said of her song choice.
“I’m so proud we won gold again this week. An ending like this, it is magical for us to do this here in the Netherlands, it’s just amazing,” she said of her home win with the 10-year-old stallion.
In what was their last dance together in a competitive arena, it was Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Joergensen and Jolene Hill who took the silver with a score of 79.807%.
“I was a little in front of the music [Sunday] but given that was our last ever performance, it doesn’t really matter. What’s really strong about our partnership is our harmony with each other, that’s so important in Para Dressage and is something Jolene and I are really good at,” Tobias said of their test.
“I’m just so happy that we are here, we had a good ride and I’m proud of our silver medal. Of course, there were a lot of emotions when I came out of the arena but right now is the right time for her to end with three medals. After everything she’s been through, I’m just proud of her to even be here and for everything she’s done for me and for Para Dressage in Denmark,” he said of Jolene’s retirement and their competition this week.
For the first time this week, the bronze medal went to Francesca Salvade of Italy riding Escari, scoring a Championship personal best of 76.274%.
“It’s my first medal at a European Championship so I’m very happy,” Francesca said of her result. “My horse is a young horse, but he was fantastic. We have been working so hard to get to this point, and there has been a lot of work at home to achieve this score, so I’m very proud of him,” she said of the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding.
Germany’s Heidemarie Dresing makes it a hattrick in Grade II
Once again, the Grade II gold medal went to Heidemarie Dresing and Poesie 143 of Germany, scoring their best ever competitive mark together of 80.973%.
“It’s amazing. I wanted to achieve a score of 80 today and we succeeded, so I am very happy, and it gives us the hattrick!” said Dresing.
This 10-year-old mare now puts Heidemarie in the enviable position of having two European Champions in her stable, having won in Riesenbeck with Horse24 Dooloop, ahead of what will be a home games in Aachen at the FEI World Championships 2026.
Familiar with the silver medal this week, Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quarter claimed it once again with a score of 78.374%.
“I’m feeling great, one more silver medal, it’s fantastic! It’s incredible to be at a Championship again, I’m very thankful to have him compete with me even though he is 17 now and I am pregnant again. So now I can go on maternity leave happy,” she said of their third medal of the week.
“He was really with me again. Throughout the whole week he has been very focused on me and his job in the arena, and today we rode so well with the music and to the tempo, so I was very satisfised with him this morning.”
It was Great Britain’s Jemima Green who secured her second bronze medal of the week with her seven-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Fantabulous, scoring a personal best of 76.307%.
“I’m so proud of him, it was the most confident he has felt all week, and it was really quite enjoyable to ride,” she beamed as she spoke of their performance. “I’m slightly kicking myself because I didn’t feel like our medium trot was the strongest and I had the opportunity to repeat it but then got anxious and questioned myself, so I didn’t go for it, so I feel like I let him down a little bit by doing so.”
To score two medals at their first Championship is no mean feat, however. “I’m in complete shock and overwhelmed by the outcome. It’s just such a privilege to have such a lovely horse.”
Another Grade I gold for Rihards Snikus
Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance gave a crowd-pleasing performance set to up-beat medley of Latvian and Latin American tunes to take the gold again on a score of 80.674%.
“The horse was in another rhythm to what he usually is at home, and Rihards could feel that he was tired today, but they did so well,” his sister, Elene, said of their performance on Sunday.
“We both love it [in the arena],” Rihards said, on what is his favourite day of competition, and it was clear that being a DJ gives the athlete an incredible sense of tempo as he and the 17-year-old Latvian warmblood rode perfectly in time with the music.
For the third time this week, finishing just behind her long-time rival was world number one, Italy’s Sara Morganti riding Mariebelle for a score of 79.827%.
“I’m very happy with the medal and the horse, although I was a bit tired today, so it wasn’t so simple to ride. But she was very good and, as usual, she was very kind with me,” Sara said of their test set to a medley of pieces from different musicals.
“I love Rihards. He’s a wonderful rider with a brilliant horse, and this friendly rivalry makes for a fantastic competition.
“Standards are so much higher now, both for the horses and for the athletes, than when I started in 2009. When I won the bronze medal in Kristiansand, Norway, I did very little to prepare, as you didn’t have to back then to be successful.
“Now I train every day, ride two horses and am in the swimming pool every evening. It’s not only the horses that are in training. There’s a greater level of professionalism in the sport now, which can only be a good thing.”
Great Britain secured yet another bronze with Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg scoring 77.140%.
“It was a really good test, she was so enthusiastic we got a bit ahead of the music, so we finished slightly early but overall, it was amazing,” Mari said of their performance, set to music from the movie Pearl Harbour.
“I’m really happy to take home another medal. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet how much we’ve achieved this week!”
Triple gold for Germany in Grade V
The Grade V competition saw Germany’s Regine Mispelkamp match her teammate’s hattrick of three gold medals with yet another win, scoring a personal best with the expressive 10-year-old mare, Pramwaldhof’s Bayala, to finish on 77.700%.
“She felt so great, I’m so proud of her. She heard the music and just knew it was time to dance. She was so reactive to me, every step felt amazing,” Regine said emotionally of the young mare who made her Championship debut this week. “This is crazy, three gold medals! I cannot put into words how this feels, I wasn’t expecting this at all!”
The Netherland’s Britney de Jong claimed another silver for the host nation riding her dynamic Freestyle with Caramba N.O.P.
“The music was composed to suit him as he is so powerful, so I really love riding him in the Freestyle. He loves to be in the arena, and he just gave a bit extra again for me today,” Britney said of her test with the 18-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.
The combination are no strangers to a competitive arena, having represented the Netherlands at Junior and Young Rider levels, but this was their first Championship in a senior team.
“I’m really happy that we could win three silver medals in our debut, it was what I was hoping for. but never expected.”
In a repeat of the individual medal result, Sweden’s Lena Malmström won the bronze medal once again, finishing on a score of 75.615% with Fabulous Fidelie.
“She was the best [Sunday] and we did it as well as we could, we really connected,” Lena said of their test choreographed to classical music to match the mare’s elegance.
“I didn’t expect to receive two medals, but I thought the competition was open and I backed myself, I believed it could happen. I’m so happy that we delivered something people enjoyed watching.”
France’s first gold in the Grade IV
In a real shake up to the leaderboard, Alexia Pittier of France emphatically topped the podium with Sultan 768 to claim their first ever Championship medal. They wowed the crowds with a complex floor plan set to a medley of classic French songs and finished on a score of 78.055%, well ahead of their nearest rivals.
“I can’t explain how happy I am right now, we’ve worked so hard for this day. He’s only a young horse and he has improved throughout the week to go into the arena today and give me such a relaxed and expressive ride,” she said of the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding whom she partnered at the Paralympic Games in Paris last year.
Silver was claimed by Sweden’s Louise Etzner Jakobsson with Goldstrike B.J, the individual champions from Thursday. The pair performed to an Abba medley which matched the 14-year-old gelding’s enthusiasm, finishing on a score of 75.145%.
“He was very eager, so I had to work on encouraging him to take things slower, but I’m very pleased with him. His flying changes and medium trot were great, we just took a little while to come back in the transitions as he was so enthusiastic. But he’s such a good boy,” she said of their performance.
Taking the bronze medal once again was Pia Wulff Jelstrup of Denmark with Zafia who danced around the arena for a score of 74.995%.
“I designed the music for her, as she is the best. It’s new music so we’re not that familiar with it yet and we were a bit ahead at times, but I am very pleased with her,” Pia said of the 11-year-old Danish warmblood.
“It feels incredible to be here, it’s the first time I have ever ridden at a European Championship and I’m so happy with our result.”
When all is said and done
After a week of incredible competition in Ermelo, there has been a true changing of the guard in Para Dressage sport, with new team and individual champions crowned at the pinnacle of European competition.
Source: FEI press releases by Amy Powell
