SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100
Categories: Horse News

World Dressage Championship Goes to the Dutch Team at the World Equestrian Games

Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas led the Dutch team to dressage gold. Photo: Leslie Potter

The gold medal for team dressage at the 2010 World Equestrian Games went to the Netherlands. A breathtaking ride by Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas sealed the victory with their score of 84.04, putting the pair in the lead while boosting the Dutch team score to a winning 229.74



The British team took the silver with 224.76, and the Germans earned the bronze with 220.59 in a tight race with the United States, which finished in fourth place just a few points behind Germany at 218.12.



Dutch Dominance
Totilas was the star attraction of the day. A crowd of people stood three deep outside the warmup to catch a glimpse of the famous horse up close before his much-anticipated ride. Despite the incredible pressure, Gal and “Toto” did not disappoint. The pair earned multiple 10s for piaffe, passage and pirouettes. (A score of 10 signifies excellence and is rarely awarded in dressage.) Floating half-passes and the expressive movement Totilas is known for earned a standing ovation from the crowd along with the excellent scores from the judges. “I was very happy with such a test … every time it’s amazing to ride him,” said Gal.

However, it was a day of highs and lows for the Dutch dressage team. Earlier in the day, Jerich Parzival, ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands, was eliminated from the team Grand Prix midway through the ride when the ground jury observed blood in the horse’s saliva. According the FEI rule, elimination is automatic if blood is visible in the horse’s mouth. There was no suggestion that any abuse of the horse had occurred.

The Dutch team veterinarian examined the horse immediately after he returned to the stable. “There was a tiny spot on the tip of his tongue. It had stopped bleeding on the way back to the stable,” Cornelissen said. “I am very disappointed. The horse was doing amazing at that moment. I am very happy that there is nothing seriously wrong with him.”

Sjef Janssen, the Dutch team chef d’equipe, said, “We are very disappointed, but we understand the rule and accept the decision.”

British Invasion
The British invasion began with a veteran ride from three-time Olympian Carl Hester aboard Liebling II, scoring a solid 72.12, but teammate Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris followed it up with an incredible performance earning 82.51 for second place in the individual standings while securing silver for the team.

“I was hoping for bronze, but if we’re going to get silver I’m not going to complain,” she said. “It was definitely my best performance. I’ve never had such a good test and a good score. Of course I was hoping that at the World Games I could really peak and have my best performance here, but for it to really happen is a big relief.”

The leggy chestnut also scored several 10s for his impressive piaffe. “I feel that [my horse] is a complete athlete. He moves like a tiger… I do believe he is in the same league as [Totilas and Parzival]. To me obviously there isn’t a better horse,” said Bechtolsheimer of her mount.

Germany Develops its Potential
Dressage powerhouse Germany uncharacteristically found themselves lower down on the podium, with a mostly young squad of several young horses and developing riders on the team. “There is a lot of potential … I think we need a little bit of time to prepare,“ said team anchor and decorated Olympian Isabell Werth

Peters Powerhouse for Team USA
Steffen Peters and Ravel were the very last ride of the day, and the atmosphere was electric as they entered the stadium. The pair turned in a

Reigning WEG dressage gold medalist Anky van Grunsven made a surprise appearance with her reining horse just before the awards presentation in the dressage arena. Photo: Leslie Potter

powerful performance in front of the enthusiastic home crowd. Their score of 78.59 put them third in the individual standings, but it was not quite enough to get the team past the Germans for a medal.

“Fourth place for our team is obviously a little disappointing,” said Peters. There’s no doubt that I really, really wanted to get the bronze medal for our team, especially after we came so close in Hong Kong. I came out of the ring and said ‘sorry guys, it wasn’t enough.’ For the three rookies on the team, I thought they did a wonderful job too.”

Tina Konyot and Calecto V were the next highest placed American pair with their score of 69.91.

Dressage competition continues on Wednesday at the World Equestrian Games with the Grand Prix Special, where you can expect a clash of the dressage titans as the world’s best horses and riders have a rematch.

See all World Equestrian Games dressage news >>

Keep up with the latest World Equestrian Games news with HorseChannel’s exclusive WEG newsletter. Subscribe now >>

View Comments

Recent Posts

Ultimate Guide to Ulcers

Equine ulcers are a significant concern for many horse owners. Ulcers can affect all types of horses and have a…

10 hours ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Vision of Elias

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

1 day ago

Fall Equestrian Gear Round-Up

It’s full-on fall here in western Pennsylvania. As the leaves change, the air turns crisp, and the puddles in my…

2 days ago

The Complete Guide to Parts of a Western Saddle — Plus a Quiz

Get to know the essential parts of a western saddle with this comprehensive guide. Plus, have some fun testing your…

3 days ago

8 Horse Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

Informed horse owners would never intentionally do something that could cause their horse to colic. Yet many owners unwittingly follow…

3 days ago

The Beautiful Akhal-Teke

The Akhal-Teke horse—pronounced like “apple” with a K instead of the P’s, and “techie”—is one of the rarest horse breeds…

4 days ago