Defending FEI Dressage World Championship title holders Charlotte Fry (GBR) and Glamourdale delivered once again, retaining their Grand Prix Special world title after a thrilling battle in Aachen. Their score of 82.295% secured gold ahead of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN) and Mount St John Freestyle on 80.927%, while Katharina Hemmer (GER) and Denoix PCH produced the ride of their lives to take bronze with 80.866%.
The top two steps of the podium were a repeat of Herning 2022. Fry again took gold with Glamourdale, while Laudrup-Dufour claimed silver for a second successive World Championship, this time with Mount St John Freestyle after riding Vamos Amigos four years ago. Hemmer was the only new name in the medal line-up, taking bronze with Denoix PCH.
The battle for the individual medals began today, and as the highest-ranked combinations from the Grand Prix entered the arena towards the end of the competition, the tension continued to build.
Fry and Glamourdale rise to the occasion
Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale were the penultimate combination to enter the arena. After winning double gold at the FEI Dressage World Championship in Herning in 2022, ‘Lottie’ pulled out all the stops to defend their Grand Prix Special title.
Apart from a slight hesitation in the transition into the first piaffe, their scores continued to rise. Their spectacular canter tour drew gasps of admiration from the crowd, and by the final centre line, the spectators could no longer contain their enthusiasm. The applause already began during the final piaffe.
Fry was greeted with a standing ovation as she left the arena, something not even one of the German athletes had yet received on home soil. Their score of 82.295% was just below their winning result from Herning in 2022, but was more than enough to secure another gold medal.
“I still can’t believe what just happened. Glammie was amazing in there. He was just giving, giving and giving. Whenever I was thinking, ‘Stay safe’, Glammie was saying, ‘No, let’s take a risk!’”
“When everything comes together after such a long preparation is amazing. I have no words for him, he’s incredible. He loves big arenas like this, with all the lights shining on him. He is 15 now, but he just keeps improving.”
Laudrup-Dufour takes silver
All eyes in Aachen were on one of the hot favourites for the title, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle. The combination had recorded by far the highest scores of the season, making gold appear well within reach.
Laudrup-Dufour was the first of the contenders to enter the arena. Freestyle started the test looking fresh and appeared to have even more spark than in the Grand Prix. However, a few small mistakes crept in, including an error in the one-time changes and a loss of balance in the second pirouette.
Their impressive score of 80.927% meant Laudrup-Dufour faced a long wait to discover whether it would be enough for gold, or even a medal. Ultimately, it secured silver.
“I’m disappointed with my ride today. We started really well and Freestyle is in amazing form. She’s fit and she likes the arena.
“I hope I can do better in the Freestyle tomorrow and do as good as ‘Free’ does. I have to let today be today, and focus on tomorrow. I’m excited to ride our new freestyle and have one more chance to show what an amazing horse she is,” a slightly disappointed Laudrup-Dufour said.
A dream medal for Hemmer
Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH were the final combination to enter the arena. After their outstanding performance in the Grand Prix, expectations were high.
The crowd erupted even before they began their test, while Hemmer calmly allowed the chestnut gelding to take in his surroundings. With plenty of swing and sharpness, while maintaining relaxation throughout, they scored 80.866% and finished just 0.061 percentage points behind Laudrup-Dufour.
“I never dreamed of winning an individual medal in Aachen. We had mainly focused on the Team Competition and the Grand Prix. Achieving a personal best there was amazing. Everything after that would simply be the icing on the cake,” she said.
“I will never experience anything like this again: winning a World Championship medal on home soil in Aachen with my best friend. Denoix is so special to me. He stayed focused, even during our final halt when the crowd was already cheering.”
Following veterinary advice, Katharina Hemmer will not compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle. As a result, Frederic Wandres and Larissa Pauluis have qualified for the Freestyle.
Fine margins at the top
The competition was extremely close at the top of the leaderboard. Legendary German athlete Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine finished fourth with 79.544%. Despite a few small issues in the flying-change sequences, their exceptional piaffe and passage work helped them to another strong score.
Reigning FEI Dressage European Champions Justin Verboomen (BEL) and his black pearl Zonik Plus followed closely behind Werth and the podium positions with 79.362%. As in the Grand Prix, errors crept into both lines of one-tempi changes.
“He is still only ten years old, and this was our first Grand Prix Special since the European Championships in Crozet. We had focused entirely on the team result,” Verboomen explained.
At 59, Carl Hester (GBR) also placed himself firmly among the leading contenders with Fame. With technical precision, he guided the bay gelding through the test to score 78.298%, keeping them within reach of the podium positions.
Freestyle places decided
The top 18 combinations from the Grand Prix Special, with a maximum of three per nation, qualify for the Grand Prix Freestyle. The final individual title of the Championship will be decided tomorrow evening, with the competition beginning at 19:00.
RESULTS here.
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