Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale added another world title to their collection at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, while Germany’s Julia Krajewski moved to the top of the eventing standings after dressage and Canada’s Saunders finished fourth in the women’s vaulting technical test.
Fry on Top in Grand Prix Special
For Canada, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu and Jaccardo completed their second appearance in the championship arena, finishing 27th in the Grand Prix Special with 69.271%.
The pair had qualified for the Special after placing 22nd in the Grand Prix, an achievement Fraser-Beaulieu was particularly pleased with given Jaccardo’s relative inexperience at the level.
“The beginning felt amazing. You know, I haven’t practiced a Special that much because I was so focused on the Grand Prix and being in the top 30, and my horse is green. It’s his first year of Grand Prix. He’s only done a few specials, so I felt like the whole beginning felt amazing,” she said. “I just felt like he was looking for his pattern a little bit, and he got a little bit hot in the changes, which was a little bit unfortunate. But I feel like he has so much to give me, and he goes in the ring and he loves it.”
Fraser-Beaulieu said experience should help Jaccardo learn to contain his enthusiasm.
“He’s a hot horse, so I have to tell him to wait; he’s anticipating a little bit the movement. So that just takes time, but I think he has it all.”
Gold medal winner Charlotte Fry (GBR) and Glamourdale. (Cealy Tetley photo)
At the top of the standings, Great Britain’s Fry produced a commanding performance with Glamourdale to win the individual gold medal on 82.295%. Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle took silver with 80.927%, while Germany’s Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH earned bronze on 80.866%.
Silver medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN) and Mount St John Freestyle. (Cealy Tetley photo)
Fry described the winning ride as the best test she has ever had with the 15-year-old Glamourdale.
“One hundred per cent I’ve never had a test like that. It was just amazing. I really don’t have words for him. He’s such an incredible horse, and the feeling of when he’s in front of a crowd… he just grows and he loves it.”
Hemmer, meanwhile, earned the first individual championship medal of her career in front of the German home crowd.
“I would have never dreamed of getting an individual medal here in Aachen,” she said. “My main focus was on the team, and I was already so pleased that we could do our personal best in the Grand Prix.”
Hemmer later announced that Denoix will not contest the freestyle. She explained that an injury earlier in the season had limited their preparation and she did not want to compete him in the freestyle without being fully prepared.
Krajewski leads tightly-packed eventing field
Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel emerged from the eventing dressage phase with the individual lead on 22.0 penalties. Great Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52 are close behind on 22.8, with Germany’s Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH third on 23.0. Canada’s Jessica Phoenix sits 56th following the completion of dressage with 35.1 in the field of 87.
Julia Krajewski (GER) and Uelzener’s Nickel. (FEI/Benjamin Clark)
Krajewski said Nickel understood exactly what was expected when he entered Aachen’s main arena.
“By now, he really knows what this square means and even though he was a bit switched on he just went in and was like ‘now I’m concentrating’ and he was really supple and with me. Looking back, I could have ridden a bit more, but he was so with me and correct and the walk was good I really had time to enjoy my dressage. I was smiling a bit, thinking ‘he’s really nice’ and then smiling at the judges hoping for a half a point more!”
Krajewski, who has an enviable championship record in the first phase, said she approaches dressage as an opportunity to accumulate points rather than worrying about individual mistakes.
“Normally I’m pretty calm before dressage because I always feel like you’ve got 22 movements to make points. Even if one isn’t quite perfect they’re 21 more.”
And although the stakes are considerably higher this week, she is trying to treat the World Championships like any other trip to a venue where she has enjoyed considerable success.
“I try to think it’s just Aachen because I’ve been in Aachen, I’ve done Aachen and I’ve won it twice and I actually really like riding here. I try not to think too much about the fact it’s a World Championship. If I get a medal in the end then I know the difference.”
The team competition is every bit as close. Great Britain leads after dressage on 72.8 penalties, just 0.8 ahead of Germany on 73.6. France is third on 84.5, with New Zealand only 0.3 penalties behind on 84.8 heading into cross-country.
Saturday’s cross-country could prove decisive, with Phoenix describing the Aachen track as “intense.”
“I’ve done a lot of World Equestrian games, and just the way they’ve designed this course, the questions that they’ve asked, the turns that they’re asking the questions on, I think will be a real game changer,” she said. Phoenix believes the track should suit Fluorescent Adolescent, describing her as a “sports car” who is quick-thinking, fast and efficient across the ground and loves tight turns. “This is really a well-suited course to her, and I can’t wait to get up there on Saturday.”
Averill Saunders and Bold Statement. (Cealy Tetley photo)
Saunders fourth, Talmage seventh in vaulting technical tests
Canada had two top-ten finishes in Friday’s individual vaulting technical tests, led by Averill Saunders and Bold Statement, who finished fourth in the female competition with a score of 8.106. Megan Leeper and Zorro finished 24th with 7.008, while Charlotte Axani and Lightning Jack 12 placed 31st with 6.757.
“I was having a little bit of a challenging time working in true harmony with my horse,” explained Saunders after her test. “We were on a little bit different wavelengths today. I was able to prioritize the technical exercises, which at the end of the day is 50% of the score. So for me, I’m really happy I was able to pull through and demonstrate those five exercises in a good way.”
In the men’s competition, Talmage Conrad scored 8.100 to finish seventh. Sam Dos Santos of The Netherlands won the technical test with 8.567, ahead of Quentin Janet of France on 8.467 and Bela Lennon of Germany on 8.279.
“It was a little rough, but that happens sometimes and I think we held it together,” said Conrad after the competition. “I did all those moves today and I think I did them pretty well, I just wasn’t able to connect them all together as well as I know I can and unfortunately that just happens.”
The individual vaulters return tomorrow for the Freestyle.
All results here.
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