FEI World Cup Dressage, London Olympia 2011 - Tuesday 13th / Wednesday 14th
by Helen Revington
Nadine Capellmann and Elvis VA
London Olympia's first evening of competition, held on Tuesday, saw some of the best dressage riders and horses in Europe vie for a place in Wednesday's Reem Acra sponsored FEI World Cup Dressage Qualifier.
Laura Bechtolsheimer and
Mistral Hojris
Competing indoors was a new experience for several of the horses so Tuesday's qualifying competition gave them a chance to get used to having the audience so close to them and to the electric atmosphere that makes the show so special. "Olympia is my favourite show", says European team gold medallist Laura Bechtolsheimer, who has been coming to the event since she was a toddler, " and it has always been my ambition to win here."
Grand Prix level is the highest at which riders can compete and whilst in Tuesdays competition the riders all had to perform the same test, Wednesdays Freestyle, ridden to music of the riders own choice allowed them not only to let their artistic juices flow but also to create a display which played to their own horses strengths British dressage is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment. Having won team silver in the European Dressage Championships, held on home turf at Windsor Castle in 2010 and repeating that success in the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky earlier this year; then, in August, the squad won the country's very first team Gold medal at the European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam. Three members of that team were competing at Olympia, as was one of Germany's reigning Olympic Gold medal winning team, Nadine Capellmann.
For further pictures please go to Stephen Sparkes Photography.
© Sue Wingate - The Joy of Horses 2011