Experienced riders win their first gold medal
It was a closely fought battle for the medals this 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, while 55 years old Regine Mispelkamp from Germany did the same in Grade V.
Riding the extravagant Goldstrike B.J, the ‘golden grandma’ from Sweden 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.
Habit of winning bronze
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. 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. We’ve had a lot of problem with her halts in the past, but all three were outstanding.”
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.
One of the closest wins
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.
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First ever medal
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,” Britney said of her silver medal at her first senior European Championship, with the 18-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.
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. 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.”