Anna Ross-Davies Lays Sixth in Italy
Friday, August 31, 2007
British team debutantes Anna Ross-Davies and Liebling II are in sixth place on 67.417% after the first day of competition at the 2007 European Dressage Championships in Turin, Italy, 30 August-2 September.
British Dressage chef d’equipe David Trott said: “They did a lovely clear round and we are delighted for Anna.”
Anna and the 10-year-old 16.2hh Holstein gelding were reserves up until less than two weeks ago. They train with top German rider Ulla Salzgeber and only competed in their first international grand prix this year.
Fiona Bigwood and the 14-year-old Swedish-bred gelding by Gaugin De Lully, Mr G De Lully, are currently lying in 11th place on 65.16%, which is an unexpectedly low score for them.
Trott explained: “The horse flies here are enormous and all the horses are smothered in fly repellent. We don’t know whether that is what caused Mr G to sneeze throughout his test or not. He had no mistakes, but was tense and kept snorting.”
The second part of the grand prix team competition takes place tomorrow (Friday) with Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris due to start at 10.05am and Emma Hindle and Lancet are on at 1.30pm (British Summer Time).
The three highest scores from each country will decide the team medals. The top 30 go forward to the grand prix special (GPS) on Saturday and all four team members may compete in the GPS. Individual medals will be awarded for this class.
The riders placed in the top 15 of the GPS will start in the grand prix kür on Sunday. Only three riders from any one nation may compete in the kür. Individual medals will also be awarded for the winners of this class.
Britain has yet to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Germany, Holland and the USA qualified at the World Equestrian Games last year and three further places are available for Western European League countries at the 2007 European Championships. Britain is currently lying in fourth place, only 1.8 points behind Sweden.
Click www.fise.it, for more info and full results.
