What will the coming days bring for team GB’s DR & SJ riders at Greenwich Park

The Olympics have been fantastic for Great Britain so far with many medals won.  At the end of week one, team GB are 3rd in the medal table which exceeds expectation.

Our superb, and ever popular event team, brought home a team silver medal which was brilliant, although a little disappointing. Everyone so wanted them to win a well deserved gold medal.  They all rode so well, particularly XC, but little things happened to all to affect their final score. Tina had to ride her test in a downpour, Mary’s Imperial Cavalier fluffed one flying change, William’s Lionheart had 9 time penalties, Zara’s High Kingdom had 7 faults SJ. At the end of the day, or days, as has happened before, the Germans were better.

Can our dressage riders deliver Gold, or better still, 2 golds? It’s looking possible as Charlotte Dujardin with Valegro, is at the top of the leaderboard with team mates Carl Hester riding Uthopia and Laura Bechtolsheimer – Mistral Hojris, lying 5th and 7th. As a team, GB are in the lead….just, over Germany, with the Netherlands in 3rd position. Tuesday’s Grand Prix Special will decide the team placings and medals.  After a day off, the top individual competitors will compete in the Freestyle to Music to decide individual medals.  If Charlotte, Carl and Laura (who all live in Gloucestershire) can all produce PB’s, what more can we ask! Lets just hope that they continue their meteoric rise to the top and take double Gold! Good luck!!

The show jumpers have made a good start and go into the next round in equal 2nd place with just 4 faults, along with 4 other teams. Both Nick Skelton and Ben Maher rode super clear rounds in the first two qualifying rounds.  All of us groaned as Scott Brash just touched the last for four faults in Sunday’s second qualifying round, otherwise Team GB would have been in the lead. If, if, if …..

With 5 rounds in all, round 3 takes place on Monday 6th August when team medals will be decided, and rounds 4 & 5 on Wednesday 8th August for individual medals. The course has been beautifully designed with a great London theme such as a London bus, London Bridge, the Olympic flame.