Gold rush for Team GB’s Olympic dressage team

Tuesday 07 August 2012

Congratulations to Team GB as Laura Bechtolsheimer, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin have claimed a team gold ahead of Germany inside Greenwich Park today in the dressage. Britain's stunning team average of 79.979 beat Germany's 78.216 and proved they are a force to be reckoned with.

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro have emerged stars from these Games, setting an Olympic record last week before their second ride confirmed a first-ever team dressage title today.

This was Team GB's 20th gold medal at London 2012, meaning we have now surpassed our tally at Beijing 2008. This now means that London 2012 has been Team GB’s most successful Olympics in over a century.

The first person up in the dressage representing the team was Hester, who was riding Uthopia. The pair produced an impressive score of 80.571 - an Olympic record for this stage of the event and, more importantly, three full marks clear of opening German rival Dorothee Schneider on Diva Royal.

Next up was Bechtolsheimer, riding Alf, and they scored another impressive total of 77.794, again outscoring German counterpart Kristina Sprehe with Desperados, meaning the destination of gold came down to fellow 27-year-old Dujardin.

Heading into the Games it was most certainly Germany, the defending champions, who were the team to beat. In fact 18 months ago German owners are believed to have spent a fee that exceeded £10m in purchasing star dressage horse Totilas, the 2010 world champion, from the Netherlands.

However, due to German rider Matthias Rath coming down with glandular fever, he and Totilas were withdrawn, which fatally damaged Germany’s chances of Olympic gold.

In the absence of that partnership, Dujardin and Valegro seized their chance to become the stars of their home Olympics, setting an Olympic record last week before her second ride confirmed a memorable and historic first-ever team dressage title.

Her score of 83.286 put Britain well out of reach, on top of the podium and into the record books for the most successful Olympic campaign in 104 years.

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