FREESTYLE GOLD MEDALS BRING BRITISH HAUL TO A MAGNIFICENT EIGHT by Louise Parkes

With the Team and three Individual titles already under their belt, the British brought their gold medal haul to a magnificent eight when adding victory in Freestyle Grades Ia, II, III and IV to their tally on the final afternoon of the FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships 2011 at Moorsele in Belgium yesterday.  Only Denmark's Stinna Kaastrup prevented them from making it a complete whitewash in the closing stages of the event that produced fantastic competition and presented many new stars of the future.

It was one of the stalwarts of the sport who took the first Freestyle title on offer in Grade Ia when British veteran, Anne Dunham, claimed top of the podium after a test with the ever-reliable Teddy that earned her a personal best score of 79.200.  "He was just brilliant!" Dunham said of the horse that also helped her take team and individual honours.  Freestyle Silver went to British team-mate Emma Sheardon with Purdy's Dream on a score of 74.100 while Sweden's Anita Johnsson and Donar took bronze with 73.950, heading a strong challenge from Helen Kearney who became the first-ever Irish rider to claim a medal at the FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships the previous day. The 22 year old competitor, who hails from Dunlavin in County Wicklow and who only began riding three years ago, took Individual bronze in Grade Ia, and Irish Chef d'Equipe, Naomi Donoghue, said afterwards "it was a tremendous day for Helen and the Irish Para Equestrian squad.  We have achieved our first European medal and I firmly believe there will be many more to come".

CONVINCING MARGIN
 
Kaastrup won Freestyle Grade Ib by a convincing margin, pinning Austria's Pepo Puch (Good Boy's Feeling) into silver medal position ahead of Finland's Katja Karjalainen (Rosie) in bronze.  The 17 year old Danish rider, double bronze and silver Freestyle medallist at last year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky, lives on Fyn, the third-largest of Denmark's islands, and she trains intensively with the help of coach Lotte Straarup.  She began riding as a therapeutic pursuit and learned to really enjoy it with her first pony who she said "was very nice, but a bit big!". 

However in the New Forest pony Labbenhus Snovs, who is just 145cms tall, she has found her perfect partner, and the balance and coordination they demonstrate is quite exceptional.  "I was 13 years old when I got Snovs, and it just went WOW from there! I've had him now for three years, and he's my very best friend" she explained.  And she has big ambitions for next year - "London is my really big goal" she insisted after adding the Freestyle medal to team and individual silver.

BIG IMPACT

On her debut at European Championship level, Britain's Natasha Baker made a big impact when following victory in Individual Grade II with the Freestyle title, and she also has London in her sights.  "I've had a great year this year" said the rider who showed much early promise when winning the British Para-Equestrian Dressage Under-18 Championship at just 14 years of age.  She started competing internationally in 2005 and her career has been on an upward curve ever since.  This summer's successes include wins in all grades at Deauville (FRA) in April, "and I won on all three days at Hartpury International (GBR) as well" she explained.  "I wasn't on the team because I was the new girl here, and all the others have been on Championship teams before so they didn't want to put too much pressure on me - but they still won team gold!" she pointed out.  She partnered the 168cms Polish Warmblood, Cabral - "he's 10 years old, a thoroughbred type, I bought him from Christian Landolt and he's a very pretty dark bay with a white star and I've had him for two years now" she said. 

Baker, who lives near Heathrow Airport in West London, trains at home with Sacha Hamilton and then, twice a month, travels to Emile Faurie's yard, an hour away, for advanced instruction from the international dressage rider who, last month, helped clinch Britain's first-ever team title at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam.  Baker described her horse Cabral, or PJ as he is known at home, as "very sensitive - he picks up everything he is asked to do and he's very forward-thinking and very kind, a really genuine horse".  And it's not just London 2012 that she's looking forward to - "I've just bought a 5 year old, and I'll be heading for Rio with him!" she said confidently yesterday.

Gold in Grade III Freestyle went to Britain's Deborah Criddle and LJT Akilles who pipped Germany's Hannelore Brenner and Women of the World, while the Dutch partnership of Vedet PB and Sanne Voets took bronze.  And the final title of the 2011 Championship went to Britain's Sophie Wells and Valerius who topped Grade IV Freestyle with a big score of 78.450.  Silver went to Denmark's Line Thorning Jorgensen with Di Caprio while The Netherlands Frank Hosmar and Tiesto took bronze.  Following the correction to a scoring error the previous day, the bronze medal awarded to Hosmar in Individual Grade IV was instead awarded to Jorgensen.

FANTASTIC SPORT

FEI Secretary General, Ingmar de Vos, was delighted with the success of the FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships 2011.  "It has been a week of fantastic sport and sportsmanship with some extremely competitive performances and great camaraderie between the nations" he said yesterday.  "The fantastic facilities here at the Silveren Spoor in Moorsele have been the ideal backdrop for an event of this magnitude and in the lead-up to the 2012 Paralympic Games" he pointed out. 

And FEI Para-Equestrian Dressage continues to go from strength to strength.  The next edition of the FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships will be staged at Herning, Denmark in 2013 alongside the FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships, and will be the first occasion for Para-Equestrian and able-bodied Championships to take place simultaneously.

RESULTS:
Freestyle Grade Ia:  GOLD - Teddy (Anne Dunham) GBR 79.200; SILVER - Purdy's Dream (Emma Sheardon) GBR 74.100; BRONZE - Donar (Anita Johnsson) SWE 73.950.
Freestyle Grade Ib: GOLD - Labbenhus Snovs (Stinna Tange Kaastrup) DEN 76.600; SILVER - Good Boy's Feeling (Pepo Puch) AUT 75.150; BRONZE - Rosie (Katja Karjanainen) FIN 73.050.
Freestyle Grade II : GOLD - Cabral (Natasha Baker) GBR 76.250; SILVER - Aquilana 3 (Britta Napel) GER 74.500; BRONZE - Chiara (Demi Vermeulen) NED 73.450.
Freestyle Grade III: GOLD - LJTAkilles (DCriddle) GBR 77.280; SILVER - Women of the World (Hannelore Brenner) GER 76.200; BRONZE - Vedet PB (Sanne Voets) NED 72.100.
Freestyle Grade IV: GOLD - Valerius (Sophie Wells) GBR 78.450; SILVER - Di Caprio (Line Thorning Jorgensen) DEN 75.750; BRONZE - Tiesto (Frank Hosmar) NED 74.900.