A 12 months on from dressage taking centre stage on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games, this recap seems again on the moments that outlined an unforgettable competitors.
Britain entered the Video games underneath a cloud – uncertainty, stress and scrutiny all hung within the air. However what adopted was a narrative of grit and style. Staff GB emerged with bronze medals, huge smiles, and a wave of aid that rippled throughout the game.
Set towards the splendour of Versailles and bathed in golden sunshine, Paris 2024 delivered all of it: drama, rigidity, rising stars, and reigning icons. Relive the theatre, the triumphs, and a few sudden cameos by way of our gallery of standout photographs from a landmark Olympic dressage competitors.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb after their grand prix take a look at on the Paris Olympics. Peter Nixon.
Following the withdrawal and subsequent suspension of Charlotte Dujardin, travelling reserves Becky Moody and Jagerbomb stepped as much as take their place within the workforce. It was their championship debut, and on the game’s greatest stage. However they rose to the event in type, posting private bests in each the particular (76.49%) and the freestyle (84.36%).
Becky Moody (far proper) shares the limelight along with her fellow dressage medallists. Credit score: Alamy
2. One second that stands out for Becky is standing on the rostrum alongside a number of the sport’s best names.
“That was the good factor and the image of us all up there’s one among my prime 5 favorite photographs of all time. To take a look at that image and suppose that these guys have been my absolute inspiration and function fashions was unbelievable, and to be there with Lottie [Fry] as effectively who I taught when she was a wee nipper in BD Youth, it simply goes to indicate how issues can change once you graft and work laborious.”
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg watching the grand prix particular. Credit score: TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP through Getty Photographs
3. In one of many extra sudden cameos of the Video games, American rapper Snoop Dogg and way of life icon Martha Stewart turned heads as they watched the grand prix particular wearing black tailcoats and white breeches, cheering on Becky and Jagerbomb amongst others.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale helped Britain safe the workforce bronze medal on the Paris Olympics. Credit score: Peter Nixon
4. Lottie and Glamourdale secured a superb bronze medal for the British workforce in scoring 79.48% within the particular, making it the primary Video games since London 2012 that Staff GB have received Olympic workforce medals in all three equestrian disciplines following the success of the showjumping and eventing groups.
It was 32 years since Lottie’s late mom, Laura Fry, rode on the Barcelona Olympics alongside Lottie’s present teammate Carl Hester.
“The truth that I’m on groups with Carl now could be very, very particular,” Lottie mentioned. “I feel she’s with me on a regular basis and using the take a look at with me – I hope she’s proud.”
Carl Hester and Fame after finishing their freestyle in Paris. Credit score: Peter Nixon
5. “It’s been per week of very, very completely different feelings, however it is a incredible strategy to prime it off,” Carl mirrored after receiving his workforce bronze medal. “I feel lots of people felt that if Charlotte wasn’t on the workforce, then we wouldn’t achieve success, so it was crucial for the workforce to indicate that we might do this.”
Driving Fame, it was Carl’s seventh Video games, a joint file for essentially the most Olympic appearances by a British athlete with Nick Skelton.
Abi Lyle and Giraldo throughout their grand prix take a look at. Credit score: Peter Nixon
6. Outdoors of the British camp, Abi Lyle made her Olympic debut aboard Giraldo (Arty) as Eire’s sole dressage consultant, scoring 69.44% within the grand prix.
“It went higher than I ever might have imagined,” Abi mentioned. “Arty and I went into a bit of bubble – I felt fully within the zone. Afterwards, it was only a wave of aid and emotion. I’ve had only a few rides like that in my profession, and I don’t know what number of extra I’ll ever have.”
Catherine Laudrup-Dufour lets out a sigh of aid after her grand prix particular take a look at with Mount St John Freestyle. Credit score: Peter Nixon
7. Regardless of her wealth of top-level expertise, Paris marked an Olympic debut for Mount St John Freestyle, ridden by Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.
The pair anchored the Danish workforce to a historic silver – their finest Olympic dressage consequence thus far. However it was heartbreakingly shut: Germany edged forward by simply 0.12% to clinch the gold, in one of many closest workforce competitions in Olympic dressage historical past.
Isabell Werth gestures to the gang after her grand prix particular take a look at on Wendy. Credit score: Peter Nixon
8. Then simply 10 years previous, Wendy emerged because the breakout star of the Video games underneath the saddle of Isabell Werth – essentially the most embellished Olympic dressage rider in historical past.
The pair delivered a superb take a look at to assert particular person silver within the Olympic freestyle on 89.61% – the mare’s third private finest in as many exams. Their music was an instantaneous crowd favorite, opening with Cyril’s Stumblin’ In, adopted by Dire Straits, and, most memorably, Barry Manilow’s Mandy – with the lyrics cheekily modified to “Oh, Wendy.”
Dalera and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl after what proved to be their final freestyle collectively. Credit score: Peter Nixon
9. The final dance – Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera signed off their extraordinary partnership with one other Olympic double gold, earlier than Dalera retired from competitors after the Video games. The world quantity ones and reigning European champions arrived in Paris unbeaten in 35 consecutive internationals – a streak that started with their particular person gold in Tokyo.
They left as simply the fourth pair in historical past to defend an Olympic particular person dressage title, scoring 90.09% and standing as the one mixture to interrupt the 90% barrier at these Video games.
Lottie Fry along with her particular person bronze medal after the prizegiving. Credit score: Peter Nixon
10. Lottie and Glamourdale added an sudden flourish to shut out the competitors, clinching particular person bronze within the freestyle. With the margins on the prime extremely tight, a couple of slight errors left them on 88.97%, and it seemed as if they could miss the rostrum – particularly with last-to-go Cathrine and Freestyle nonetheless to experience.
Regardless of showcasing spectacular piaffe pirouettes into canter pirouettes and different highlights, the Danish pair additionally made errors, ending on 88.09% and inserting fifth.
“I didn’t need to disappoint myself, so I didn’t watch the final exams,” mentioned Lottie. “As we have been on our approach again to the stables, I believed – simply by coincidence – we must always test the scores earlier than packing up. After which all of a sudden there was lots of screaming once we realised we had bronze! It was so thrilling, and Glamourdale actually deserves this.”
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Oscar graduated from York St John College with a grasp’s diploma in Literature in 2021 and joined Horse & Hound in October 2023. Oscar labored for prime dressage rider Emile Faurie for 4 years after ending an equine administration course at school. Beneath Emile’s tutelage, Oscar competed on the 2015 Nationwide Dressage Championships and travelled with Emile’s horses to CDIs at Aachen, Vidauban, Saumur and Achlieiten. Oscar continues to compete in dressage, alongside his day job.
