Charlotte Dujardin had a big smile riding Valegro around the outside and chose some lively Rio-themed music for the day to passage in on. The trot work, both collected and extended, looked both easy and deliberate. The supple passage tracked up well behind and Dujardin's complicated lines and transitions in the trot tour were ridden with precision. The piaffes crept forward, but Valegro really tucks his croup down and piaffes from his hindleg, and then pushes out from behind into passage. The extended walk had a lovely relaxed stretch without the slightly artificial frontleg Valegro sometimes shows. The canter pirouettes are so sitting and well-controlled, and Dujardin followed them by expressive twos where Valegro moves forward with his whole body. Dujardin is a master of showing off his adjustability: he shortens himself for the pirouettes, but lifts his shoulder and opens up for the extended canter and tempis. There was a tiny hesitant step into the final piaffe pirouette, but the rest was sitting and springy and one the spot, showing right to the end of the test what a magical pair these two are. In the press conference after the Special, Isabell Werth said that since Dujardin had a couple mistakes in the Special, she wouldn't make any today, and she certainly didn't. Dujardin couldn't hold back her tears finishing her test, and the crowd roared when her score of almost 94% hit the board. No one could question that she and Valergro deserved their second gold for riding that showed such range, beauty, and correctness. In their lap of honour, as Valegro galloped around the arean Dujardin beamed, holding up her gold for the crowd. Isabell Werth entered with her usual total focus and was on beat from the first step of passage. The passage was regular, and engaged and Weihegold sat in the piaffes while mintaining almost the same activity behind as in the passage. One transition out of piaffe had a little double beat. The half-passes in trot were active and powerful and absolutely correct bend. Werth does not give away any marks and really rode even the extended walk, which was marching with lots of overtrack. Weihegold struggled a little with the transition from extended canter to a double pirouette left, but Werth finessed it so that the pirouette came off clean and active and sitting. The tempis don't have the most ground cover, but the canter is maintained with activity and fluid strides throughout the changes. The extended trot is this mare's weakness as she tends to want to hurry downhill, but Werth kept them from rushing, even though she cannot really get the mare to step under behind. The final piaffe was executed in a full pirouette, which other than a minor stutter-step sprang way off the ground with such a clear beat. Isabell Werth won the silver with her clever riding to become the most medal winning equestrian (89.071%).
Kristina Bröring Sprehe had a bit of an unclear start with an abrupt halt and a half-pass between passage and collected trot, but once she transitioned to her first trot half-pass the work was easy and beautiful. The half-pass left was a little passagey in the rhythm. The piaffes, ridden across the centerline at G were super sitting, but a little awkward in the transition out to passage. Bröring Sprehe's extended walk to piaffe quarter-pirouette to collected walk is one of the most beautiful movements in any freestyle: the transitions are so easy and the work of such quality. A big walk with active overstep. A sitting piaffe. The canter pirouettes were not the most well-placed around a point, but were in an excellent sitting canter. The canter in the ones tempis had a lovely beat, but the horse could step a tiny bit more into the bridle. Other than minor imperfections in the transitions out of piaffe, the curved lines of passage and piaffe to the final halt were easy and beautiful (87.142%).
Laura Graves started off with and easy looking passage half-pass to one of Verdades trot half-passes with his incredible reach across the arena. Her timing with the music was excellent and the passage big without tension or snatching throughout the test (except an early little stumble). The piaffe, as usual, was in rhythm and in place, if still not truly sitting. The collected walk was quite cautious, but Graves slowly established enough relaxation in her horse to get decent stretch for the extended walk. Verdades again showed his incredible lateral flexibility in the canter half-passes. The extended canter was a little tight in the body, but Graves brought Verdades back into a beautifully balanced and through canter in a pirouette. Graves twice rode two tempis on a circle to ones on the short diagonal. the twos were supple and uphill and the ones expressive, with consistency of the canter maintained all the way through. The final piaffe was a little haunches-right, but in the final passage, Verdades showed how he could really lift his body and articulate his limbs with supple activity (85.196%).
Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez has really gotten the swing of this horse for the Olympics, as overall, the Lorenzo's movement is much more managed. Jurado Lopez doesn't have the most independent seat, so the contact is a little inconsistent at times. But he really gets expression out of Lorenzo. The extended trots were powerful from behind and uphill, but a touch hurried. The passage had lots of suspension, but a little more today than in the Special, the activity of the hindleg moved more up than under the horse. The collected walk was a little backed off the contact, but the extended walk had nice stretch. The quiet musical transition Jurado Lopez chose from walk to canter really matched the easy transition, and the canter pirouette immediately after was really high quality. The horse gets a bit wide behind and doesn't really open in the frame for the extended canter. The tempis were not the smoothest, but were uphill and had lots of jump. The crowd was clearly crazy about this bright-eyed horse, as they cheered for Jurado Lopez as he passaged one-handed to his final salute (83.625%).
Dorothee Schneider had a little trouble finding her rhythm in the first passage half-pass, but it was a very minor thing, as she changed directions into a fluid trot half-pass where the horse bends so well in the body and really crosses. The piaffes, which were nicely closed at the base, could sometimes be a bit more on the hindleg, though the one in the walk work was really sitting. Schneider tried a tricky half-pass to canter pirouette to half-pass, and though the one to the left was gorgeous, Schneider lost the canter in the one to the right. The tempi changes were really off the hindleg and expressive in front. A later double pirouette to the left got a bit big and hurried, showing a little where Showtime is a bit inexperienced. The extended trot to piaffe showed the horse's ability to go with ease from a powerful pushing hindleg to the carrying one. Overall, Schneider couldn't keep the horse quite as steady as in the special, getting that little bit over tempo, but it still showed Schneider's talent for letting a horse really move under her (82.986%).
Carl Hester chose big music for his big gelding Nip Tuck. The piaffe full pirouette after the halt was beautifully sitting, with Hester getting particularly good activity from Nip Tuck behind. Hester then struck off into canter, where he had the long-in-the-back gelding looking round and compressed. The tempi changes were uphill and scopey in every stride and so lovely in the frame. Nip Tuck lengthens out a bit in the canter pirouettes where he struggles to really sit, but Hester keeps them super small and balanced as they turn. The collected walk was a bit short behind, but the extended walk finished with nice stretch. The trot half-passes were a little slow in the rhythm, though if Hester has asked for more, Nip Tuck's haunches would likely have gone flying out behind him. The extended trots were a rather limited. But the passage to finish was uphill and active behind. Hester's ability to compress this horse without strain or pressure is such a testament to his riding (82.553%).
Tinne Vilhemsen Silfvén had Don Auriello looking springy in the passage she entered on, and kept that activity well as she continued down the centerline. The flashy extended trot, marked with a transition to the fun Good Vibrations, needed a little more support from behind. Vilhemsen Silfvén rode a bunch of transitions from passage to collected and extended trot, which showed off how obedient and on her aids Don Auriello is. The extended walk showed nice settled overtrack. The first pirouette was not their more uphill, but still tiny. Vilhemsen Silfvén rode twos on a half circle, which could have been a big more forward, but were elevated and front and stayed even even on the curved line. The extended canter was big and determined without getting hurried. Vilhemsen Silfvén rode a one handed pirouette after a line of lovely twos where she looked like she almost lost her reins. And though the pirouette was small and sitting, I think the little disturbance in the contact resulted in a little bobble in the extended trot she rode next. They definitely had the good vibrations (terrible pun, I know!) going with the passage into the final halt, and had some of the most fun music of the day (81.553%).
Hans Peter Minderhoud chose some stirring music to start Johnson off in passage, and it was a nice choice to make a more settled impression. The passage pace was slowed down a little compared to the Grand Prix and the Special, giving Johnson a little more time to take even steps, and when he does he really reaches up in front. And for the most part today, the hindleg came well underneath him as well. The piaffes were a bit of a contrast with the passage, since they were rather small and not under behind, but still regular. The trot haf-passes were beautifully scopey, but the extended walk was definitely not, showing that Minderhoud was still wrestling with the horse's tension. The canter pirouettes were big and a little slow in the canter, but Minderhoud kept the strides around measured. They finished with a piaffe pirouette to an extended trot, but I would have thought an even better last impression would have been passage (80.571%).
Beatriz Ferrer Salat's elegant upright seat makes her look so light on a horse, especially the big, powerful Delgado. The difficulty with this horse is that he struggles to open up in his back, but this makes it especially impressive that Ferrer Salat keeps the frame from ever really getting tight. The passage was on beat step after step, with Delgado propelling himself up and forward with ease. The extended walk was relatively quick and underwhelming, and after, Ferrer Salat had a little trouble with the rhythm in an extended trot. The huge-striding twos and ones were quite noticeably crooked. Though the canter in the half-passes is active, Delgado gets a bit rigid in his body in them. The canter pirouettes today did not look the most secure in their balance, but Ferrer Salat keeps her horse's croup dropped and carrying. The finishing piaffe, where Delgado lowers his croup but stays active, and passage, where Delgado has effortless suspension, was just super (80.161%).
Diederick van Silfhout rides like is is always trying not to disturb the eager Arlando: it's a very soft seat even though the horse does not move much in his back. The horse looked strong as ever in the trot work, with his incredible shoulder freedom in the half-passes, passage, and extended trots. In extended trots and passage, the horse's active engaged hindleg could carry him a bit more uphill. The extended canter out of the walk was a little hurried, but van Silfhout brought the energy back for an active canter pirouette where Arlando really closed up at the base. And the contact in the pirouettes is feather light, with van Silfhout keeping the horse collected clearly from his seat alone. Van Silfhout had a couple errors behind in the first line slightly tight ones, though he repeated them successfully. The final piaffe and passage just shined (79.535%).
Steffen Peters has had Legolas at his best for these games: he's not the scopiest or the most elastic in anything but piaffe and passage, but he shined in those movements and everything else was supported with Peters' soft seat. After a bit of a sluggish start out of the halt, Legolas looked fresh and uphill in their first lines of piaffe and passage. Personally I'm not sure about the rap vocals Peters added to his music, mostly because I found them a bit corny, but I appreciate that he was having a little fun with them! Peters then struck off into canter to get some of the stickier movements out of the way. The twos came off clean. Both of the first pirouettes were quite big, though the canter in the second was better than the first. The one tempis were among the best Legolas has done: more uphill and scopey than usual (though still small compared to toher horses). Peters kept his characteristic canter piroutte to piaffe to walk transition in the freestyle, and it was super clean and obedient, though not showing the most expressive piaffe Legolas can do. Though Legolas is not the most elastic in the trot half-passes, Peters really gets him reaching sideways, and the second was more open in the body than the first. Peters rode three piaffe pirouettes, and though there were a couple tiny errors in the beat, overall, they were springy and effortless (79.393%).
Catherine Dufour started with a canter pirouette about five strides out of her halt that went immediately into super tempis, back to a canter pirouette, and back to tempis. The canter pirouettes were super sitting and active. Dufour was clearly showing where she deserves her marks: she can really ride, nailing one difficult movement after another in quick succession without stressing her horse. Dufour seemed to be riding for more expression in passage, mostly successfully, but at times that meant Cassidy got a little out behind, though he really sprang off the ground. The trot half-passes showed a powerful, expressive, regular trot. In extended walk, Cassidy could have moved more through his back. They then returned to the canter where the pair showed a perfectly balanced zig-zag before returning to piaffe and passage to finish the test.
Anna Kasprzak's freestyle cleverly starts out with the Donnperignon's lovely canter work: a pirouette, a line of ones, another pirouettes. In the pirouettes, the canter cleanly jumped uphill off the ground, but they got a bit big. The one tempis were superbly fluid and expressive. The first piaffe, ridden at A, was rather sticky, but Kasprzak had Donnperignon in a more open frame than she usually gets in it. The extended trots had plenty of power, and though Donnperignon doesn't naturally have the most shoulder-freedom, his good balance in the extended trots really allowed him to reach forward. In the trot half-pass left, Donnperignon's haunches lagged a bit. The twos ridden in a second canter tour later in the test were ridden on a beautiful curved line with each change jumping expressively through. Their finish with piaffe pirouettes brought the best piaffe out of the horse (76.982%).
Alison Brock could not have looked happier to make it to the freestyle at the Olympics: before she out her focused face on for the test, she rode a piaffe just beaming. Brock started out with a instrumental version of Sweet Dreams for the trot work. The first passage could have moved straighter off the hindleg and Rosevelt got a little high in front in the first piaffe. Overall, though, the piaffe and passage was pleasantly bouncy and always with the horse's nose nicely in front of the vertical. The slow sad music Brock chose for the canter didn't do the best supporting her muscular stallion. The canter pirouettes were a little rushed, but small. Brock struggled to get a flying change after her canter half-passes. The twos were really pretty and uphill, though could have shown a bit more engagement from behind. The final centerline showed their prettiest piaffe and passage, with Rosevelt supporting his expressive front with a more active hindleg (76.160%).
Patrik Kittel started Deja off with a big extended trot and her sparkling passage, where she has lots of knee action and an active hindleg (that could come a little more under the mare's body at times). He chose a pretty easy first half-pass line to the centerline and back, as the mare gets a bit irregular in the movement, even though she really reaches across the arena. In canter, the first of the two tempis was short behind, and though they were big and uphill; Kittel's effort to get them maybe interrupted Deja's rhythm a bit. Deja gets a bit wide behind in the pirouettes, but Kittel did a nice job keeping them in a clear canter. The ones, which were looking gorgeous, unfortunately had a couple errors. Overall, despite the pair's minor errors, they were really looking like a team. Deja now looks comfortable and certain at Grand Prix and shows her delicate power throughout the test (76.018%).
Fiona Bigwood's Orthilia looked bubbly and lively today, supported by some fun music with a beat. But she was still not completely in front of the leg, with the incredibly light-off-the-ground passage still leaning a bit forward, a break to canter before the first trot half-pass, and a little pulling down in the extended trots. In the second half-pass, however, Orthilia simply floated across the arena. In the first canter pirouette, Bigwood did a really clever job keeping her super talented mare in a canter that was controlled, but with a clear beat and super sitting. Their twos on a curved line had a couple errors behind. The one tempis looked easy and ground-covering. The canter work seemed to really motivate the mare because their final piaffe near A had so much lift. Unfortunately, the mare broke to canter in the extended trot to their final halt (76.018%).
Judy Reynolds' Vancouver K reminded me for a moment of Digby as he stepped out of the halt into a smallish trot on a ten-meter curve back to the rail. In extended trot, the horse doesn't really get elastic, and though he opens up his trot, its rather quick. Reynolds rode great active, uphill canter pirouettes, though sometimes couldn't quite nail the balance coming out of them. The extended walk was active, with the horse reaching for the bit, but he could have been a bit more over the back. After the walk, Reynolds had a piaffe where her horse seemed to want to climb to the sky, but though the tension crept in, she did a wonderful job settling her horse and stopping a major moment of resistance. In a later pirouette, Vancouver K changed behind. The final passage was a tiny bit short in the neck, but the horse stepped uphill in each stride. The piaffes looked a little trickier today. Vancouver K got a little bit hurried and tense, though he would really sit in them (75.696%).
