Rio 2016 Olympic Team Dressage, Day 2 - Grand Prix

Charlotte Dujardin is still the queen, even with three top Germans breathing down her neck!

Belinda Trussel & Anton: 72.214%

• Anton looked a little heavy in the hand today, but forward and positive. The trot half-passes were expressive and really pushed sideways in good bend. The extended trots needed to be more uphill. The first passage was nicely elevated in front, and Anton stepped easily in and out of a rhythmical piaffe. The extended walk was a bit lateral. Anton got a touch behind the vertical coming into the second piaffe, but the piaffe itself was elegantly sitting and springy. Both lines of tempis could have been a bit bigger and straighter. Trussell could have kept a bit more canter in the zig-zag. The pirouettes were impeccably controlled, but Anton curled a bit in them. The last extended trot was better than the earlier ones and the final line was really top class.

Lyndal Oatley & Sandro Boy 9: 70.186%

• Sandro Boy got a bit frantic and wide behind in the first extended trot. The half-passes had amazing crossing and good bend, though the horse’s wildly swishing tail distracted from the movement a bit. In passage, the horse could do better in supporting his extravagant front leg with a more carrying hindleg. The piaffe was active, but rather out behind. Sandro Boy overall looked less braced in his underneck than he has been in the past. The horse’s canter has a hindleg that comes way underneath him, but he is frequently quite croup high. The extended canter was bold without getting tense in the body. Oatley did a really good job pushing her horse sideways in the zig-zag and it was well-placed and balanced. The down transition to trot was quite late. For the final piaffe, the horse was more under himself, but wide behind.

Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez & Lorenzo: 76.429%

• Lorenzo is a powerful horse with big gaits, but this often makes them hard for Jurado Lopez to control, resulting in minor issues like a slightly wobbly centerline. The trot half-passes were huge and floated sideways with good bend and lots of crossing. In passage, Lorenzo steps way off the ground, but leans a bit over his front legs, rather than truly carrying. The horse piaffes mostly by snapping up with the hindlegs, though the movement is rhythmical. The twos were big, but a tiny bit tight behind the saddle. The zig-zag was very good. In the ones, the left change was consistently bigger than the right. The canter pirouettes were tiny and uphill, but Lorenzo planted his feet just a little in them. Even from a month ago, this pair looks more put together, on top of the lovely movement.

Masanao Takahashi & Fabriano: 62.986%

• Takahashi had a bit of a bad break in the first half-pass, with the horse dropping manure and refusing to really move sideways. The extended trots could have shown bigger strides. The extended walk was motivated with Fabriano stretching out nicely. Takahashi took a few strides to develop the passage, and then got a sharp spur in the slightly sticky stallion, causing him to buck a few times before the piaffe. The twos were ground-covering, but a bit close behind. While the zig-zag travelled well across the centerline, it looked quite laboured. The first pirouette had a very active canter, but could have been more uphill, the second was a little weaker. The final centerline was clean and energetic, with the haunches just slightly to the left.

Luiza Tavares de Almeida & Vendeval 4:

• Vendeval came to a bit of an abrupt halt in the first centerline, but moved off energetically. Tavares de Almeida rode many of the corners poorly, steering into them so that the horse got downhill through them. The trot half-passes were passagey, but the passage itself was very nicely elevated in front. The horse piaffed a bit by stopping his front legs, but stayed rhythmical. The twos were quite crooked, and had a few errors: a couple changes close behind and them a counting mistake. The half-passes in the zig-zag were limited. The ones were short, but improved towards the end. The first canter pirouette was quite nice, but the second lacked energy. The final extended trot was a bit frantic and inconsistent in rhythm. With the final line, we got a nice show of again of the highlight passage.

Pierre Volla & Bandida Altena:

• Volla entered the stadium in an open-framed posting trot, making a very friendly first impression. The extened trot was a little quick, but the basic collected trot had lots of soft knee-action matched by an engaged hindleg. The half-pass right had a couple rhythm errors, but the one to the left was quite nice. The passage was really big and expressive, the piaffe active, but tense. Volla seemed not to want to disturb the mare in extended walk, so it got slower and slower across the diagonal. The second piaffe was again active and not so tense, but the Bandida Altena should sit more in it. In the twos, the horse could separate her hindlegs more. The half-passes in the zig-zag were good, but one change was early and not clean. The first pirouette was very nice—uphill, small, and in an active canter—and the second was almost as good. This was a really lovely ride that finessed the mare’s strengths throughout.

Judy Reynolds & Vancouver K: 74.700%

• This sometimes very tense horse looked very steady today. The trot half-passes were very nicely elevated in front, though the horse got a little slow in the rhythm and seemed a bit resistant to really pushing sideways in them. The passage was really soft and regular, with Vancouver K carrying himself beautifully. The piaffe was sitting, but not quite as secure in the rhythm, and creeping forward slightly. The twos took up the centerline, but weren’t the biggest changes. Reynolds rode the zig-zag very well. The ones were absolutely smooth, easy, and consistent. Vancouver K had nice sit in the pirouettes, but leaned a little on Reynolds’ inside leg. The final line was very strong, with the horse escaping his hindlegs just slightly in passage.

Marcela Krinke Susmelj & Molberg:

• Molberg lost a lot of the elevation of his trot in the half-passes, though Krinke Susmelj rode them in good bend and with lots of crossing. The extended trots have a lot of power from behind so each stride covers a ton of ground, but Molberg doesn’t lift much in front. The horse could step more under himself behind in the rhythmical passage and piaffe. Krinke Susmelj got a little busy with her hands (though not strong) in the second piaffe-passage series, bringing the horse a little tight in the neck. Molberg took nice big strides in the extended canter and the zig-zag was very balanced. The horse anticipated the ones and changed early; Krinke Susmelj then waited until quite late to start the line. The final line was straight as can be, rhythmical, and steady.

Carl Hester & Nip Tuck:

• Hester entered dead straight with a soft square halt. The extended trot is smooth, but quiet and the horse does not really reach under himself in it. Both half-passes were in good bend, with lovely shoulder freedom, though the rhythm was quite slow. The regular passage had nice suspension supported by power from the hindlegs, but they are still quite behind the horse. Spooky Nip Tuck was already eyeing the boards after the trot half-passes, and when he knocked them in the transition from passage to walk, he gave a big spook. The second piaffe was nicely sitting, though Nip Tuck had to take a big lunging step to get out of it. The twos were beautiful and fluid, the ones could have pushed more forward from behind. Throughout the canter work, the rhythm was a lovely three-beat. Neither canter pirouettes was super uphill, but Hester did a masterful job controlling the straightness in and out of them. The final piaffe was regular and diagonal, but Nip Tuck gets a big wide and heavy in front. The passage on the final line was lofty, but Nip Tuck halted quite out behind.

 

Catherine Dufour & Cassidy:

• Cassidy is a little tight behind the saddle in his movements, but lively and powerful, always moving into an uphill frame. The trot half-passes were very good, losing maybe a tiny bit of energy towards the end of the second one. In passage, the horse bounces way off the ground, but puts his front legs a bit out in front of him. The piaffe is small and the diagonal pairs don’t always hit at the same moment. The extended walk was relaxed in the body, with Cassidy really reaching out into the bit. The transition from passage to canter was a little tense. The two tempis were straight and expressive. Cassidy jumped together behind before the extended canter, showing a little tension in his body. The ones got a little small towards the end. The first pirouette was small and uphill with a very good canter rhythm; the second was also good, but a tiny bit rushed. The last extended trot was the best, as the horse actually opened his frame through his whole body. The final line was strong.

Victoria Max-Theurer & Della Cavalleria:

• Max-Theurer didn’t have the cleanest entrance with a bit of a wobbly halt where she played with the bit before her salute. The second half-pass was in much better bend than the first. The reinback was very hesitant and the mare dragged her feet. The passage had nice suspension, but the mare got a bit open in the frame in it. The walk work was very nice. Max-Theurer lets the mare travel quite far forward in piaffe to keep the activity. The twos were successful and big, but looked like they might fall apart any minute, as the mare looked like she struggled to jump through in each change. The ones came way off the ground, but barely moved forward. The change between the pirouettes was not straight. Overall, the picture is quite nice, with no mistakes. The movements I expect will improve as the young mare develops.

Steffen Peters & Legolas 92:

• Legolas does not have the most pushing power from his hind end, but Peters did a decent job getting him to stride out in the extended trot. The trot half-passes were supple with good crossing. The first passage was regular and Peters got the front end to better match the horse’s extremely springy hindleg. The piaffe was super, bouncing way off the ground, and Legolas lowered his croup some rather than simply bouncing up behind. The two tempis were small, wobbled across the diagonal, and Peters had a counting error near the end. In the canter work, the horse always appears a bit behind the leg. The zig-zag travelled well sideways, but the canter in it was rather flat. The one tempis were ponyish. The pirouettes were tiny and expertly controlled by Peters, but not at all elevated in front. Their final line was amazing.

Patrik Kittel & Deja:

• Kittel didn’t ride the half-passes in the truest bend, but had the mare really reaching sideways with her expressive front legs. Deja’s flashy front end was well matched by her hindleg in the extended trots. The extended walk was quite nice. Though the mare lowers her croup in piaffe, she doesn’t really take her weight off her front end and doesn’t quite jump cleanly between diagonal pairs. The passage is light and airy. Kittel held nothing back for the lovely extended canter, and the zig-zag was balanced and determined. The mare gets a little tight in the frame in the tempis, though they are big. In the canter pirouettes, Deja jumps together behind and doesn’t really come up in front. The final passage was super, but the mare showed a touch of backwards tendency in the piaffe at X.

Diederik van Silfhout & Arlando:

• Silfhout started out with a super halt. The extended trot, as it tends to be, was big in front, but Arlando wasn’t really stepping under enough behind and seemed a little short in one hind. The passage had superb suspension and engagement behind, though it could maybe travel a bit more forward each stride. The extended walk was very tense with no overtrack. The second passage started quiet, and Silfhout seemed not to have his electric stallion really in front of the leg since he started the piaffe very early and let it creep forward a couple of meters. The twos were straight and forward. The extended canter showed more frantic leg action than lengthening of the stride and frame. The last change of the zig-zag was a couple strides late behind. The canter in the pirouettes was beautifully active. The final centerline showed very expressive passage and piaffe. Silfhout had the stallion consistently up in the frame and in front of the vertical, though it would be nice to see the frame be less rigid.

Kristina Bröring-Sprehe & Desperados FRH:

• This is such a great combination, giving a picture of everything being so easy and light, even though there are imperfections. The first lovely forward extended trot was a little out behind. The first passage was irregular into the piaffe, which was rather crooked, though very expressive. The extended walk was quite short. The supple passage after the walk was again a little inconsistent, especially as the haunches swung out through the turns. The twos were relaxed and fluid and the extended canter so big and elegant. The ones were also super. The first canter pirouette had super sit, but Desperados jumped a bit together behind in it, and the haunches swung a little wide in one stride. The second was excellent. On the final centerline, the haunches swung off the line a little, though the piaffe and passage was super light and expressive. I don’t think they were at the top of their game today, however. 

 

Kristy Oatley & Du Soleil:

• Du Soleil is has a powerful trot with deliberate strides, which looked especially strong in the half-pass left. The carrying part of the passage seems a bit harder: Du Soleil has plenty of suspension, but sometimes leaves a leg behind him or gets a bit out behind. The piaffe springs with quality between diagonal pairs, though Du Soleil fall a little to the side or got crooked in both of the first two. The extended canter was conservative, but not the zig-zag, which was travelling impressively sideways until an error in the second change. The one tempis were a bit of a mess with an early error after which the horse got short-strided, deep, and croup-high. Both canter pirouettes showed a lovely bend, canter and balance, but the horse stuck some ones in instead of a single change. The final passage was a bit out behind, but the piaffe at X was fantastic: uphill and in rhythm.

Jorinde Verwimp & Tiamo:

• Tiamo came in strong with a motivated extended trot, but Verwimp had some rhythm errors on the short side before here nice trot half-passes. Verwimp brought the second extended trot back very early before the passage, but the passage itself was springy. The walk work was solid. Tiamo has a very small piaffe where he barely lifts his feel off the ground, in contrast with the more than ample engagement in the passage. The energetic twos were performed with a great deal of tail-swishing. In the zig-zag, the canter was active and the changes of direction balanced, though the horse got a little croup-high. There were a few errors in the ones. The first canter pirouette was too quick; the second, a little big. The passage on the final centerline was really powerful and the piaffe was their best.

Beatriz Ferrer-Salat & Delgado:

• This pair had a slightly sloppy halt, but what a powerhouse in extended trot, with each step pushing him across the arena. There was at least some bend in the half-passes today, and lots of crossing in the powerful trot. The passage is so rhythmical with a high degree of suspension, transitioning easily into a sitting, springy piaffe. The extended walk showed minimal stretch and overtrack. The only minor flaw in the piaffe is that is creeps forward slightly. The transition from passage to canter was awkward. Ferrer-Salat had a horrible time with the two tempis where Delgado just took over and it took almost half the diagonal for her to get him on her aids. The zig-zag was easy and bouncy. The one tempis were successful, though Delgado isn’t very straight in them and again it looked like he was doing the piloting. Both canter pirouettes were small and sitting, but Delgado jumped very together behind instead of showing a truer canter beat. The final centerline was spot on.

Yuko Kitai & Don Lorean:

• Don Lorean started looking sweet but not quite regular in the collected trot and beginning of the extension. The trot half-passes flowed quite nicely, with better bend to the left. Again, Kitai lost the regularity of the trot after the reinback. The passage and piaffe were obedient, but could both have been a bit more electric. The extended walk needed more energy stretching into the bridle, but the collected walk was nice. The second piaffe was a bit stuck and arhythmical. Kitai’s twos were very good: big, uphill, and ground-covering. The change at the end of the extended canter was quite early and a change in the zig-zag was also messy. The canter pirouettes were huge, but Kitai maintained the canter quite well in them. The passage on the final line was straight with nice elevation in front.

Joao Victor Marcari Oliva & Xama dos Pinhais:

• This horse was moving very nicely from behind in the collected trot and extended trot, though he got a bit flat in the half-passes from some mild resistance to the bend. The passage needed more suspension to better distinguish it from the collected trot. The collected walk was relaxed and active. Xama dos Pinhais lowers his croup for the piaffe and stays in rhythm but doesn’t really have the strength to push himself off the ground, so he drifted sideways a bit. The horse also sort of stops before the piaffe, and then gets going again. The canter got a bit choppy coming back from the extension. There was an error in the ones, which kept getting shorter and shorter as they went on. The canter pirouette was sitting, but the strides were a little big. Marcari Oliva did a lovely job keeping the big-necked stallion up in the frame with a delicate contact.

Karen Tebar & Don Luis:

• Don Luis was looking nice in his floaty extended trot, but tripped partway through. The trot half-passes were a little slow in rhythm, but with beautiful bend and crossing. The passage was super regular and light, stepping without a change of rhythm into the piaffe, but Don Luis didn’t really sit for the piaffe. The extended walk was loose with lots of overtracking. The twos were airy, but didn’t have the most reach in each stride. The rhythem and sit in the first canter pirouette was perhaps the best of the day, but the second wasn’t quite as collected. Tebar rode a dead straight final centerline of light and easy piaffe and passage. The frame and contact was lovely throughout, with Tebar’s light hands showing the horse carrying himself.

Charlotte Dujardin & Valegro:

• Even from the first strides down the centerline, the audience gets to see collection with power. The extended trot is super motivated from behind. Dujardin rides for huge crossing in the trot half-passes, which move powerfully sideways. The power was also on for the extended trots today, and they were so uphill. The first passage was a little less ground-covering than normal, but with better carrying behind and no trailing hindlegs. There was a tiny rhythm mistake in the first piaffe. The extended walk was nicely stretching but did not have the biggest overtrack. Again, Valegro made a tiny rhythm error in the super sitting and active second piaffe, as Valegro swung his pasterns out slightly. Dujardin nailed the twos, which were uphill, big, and dead straight. So were the ones. The collection after the extended canter was soft and so balanced. The first canter pirouette was beautifully sitting, but a little big, the second smaller and an improvement. The final passage is so supple and yet with suspension, transitioning to a sitting balanced piaffe. A little hesitation before the final halt, but there is no horse like this one.

Marina Aframeeva & Vosk:

• 
  
  The light-framed Vosk struggled early with a few little rhythm errors in collected trot. Aframeeva had him reaching sideways very nicely in the trot half-passes. The passage pushes off the ground well, but could also push more forward each stride. Aframeeva rode a seamless transition to piaffe, and the haunches do come down in piaffe, while they are a bit high in passage. The airy tempis could also have pushed more forward from behind, though the big horse filled the diagonal. Vosk kicked out at the spur for the first of the one tempis, which were otherwise clean. The canter of the pirouettes was a bit in two phases, but the pirouettes were small and controlled. The horse is a little behind the vertical for the final line, but otherwise showed both control and expression.

Anna Kasprzak & Donnperignon:

• 
  
  Donnperignon has a real power hind end, but it is slightly blocked by his super upright frame in front. The trot half-passes could have been in better bend. The second extended trot was really big-striding without rushing. Donnperignon was a little high in the frame in the extended walk and not really showing enough overtrack. The second piaffe travelled a little forward, but Kasprzak kept it active and diagonal. The twos were gorgeous, the ones maybe even better. The extended canter was short in the frame. The changes of bend and direction in the zig-zag were seamless. The canter in the pirouettes had a clear beat and was sitting, though the size was a little big. Donnperignon swayed a little in passage on the final centerline, but it was big and engaged.

Laura Graves & Verdades:

• 
  
  Verdades is a phenomenal mover with so much expression, but sometimes tension gets in his way. Today, he seemed settled right until the last few meters of passage, which got so huge, they seemed to startle him. The extended trot started with plenty of reach in front, now better matched by his hind legs. The trot half-passes were huge, with Verdades streching powerfully sideways each stride in true bend. The passage was big, but with the occasional step where Verdades left a hind leg behind. The piaffe jumped effortlessly between diagonal pairs, but Graves didn’t quite get the horse to sit and the hindlegs stayed a bit out behind. The extended walk was rather sleepy, not really striding into the contact. The two tempis were stunning, flowing with big strides across the whole diagonal. The half-passes in canter, like those in trot, travel sideways effortlessly, but Graves missed the change at the end until she hit the short side. The pirouettes were among the best of the day: tiny and in a clear canter. Though they could have been just a bit more up in the shoulder. On the final centerline, Verdades was springing way off the ground in passage, though he got just a tiny bit revved up before the final halt.

Tinne Vilhelmsen-Silfvén & Don Auriello:

• 
  
  Vilhelmsen-Silfvén started on a slightly uncharacteristically crooked halt, but then had her lovely bay moving off in his light forward way. The trot half-passes had lovely shoulder freedom, but not the best bend. Don Auriello stepped under decently in the trot extensions, though his hindlegs don’t provide much power. The extended walk was beautiful. Don Auriello dragged his toes behind in passage, even though it he stayed very elevated in front. The piaffe was very classical with the horse sitting and rhythmical, even though he doesn’t have the same spring off the ground that some of the other horses do. The tempis were lovely. The canter pirouettes were tiny, and Vilhelmsen-Silfvén managed them so well. She also got the hind legs a little more lively on the final centerline for a lovely finish to the test. As usual, the frame was beautiful.

Hans Peter Minderhoud & Johnson:

• 
  
  Though the neck is a little tight for the extended movements, Minderhoud has a lovely way overall of getting his horses to really move powerfully up into a frame so that they are always pushing into contact. The trot half-passes were swinging and energetic. The passage had a bobble early on, but then settled into big energetic steps. The piaffe wasn’t sitting, but jumped off the ground. The extended and collected walk were weak, with the horse tense and trying to jig in both. In the passage at times, Johnson could step more under, as he sometimes just snatches his hindlegs up. The canter in the two tempis was big and round and the whole line flowed beautifully. Minderhoud really rode for the extended canter, and Johnson moved though his back to power across the arena. The ones were not quite as smooth as the twos, but still big. The canter strides in the first pirouette were a little big, and while trying to control the steps in the second pirouette, Minderhoud lost the canter rhythm the tiniest big. The final centerline was very good except for a little tension into the piaffe.

Inessa Merkulova & Mister X:

• 
  
  Upon entering, Merkulova’s curb seemed oddly off center in Mister X’s mouth, which was a bit open from the start. The extended trot was big. In the trot half-pass right, the horse’s haunches were really lagging, while the one to the left was better. Merkulova needed to get more lengthening of the frame in the second extended trot. The piaffe and passage were superb, with just an undisturbed suspension. The extended walk was relaxed, but a little sleepy. The second passage could have travelled a bit more forward, but it transitioned into a stunning piaffe that was sitting and in place while springing off the ground. The twos were big, but Mister X lurched a little in a couple of them, instead of jumping up and forward. The one tempis were fluid, but not very straight and a bit low in the poll. The canter pirouettes were spectacular, with the horse demonstrating the same ability to jump off the ground while lowering his croup that he does in the piaffe. Other than being the tiniest bit curled with an open mouth, the final centerline showed more amazing piaffe and passage.

Inna Logutenkova & Don Gregorious:

• 
  
  Unfortunately Logutenkova started with trouble getting her horse out of the halt, but things looked nice soon. The half-passes were really lovely with bend and fluid crossing, but then Don Gregorious spun where he should have done a reinback. The passage was lovely and light, the piaffe diligent and expressive in front. The extended walk was cautious. Logutenkova did a nice job bringing her horse back to focus and produced a nice piaffe and passage. The twos were soft and expressive with the horse’s big round canter. The zig-zag was a bit resistant, especially towards spooky C, where the horse hesitated again. The canter pirouettes were small with a lowered croup, but Don Gregorious had his feet planted a little behind. The final passage was pleasant, but could have been a bit more engaged behind.

Isabell Werth & Weihegold OLD:

• 
  
  Werth had Weihegold pushing forward so softly from behind in the extended trot, getting her to open her frame a bit better than she has in previous tests. The trot half-passes were not the most dynamic Werth has ever ridden, but she did a lovely job getting this mare who doesn’t have the flashiest front end to really reach sideways. The passage pinged off the ground in every step, but the degree to which Weihegold stepped under herself was inconsistent. The extended walk was quite tight in the body. In the second piaffe, the mare was snorting and pulling down a little from tension, but Werth kept her in rhythm. The canter work was quite stiff-legged in front, but the twos were still smooth and expressive and every step balanced. The zig-zag was ridden with amazing accuracy. The one tempis were super uphill, jumping way off the ground, but a little short. The canter pirouettes were solidly sitting and active. Weihegold lost the rhythm for a couple steps in the final extended trot. The passage on the centerline sprang way off the ground, with the mare reaching way under herself, with just a tiny stutter-step out of the piaffe at X interfering with the gorgeous final line.

 

Rio 2016 Olympic Team Dressage, Day 1 - Grand Prix

If you want to know about every or any ride from yesterday's first day of Olympic Grand Prix competition, here's the full run down!

Suzanne Hearn & Remmington: 65.343%

• Hearn rode Remmington in a frame that was nicely up and open in the throatlatch, though sometimes Hearn’s soft adjustments would make the horse tilt a little. The first extended trot was rather irregular. The trot half-passes lacked energy and didn’t go all the way to the rail at B. The piaffe was a bit slow, but clearly diagonal and springy. The extended walk needed more impulsion, but collected was clear and relaxed. The horse’s passage had rather limited elevation, though it improved after the second piaffe. Hearn had trouble getting the twos going, and when she did they jumped quite a bit from side to side. The canter zig-zag was energetic, but the changes were flat. There was another error in the ones. The first canter pirouette was controlled, but not uphill, while for the second, the horse turned around his middle rather than around a carrying hindleg. The final centerline was pleasant, with Remmington’s head just wobbling a bit from side to side.

Valentina Truppa & Chablis: 65.971%

• Chablis looked bouncy and energetic entering the arena, but Truppa appeared not to ask for any extended trot across any of the diagonals. The trot half-passes were flowing, but Truppa rode them by cheating a bit and letting the haunches lag. Chablis’s passage was springy and light, but in piaffe, the horse never found his rhythm, and for the second Truppa didn’t get even 12 mediocre steps, giving away a lot of points. The twos jumped brightly off the ground and the zig-zag was expertly ridden. The ones has air-time, but didn’t fill up much of the diagonal. Truppa didn’t get much collection for the pirouettes, so they were a bit big and low in front. The final piaffe was the best.

Claudio Castillo Ruiz & Alcaide: 69.814%

• Alcaide is an energetic Spanish horse with a lot of knee action but very little suspension. Castillio Ruiz rode nice swinging trot half-passes that were among the better ones of the day. Both early extended trots were had lots of impulsion, but lacked enough uphill balance. The activity behind in piaffe came with the horse loading his weight a little in front, rather than sitting. The two tempis were big, the extended canter, a little rushed. The changes in the zig-zag were a bit unbalanced, and the first, almost in two parts. The first canter pirouette had a huge first couple of strides; while the second started better, Alcaide broke out of the canter at the end. On the final centerline, it was noticeable that the elevated passage and piaffe jumped a little from side to side, rather than stepping straight.

Akane Kuroki & Toots: 66.900%

• Kuroki had Toots looking very friendly, but needed from the start a little more impulsion. The second extended trot had more power than the first, but the big black gelding got a little heavy in the bridle at the start of the first passage. The passage needed to show more push from underneath the horse and in piaffe, the legs tend to step up and out behind in a bit of a shuffle more than up and under. The two tempis were big and fluid. The first change in the zig-zag was short behind and overall, Kuroki needed a bit more control of the haunches in the zig-zag. The first pirouette was a bit close behind, the second quite nice in the canter and well-balanced. She finished with some nice passage up to the final halt.

Perdro Tavares de Almeida & Xaparro do Vouga: 65.714%

• There was certainly a good Brazilian crowd out there to cheer the arrival of their first home-team rider. The first extended trot was rather irregular with the horse continuing to lean on Almeida’s hand into the trot half-passes. The passage was a bit laboured and the horse got rather deep in the bridle in piaffe. The passage after the walk was significantly more uphill, though it still needed more energy. The half-passes in zig-zag were obedient but showed limited movement sideways. Overall, the test was friendly, but not in front of the leg enough to pick up marks.

Ludovic Henry & After You: 69.214%

• After You is a fancy mover with a lot of front leg action. The horse is clearly loose in the body, but at times this means the horse gets a bit irregular or the haunches swing out. In piaffe, the horse gets so narrow at the base that he is not quite balanced, even though he is quite active behind. Henry did a nice job in the twos keeping them lofty and up in the bridle when the horse showed a little inclination to pull out in the contact. The ones needed to be straighter and there was an error at the end. The horse got quite slow behind and rotated too quickly in the canter pirouettes. The passage on the final centerline was big, but needed more controlled power to really earn the marks.

Dongseon Kim & Bukowski: 68.657%

• Kim started with quite a crooked centerline, but had pleasantly lively trot work. The passage was relaxed and regular, but could have stepped a bit more under behind. The extended walk was quite limited and didn’t really stretch into the bridle. The second piaffe started with quite a bit of engagement, but the horse then got deep in the bridle and heavy in front. The twos were smooth, but small. The zig-zag was quite bold and well-managed. The canter pirouettes needed more elevation in front. The moments where Kim asked Bukowski to stay more up in the bridle were quite nice, and the test would have been even better if he had managed more of them. The passage was definitely the pair’s highlight.

Spencer Wilton & Supernova: 72.686%

• Supernova looked quite impressed by the Rio arena, looking around with big eyes in the first halt. The trot half-passes were very rhythmical and lofty, but a bit slow in rhythm and not really bent. Both extended trots could have been bolder. Wilton had trouble establishing the first piaffe, with the horse getting a little sticky off the ground. The extended walk was active, but the horse was not stretching into the bridle. The second piaffe was rhythmical and straight and the passage out of it quite powerful from behind. Wilton had an error in the ones, which was a bit surprising since they looked to be going smoothly. The first canter pirouette was nicely uphill, but the second lost some of the activity of the canter. Overall, the horse stays short in the neck and leans a little forward in the shoulder despite Wilton’s soft contact and needs to step more from behind into the contact.

Anders Dahl & Selten HW: 69.900%

• Selten looked a little laboured in the trot half-passes, not powering sideways quite enough. The first piaffe was up in front, but rather irregular. There was an early error in the twos. The extended canter was conservative, but still showed Selten’s ability to open up his stride. The ones were quite short. The controlled canter pirouettes needed more support from a more active canter. The final passage and piaffe was nicely elevated, though the piaffe swung a little from side to side. Dahl kept the horse in a very nice open frame, but seemed to be a bit conservative about asking for power from behind, perhaps to keep tension at bay.

Megan Lane & Caravella: 71.286%

• Caravella is a bit ponyish in here movement, but nicely balanced in her movement in front and behind. The extended trots lacked some engagement behind, as did the first passage. The piaffe crept significantly forward, but Lane got the mare to nicely lower her croup. The zig-zag was quite well controlled. The mare shows huge shoulder freedom in the tempis, but could jump up more from behind. Lane rode very pleasant uphill canter pirouettes. The final passage needed more energy from behind, but the piaffe was nicely rhythmical. Lane was the first rider of the day that really gave the impression of having her horse truly in front of the leg.

Allison Brock & Rosevelt: 72.686%

• Brock started with some nice forward riding in the trot, though her stallion wasn’t quite obedient in the bend in the trot half-passes. The extended trots really pushed uphill from behind, but Brock had a little more trouble turning that into carrying power for the passage. The horse looked motivated and relaxed in the extended walk. The second passage and piaffe were small again, but regular. Rosevelt could separate his hindlegs more in general in the canter work, and in fact, the pair had and error in the twos. The zig-zag was a little flat. The one tempis were small, but accurate. The canter in the pirouettes was also flat. Overall, the trot work left the best impression. The work was quite consistent, but the horse needed to show a little more power in the work that really required him to carry behind, like the passage and canter pirouettes.

Christian Zimmerman & Aramis 606: 63.271%

• Zimmerman had quite a bit of trouble with the first halt, stepping back and sideways before finally trotting off. They had a big rhythm error before starting decent trot half-passes. The horse then stopped before the first piaffe. The passage after had potential, with nice elevation, but Aramis again looked ready to put on the breaks. Aramis showed an elevated uphill extended canter, but Zimmerman looked to be working for every stride. The canter pirouettes showed a clear canter. The final passage was lofty, if not the most energetic.

Yvonne Losos de Muniz & Foco Loco W: 61.300%

• Losos de Muniz rode her horse quite deep in the bridle at many points in the test and often over-bent in a way that restricted the horse’s forward movement. The horse stepped under well in passage, but got a bit croup-high in piaffe. Losos de Muniz again seemed to block the horse from really stretching in the extended walk. There were a few errors in the twos as the horse got rather tense in the back. The first of the ones was short behind and they were quite deep in the bridle. The horse humped his back, getting stuck in the second canter pirouette. Losos de Muniz then had a major rhythm error in the passage in the final centerline.

Mads Hendeliowitz and Jimmy Choo SEQ: 71.771%

• Hendeliowitz raised the bar with half-passes for the day: they were elevated and rythmical. The first piaffe showed activity behind that wasn’t sufficiently matched in front. Jimmy Choo was swinging through the back well in extended walk. The passage was bouncy, but not maintained in the most consistent collection. The twos were ground-covering and the extended canter bold. The changes in the zig-zag were a bit unbalanced. The canter pirouettes seemed to lead a little with the haunches, making it a bit difficult for the horse to really jump from behind. The final centerline was clear and springy.

Julie Brougham & Vom Feinstein: 68.543%

• Brougham started with a diligent square halt. The trot work was very peppy, though the flashy front Vom Feinstein showed in the extended trot wasn’t quite matched behind. There was no halt before the reinback. The passage was bouncy, but not really engaged behind, and the piaffe was small. The extended walk didn’t have the greatest overtrack, but the horse marched energetically forward. The passage after the walk was more under behind. Both sets of tempis didn’t cover a lot of ground, but were light-footed and easy looking. The first canter pirouette was tiny, but a bit resistant; the second, a little flat. Overall, this was a really pleasant test to watch, with horse and rider appearing to be on the same page.

Tanya Seymour & Ramoneur 6: 63.929%

• Ramoneur looked quite jazzed right from the outset and was a bit tight in the body for the trot half-passes. The reinback was frantic and there was no halt before it. The stallion had a tendency to nod his head down in passage, showing a lack of balance. He jigged in the collected walk and Seymour just could not finesse the movements. The horse had a stellar piaffe—sitting and totally rhythmical—with only the tension marring it. There was an error in the early twos and the horse seemed ahead of Seymour’s aids in the zig-zag. The line of ones also contained a mistake. The final centerline was almost a serpentine, and Seymour looked disappointed with her horse’s tension.

Adelinde Cornelissen & Parzival: RET

• Cornelissen nailed the first halt, but Parzival’s tongue was clearly sticking out the side in the first extended trot. The half-passes were surprisingly laboured and the first steps of passage was almost stuck in place and very irregular. I felt quite bad for Adelinde when she retired, but she made the right move. On the walk out, the horse’s tongue was hanging out—such a disappointing start to the day for the Dutch.

Sönke Rothenberger & Cosmo: 77.329%

• This pair, however, brightened the mood. Peppy Cosmo bounced across the arena in the first extended trot, with just a minor rhythm bobble at the end. The first half-pass was fluid, but the haunches were lagging a little. Rothenberger was having a bit of trouble keeping away from the boards, maybe the nerves coming though. The passage had super engagement, but got a bit too open in the frame. The collected walk showed very nice overtrack. After the walk, the passage was more closed in the frame, though the piaffe took a big step forward halfway through. The two tempis were expressive in front and so light-footed. The extended canter was big while appearing to barely touch the ground. The first of the one tempis could have jumped through more, but Rothenberger opened them up well. The pirouettes were big, though the canter activity was good. Cosmo faltered in the down-transition to trot, but then lifted off into a super extended trot. The final piaffe kept quite a bit forward, but the passage was loft and regular. Maybe a bit of nerves made this not Rothenberger’s best test, but it was still unquestionably the best of the day thus far!

Mary Hanna & Boogie Woogie: 69.643%

• This young horse was really pretty and lively, but had quite a few minor contact issues from the start, curling and bobbing a little through the corners and tilting in the half-passes. The horse sat so much in piaffe he had a little trouble picking his hind legs up off the ground. Boogie Woogie really had his knees up in the passage. The twos were lovely and fluid, but started swinging a bit too much and the horse missed a change behind. The canter almost got four-beat in the zig-zag and couldn’t get the last change to come through behind. The first canter pirouette was really sitting in a clear canter rhythm, the second, nearly as good as well. The passage on the final centerline was lofty and uphill and the piaffe solid.

Bernadette Pujals & Rolex: 66.757%

• Rolex is a bit of a clunky mover, but Pujals was all business coming in. The extended trots had plenty of pushing power behind. The piaffe was quite small, but the passage was springy, though it could cover more ground. Pujals lost the rhythm and contact in the second piaffe and the horse humped his back a little. The twos didn’t jump much off the ground, but filled the centerline quite well. Pujals had a mistake in the ones. The canter pirouettes were quite on the forehand. The final passage had good engagement, though the piaffe drifted a little.

Jose Daniel Martín Dockx & Grandioso: 70.829%

• Grandioso really pushes his neck out underneath and needs to reach more into the bridle. Still, the movements are solid and obedient. The flashy extended trot is supported by power behind, but still too tight in the neck. The extended walk was friendly, but didn’t show enough stretching all the way through. Dockx got a step of canter out of the walk before picking up the passage, though the piaffe was strong. The twos were crooked, but forward. The pair had a counting error early in the zig-zag with a change coming a stride late. The ones were expressive, but not really pushing forward from behind. The canter pirouettes were tidy, if not the most uphill. The passage to finish was a little out behind, but the piaffe super straight and rhythmical.

Kiichi Harada & Egistar: 68.286%

• Egistar leans a bit on the bridle and needed more correct bend in the half-passes, though they were fluid. The horse got rather tense at the end of the reinback. The first passage was quite flat and the piaffe small. Harada had the horse very relaxed and moving through the back in the extended walk and so steady in collected walk, picking up marks where he could to make up for weaker elements. The twos were sleepy, but clear. The zig-zag was very laboured to the right. The ones were nice. The canter pirouettes were both very classy: uphill and controlled. Calling the final line passage would be quite generous, but the overall picture was friendly.

Giovana Prado Pass & Zingaro de Lyw: 67.700%

• Prado Pass had a lovely soft seat, but didn’t ride very boldy. The extended trots showed about the energy needed for a good collected trot. The piaffe was very flashy in front, but not very motivated behind, the second showed better matched diagonal pairs. The one tempis were a bit more forward and ground-covering than the twos. The canter pirouettes barely kept any canter rhythm. Still, every step of the test was pleasant and Prado Pass rode totally smoothly.

Stephanie Briuessel & Amorak: 65.114%

• The half-passes early in the test were bouncy and fluid, though the haunches were really lagging in the one to the right. The horse drifted a few meters sideways in the first piaffe after a quite sticky passage. The extended walk had overtrack but no stretch in the neck. The passage and piaffe after the walk was springy, but the horse dropped quite far behind the vertical despite the delicate contact. The twos were clean, though a bit hurried. To call extended canter conservative would be a bit of an understatement. Amorak jumped together for a couple strides at the end of the zig-zag. Briuessel had trouble keeping her horse straight preparing for and exiting from the canter pioruettes. The final passage was looking springy, but the horse exploded for a couple strides before the piaffe.

Fiona Bigwood & Orthilia: 77.157%

• Bigwood rides with the curb rein almost dropped which makes a lot of sense for such a sensitive mare who has a bit of a tendency to pull down. The trot half-passes could have had better bend and a more fluid trot, but both the early extended trots were lofty, with reach in front and pushing power from behind. The extended walk could have had a touch more overstep, but the mare actively reached into the bridle. The passage had such easy engagement. The piaffes needed to be more in place and on the haunches, but just sprang off the ground from one diagonal pair to the other. The twos were a little reserved and could have been more uphill. Bigwood needed to have asked for a little more canter throughout to earn even bigger marks. The canter pirouettes were small and controlled, but could have had a tiny bit more uphill energy. The final passage was so straight and springy and showed no change of rhythm into and out of the piaffe.

Agnete Kirk Thinggaard & Jojo AZ: 72.229%

• The frame on the horse is quite good, with the horse’s nose consistently in front of the bridle. The first extended trot was a touch irregular and the half-passes a little underwhelming. Kirk Thinggaard had another rhythm error in the second extended trot. The piaffe wasn’t huge, but it was on the spot and rhythmical. The passage transition out of collected walk was quite early and the passage could cover a little more ground. Jojo stepped nicely underneath himself in the smooth tempi changes, though he swung his body a touch from side-to-side. Neither canter pirouette was really up in the shoulder. The final centerline showed their best piaffe and passage and a very good final halt.

Kasey Perry-Glass & Dublet: 75.229%

• In an unfortunate early error, Dublet crossed his legs into the first halt. The first extended trot was powerful, but took a little time to develop. The half-passes lacked bend and needed to swing more sideways. The first passage was so lofty and stepped with no change in rhythm to a clear, if slightly small, piaffe. The transition from passage to a forward, stretching extended walk was immediate but smooth. The only fault in the piaffe-passage picture was the slightly too short neck. The two tempis were big and ground-covering and the extended canter truly forward. The zig-zag could have been a bit cleaner, as it was not quite evenly matched across the centerline. The ones, like the twos, were very strong, except for one that was a bit close behind. The canter pirouettes were uphill but a tiny bit big. The final line was super strong, and I think she could have scored higher.

Juliette Ramel & Buriel KH: 74.943%

• This horse is an uphill powerhouse. Ramel was one of the few riders whose horse pushed sideways in the trot half-passes, really showing a good degree of crossing. The passage bounced off the ground with elevation in front and transitioned seamlessly to piaffe and out again, though the horse is a tiny bit more engaged with the right hind than the left occasionally. Buriel could have stretched more into the bridle in the extended walk. The twos were big and powerful. Ramel had some trouble managing the horse’s tension at the beginning of the canter zig-zag and he got a little deep in the frame, and issue that carried over into the twos. Buriel also got quite close to jumping together behind for the pirouette right, but the one to the left was cleaner and up in the shoulder. The horse looked a touch tired on the final centerline: though he sprang off the ground, he started to lean a little on Ramel’s hands.

Edward Gal & Voice: 75.271%

• Voice has such an odd way of going, like his round neck is just stuck on his body disconnected from his rather flat back, making it very difficult for even Gal’s finessed riding to put the whole horse together over the back. Gal had him really wrapped around his legs and reaching sideways for the trot half-passes. Gal asked for almost no second extended trot. The first piaffe was rhythmical but small, and the passage active, but with a hind end swinging around like a turning boat. The transition from the passage to canter was a little resistant. Voice swung his haunches in the two tempis, but unlike Undercover or Totilas, they took up the diagonal. Gal had some trouble controlling the haunches again in the zig-zag and the straighter ones were much less ground-covering. The canter pirouettes were really sitting, but the canter needed more jump. The final passage and piaffe were rhythmical, but needed to come more under behind.

Dorothee Schneider & Showtime: 80.986%

• Schneider picks up a lot of marks by riding a horse that is really even on both sides of his body and straight. The contact is also so soft and consistent, though the horse could seek it more. The first half-pass could have had more bend, while the second was better and both had lots of crossing. The piaffe was closed at the base, but didn’t have quite enough sit. The passage had tons of suspension, but a few irregular steps. The extended walk was huge and active, though as in the other gaits, Showtime needed to reach more into the bridle. The expression in front and behind was really well matched in the passage after the walk and the piaffe had better sit. The transition out of piaffe is a bit of a struggle for the horse though. In the two tempis, the horse gets a bit tense and the canter rhythm for them could have been more fluid. The zig-zag was super well-balanced. Schneider really rode for forward ones and was successful in getting her horse to cover more ground. Showtime got quite braced and stilted in the first canter pirouette, switching leads at the end, and the second was a bit big and rushed. The final extended trot showed lots of power and Showtime really stepped underneath himself, though the final passage was not quite as under behind. The final halt was excellent.