The World Equestrian Games, Toronto 2018
The World Equestrian Games takes place every four years and brings together a championship of eight equestrian disciplines. Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, Para Dressage, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reigning. This year the games were held in Tryon in North America. The competition saw some tough elements especially influenced by the arrival of Hurricane Florence which caused heavy rainfall, flooding and tricky conditions.
Team Great Britain’s dressage team consisted of Spencer Wilton riding Super Nova 11, Emile Fauris riding Dono di Maggio, Carl Hester riding Hawtins Delicato and Charlotte Dujardin riding Mount St John Freestyle.
Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Florence the Individual freestyle dressage competition was cancelled. However, in the team dressage Gold went to Germany, Silver to the United States and Bronze to Great Britain. In the individual special dressage event Isabell Werth from Germany won a gold medal, Laura Graves from the US took silver and Charlotte Dujardin from Great Britain won the Bronze medal.
In eventing the team representing Great Britain was Ros Canter on Allstar B, Piggy French on Quarrycrest Echo, Tom McEwen on Toledo de Kerser and Gemma Tattersall on Artic Soul. Eventing is a real test of horse and rider with the horses needed to be intelligent, fit, strong and powerful to complete the three testing phases of dressage, cross country and show jumping. Great Britain won both team and individual gold when Ros Canter and Allstar B managed a fantastic double clear to become the new world eventing champion. Ireland won silver medals with Padraig McCarthy (IRE) and Mr Chunky securing a silver medal individually. France took home team Bronze and Ingrid Klimke (GER) riding SAP Hale BOB OLD won the bronze medal individually.
Unfortunately, in the show jumping Team GB did not bring home any medals with team USA winning the gold, Sweden taking home silver and Germany winning Bronze team medals.
Overall Team GB ranked 3rd in the medal table. With Sophie Wells riding C Fatal Attraction for a gold medal in the Individual freestyle grade V para-dressage leading the team GB winning silver medals overall in the para-dressage. A fantastic achievement – bring on the Olympic games in 2020!