FEI Dressage World Championships 2022: Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour propels Denmark to first world team title in Olympic qualifier
Laudrup-Dufour and Vamos Amigos had the best test of the Grand Prix event to secure home gold in Herning ahead of Great Britain and reigning champs Germany.
Equestrian
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour secured Denmark a historic team dressage gold on home soil at the 2022 FEI Equestrian World Championships in Herning, Denmark on Sunday (7 August).
The 30-year-old teamed up with Vamos Amigos for the best Grand Prix test of the weekend, a new personal best of 81.864%, to give the Danes a winning total of 235.541%.
They were able to drop Daniel Bachmann Andersen's fine effort of 76.584% with Carina Cassøe Krueth (76.863%) and Nanna Merrald Rasmussen (76.724%) making up the rest of Denmark's tally although it was Laudrup-Dufour's score which proved decisive.
Silver went to Great Britain with Charlotte 'Lottie' Fry and Glamourdale their star turn, and it was bronze for reigning champions Germany for whom Isabell Werth top-scored.
With the top six nations winning spots in the team dressage competition at Paris 2024, there was tension until the end with the United States needing a good test from Adrienne Lyle and Salvino to take the sixth and final spot from Spain.
Lyle scored 74.394% to take 18th place over the weekend and secure USA sixth place.
Fourth went to Sweden, led by Patrik Kittel, with the Netherlands in fifth.
Werth defends her Grand Prix Special individual world title on Monday with the Grand Prix Freestyle, which was cancelled due to poor weather in Tryon four years ago, on Wednesday.
Reigning Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl is absent as she is expecting her second child.
“I'm head over heels. My biggest highlight was the fact that I managed to ride on the limit and stay on the right side of chaotic and brilliant.” - Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour as reported by Horse and Hound
Laudrup-Dufour delivers for Denmark
The Netherlands led overnight after two riders had completed their Grand Prix test, largely thanks to Dinja van Liere's 78.835% on Hermes.
But it was Germany who went top after the third round as Werth and DSP Quantaz scored 77.127% to go into third in the Grand Prix standings behind van Liere and Britain's double Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin's 77.407% on Imhotep.
Denmark were in a close second after the third round ahead of Great Britain, and Fry did the latter's medal hopes the power of good with a big personal best and the first 80+ Grand Prix score of the weekend - a 80.838%.
But then Laudrup-Dufour put together an excellent test on Vamos Amigos, scoring 81.864% to put herself and Denmark into the lead.
Germany's last rider was Frederic Wandres on Duke of Britain, but his test of 76.661% saw the reigning champions have to settle for bronze.
For the hosts, it was just their second World Championship success with the first coming courtesy of Anne Grethe Jensen at Cedar Valley, Canada back in 1986.
Denmark join the Soviet Union (1970) and the Netherlands (2010) as the only non-German nations to win the team dressage world title.
Laudrup-Dufour told reporters afterwards, "It was fantastic. This is a world championship we were riding with the team, so it’s about taking calculated risks, but today, it went good.
"He [Vamos Amigos] was on fire today, and I even stopped my entrance because I was like ‘Vamos, relax, I’m here. You have to touch the ground just once in a while. So we will turn around, and then we go’.
"It means a lot. It meant a lot just being in there. The other day when we did the arena familiarisation, I felt so proud riding in there with Daniel, Nana, and Carina, because they are fantastic three riders, and they are my colleagues. That was really a moment to remember for me here."
Having improved on her personal best Grand Prix score set last month in securing five wins out of five at Aachen, Laudrup-Dufour looks in great shape for the first individual competition in Herning, Monday's Grand Prix Special.
After that, she will give an emotional send-off to the horse which took her from junior competition all the way to the Olympic Games, Atterupgaards Cassidy.
READ: Things to know about Danish dressage star and Instagram sensation Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour
Dressage World Championships 2022 Team Results (top six win team spots at Paris 2024):
1. Denmark 235.541
2. Great Britain 234.223
3. Germany 230.791
4. Sweden 227.142
5. Netherlands 225.621
6. United States of America 220.000
7. Spain 215.808
8. Australia 215.326
9. Austria 212.344
10. Portugal 210.979
11. Finland 210.606
12. France 210.605
13. Belgium 209.301
14. Switzerland 207.019
15. Japan 201.755
16. Ireland 201.723
17. Norway 201.708
18. Poland 193.587
19. New Zealand eliminated
Dressage World Championships 2022 Format
Saturday and Sunday saw all the riders compete in the Grand Prix with the team competition based on the total of the best three scores from each nation.
The top 30 from the Grand Prix make it through to Monday's Grand Prix Special with the first individual medals awarded based on these scores.
The top 15 in the Grand Prix Special go through to the most difficult and prestigious test, the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music on Wednesday where the final medals are decided.
Dressage World Championships 2022 Schedule
(all times local CEST - UTC+2):
Monday 8 August
13:30 FEI World Dressage Grand Prix Special Championship
20:30 Farewell Ceremony for Atterupgaards Cassidy
Wednesday 10 August
20:00 FEI World Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle Championship