Edward Gal has won the last qualifying leg of the FEI World Cup Dressage, with the results deciding which riders have made it into the final next month.
Costly mistakes
Edward andGlock’s Undercoverwere favourites at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (14 March)following a convincing win in the previous day’s Grand Prix.
Despite moments of tension from the 14-year-old gelding, Edward didn’t disappoint and scored 84.925% to take the title.
“When he [Glock’s Undercover]came in to the big arena with all those people he was very aware of them,” said Edward. “When we started I thought ‘OK, this is really nice’, but the mistakes cost us a lot of points even though the percentage marks we got were good.”
Three of the top four were competing on home turf, with Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Flirt in third place (80.425%) ahead of Diederik van Silfhout and Arlando NH (79.925%). Germany’s Isabell Werth and Don Johnson FRH took the runner-up spot (81.650%).
Las Vegas final
Defending champion Charlotte Dujardin secured her place in the final in Las Vegas, with wins at Olympia and Amsterdam. The nine riders joining her have now been seleted, but it is not the first nine names on the Western European league leaderboard.
A maximum of three representatives are allowed from each nation, and as five of the top nine are from Germany, only Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Fabienne Lutkemeier and Isabell Werth will compete.
Edward Gal, Hans Peter andDanielle Heijkoop will represent the Netherlands. They will be joined by Agnete Kirk Thinggaard (DEN), Morgan Barbancon Mestre (ESP) and Paulinda Friberg (SWE).
This line-up means dressage fans won’t get to seeValegro andTotilas go head-to-head.