Isabell Werth delivers powerful performance to shake up team standings ahead of final riders

Multiple gold medal winner Isabell Werth and championship debutant DSP Quantaz have helped defending champions Germany edge into the provisional lead in the team competition at the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships in Herning.

Isabell and the 12-year-old stallion, owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Victoria Max-Theurer, scored 77.13% in the World Dressage Championships results today (7 August).

This horse’s passage is breath-taking. He has stepped into the fold following the retirement of Isabell’s top mares, her reigning world grand prix special title-holder Bella Rose 2 and Weihegold OLD, and stepped up to the mark as a championship horse.

“He has a really strong character and a strong mind and sometimes it’s super, sometimes it’s difficult to handle, especially as he is a stallion,” said Isabell, referring to recent competition experiences.

“That made me really focused here and in the preparations for Herning, and I think it helped a lot to learn the horse better and to prepare him better.”

There were no significant blips, though perhaps a smidge of tension crept into their collected walk. The Quaterback son’s one- and two-time changes were crisp and powerful, and the passage and piaffe on the final centreline was electric to watch – the crowd clapping them through the last moments of their test.

“I’m completely happy,” said Isabell. “Maybe I could take a [few] more risks, but I was [riding with context of the] team in the background. We really tried to make no mistakes and to do no mistakes and to really concentrate and focus.

“When you go in the individual, and then you can risk more.”

The judges were split. There was an almost five percent difference between the lowest and highest, which were 73.7% from the judge at H and 78.56% from the judge at B. Three judges had the pair in second, two in fourth, one fifth and one in 11th.

Their overall +77% mark put them just behind Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep and into provisional third.

Isabell, competing at her seventh World Championships, was part of the gold medal-winning side at the 2018 World Equestrian Games where she also took the individual special title with Bella Rose 2. Today’s performance with DSP Quantaz sets a strong charge for Germany to retain that team title.

The morning session on the final day of grand prix has delivered a full shake-up of the team standings. Last night, the Netherlands held the top spot, with Germany in silver and Denmark in bronze. Yesterday’s news is today’s chip paper, to paraphrase the saying.

Germany is now out in front on 154.13, Denmark is less than a mark behind in provisional silver on 153.587, while Britain hold bronze on 153.385. Less than a mark separating the top three teams at this stage, meaning the medals will come down to this fourth and final rotation of riders.

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