- 20 Aug 08, 06:23 AM
As the Dutch superstar 'passaged' and 'piaffed' her way around the arena to her specially-composed music, we all knew she was going to take the title for a third time.
She was in a class of her own and it was magical to watch.
The victory makes Anky van Grunsven the first person ever to win the individual Olympic dressage title three times. If she wasn't before, Anky is now officially an equestrian great.
Germany's Isabell Werth was inevitably second. Her test was still excellent although once again Satchmo spooked in the middle causing lots of oohs and ahhs to come from the stands.
But now let's talk about the real story, which for me was Emma Hindle and her British Olympic record test of 73.85% with an overall tally of 72.345% for seventh place. The 33-year-old did us all proud, and her achievement was made all the more impressive by the news that six weeks ago she was in hospital having major abdominal surgery as a cyst was removed from one of her ovaries. She only started riding again while Lancet was in quarantine.
Emma also revealed afterwards that her special stallion is scared of loud music! He obviously doesn't mind 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Flashdance', which featured heavily in her test. The music was all pretty good actually. One rider used Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'! Dressage to music is just a good watch and more people should check it out.
They were talking on BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday about how unfair it is if you're the fourth best runner in Kenya and therefore never likely to run at an Olympics.
It's the same in dressage.
There must be loads of German and Dutch riders who could easily qualify for the Olympics, but you're only allowed three riders per team (last time it was four).
So are the Olympics a true reflection of who's the best in the world?
Well, maybe not entirely but one thing's for sure - we know we saw the top two dressage riders last night. Anyway, that's what the Olympic spirit is all about.
Where else would you have a Saudi Prince racking up a cricket score in the show-jumping followed by the world number one?
Talking of the world number one, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum... she's staying in our hotel along with the rest of the German team.
They walked past me this morning in the reception and she is absolutely tiny! I'd say no more than five foot tall, appearing particularly mini next to her huge brother-in-law, Ludger.
They must be feeling a bit nervous about the individual show-jumping final. I would imagine there's just a bit of pressure on them to produce a gold medal, particularly after their disappointing team performance. No medal for Germany in the show-jumping would be a big shock. Let's hope it's countered by a medal for Britain!
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Comments
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Anky is definitly the " queen of the kur" as someone once called her. She just has something there with her horses that works!
Well done to Emma Hindle-go girl!
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Now we really know what goes on in the horsey sports, don't we! Until this endemic horse-drugging is driven out of the "sport", all future equestrian events should be excluded from the Olympics.
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"She just has something there with her horses that works!"
Indeed she does. Its called Rollkur (or hyper-flexion). Werth also uses this technique.
Rollkur is a highly controversial practice which continues to be rewarded in competition despite an FEI statement earlier this year which condemned it as abusive.
If you want to know more there are dozens of links via Google or youtube.
Together with todays news of doping int he showjumping and the appalling riding on display in the modern pentathlon, this has been a sad week for equestrian sport and not the celebration of excellence and sportsmanship that the Olympics should be.
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I'm sorry to say this but the silver medal for Werth was a joke and undermined any credbility dressage might have had as a legitimate "Sport". I was in the stands at Sha Tin and for a moment I thought I was at the rodeo in Las Vegas watching Werth's horse refuse to pirouette, not once, but twice. If dressage stands for anything it must be for control, discipline and elegance. It was outrageous that Werth received the second highest marks of the round. No wonder there was booing from the competitors stands when Steffen Peters received a much lower score for a more perfectly executed round.
Any sport where at least two of the medalists are pre-determined (By reputation alone) prior to the opening of the competition has no place at the Olympics and undermines the very spirit and intent of the games.
Shameful!
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