Europeans 2015: Dressage preview

The FEI European Championships in Aachen are fast approaching (11-23 August), with the action kicking off with the dressage competition. So what can we look forward to watching next week?

Dressage by numbers

Entries for the dressage competition are at a record high, with 20 nations and 72 riders taking part.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine will all field teams, while Ireland and Estonia will both be represented by an individual rider.

Each team has a minimum of three riders and a maximum of four.

Competition format

The competition begins with the Grand Prix test on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 August, which will decide the team medals.

Every horse and rider will take part in this test, with the best three scores counting for the team competition.

Once the team medals have been decided, the top 30 riders in the individual rankings will go through to the Grand Prix Special on Saturday 15 August, for the first set of individual medals.

Then the best of the best – the top 15 – compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle on Sunday 16 August, to decide the final set of medals. Only the three best riders per country can take part in the Freestyle.

Who will win?

Germany are almost certain to claim team gold. The reigning world champions are exceptionally strong, with Isabel Werth (Don Johnson FRH), Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Unee BB), Kristina Bröring-Sprehe (Desperados FRH) and, of course, Matthias Alexander Rath and the great Totilas.

Not only are Rath and Totilas capable of posting extraordinary scores, all members of the German team are likely to be up at the business end in the invididual competitions too.

We all know there are no certainties when it comes to horses, but they are as close to a sure fire bet as it comes. Interestingly, the German side has never lost a European team title on home turf.

Britain and the Netherlands are likely to be battling it out for the other team medals, while Denmark and Sweden are also expected to do well.

In the individual medals, as we’ve already reported, we’re looking forward to the clash of the century between Rath and Totilas and our very own Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. But there’s an increasing number of partnerships capable of scoring 80%, so Dujardin and Rath might not have it all their own way.

Essentials

For more information on the FEI European Championships 2015 in Aachen visit www.aachen2015.de.

Thefull listof entries for the FEI European Dressage Championships 2015 is availablehere.

Horse & Country’s online coverage of FEI European Championships is brought to you in association withHorse First.

Watch extensive highlights of the FEI European Championships on Horse & Country TV –click here for details.