Bacher ends dressage world championships with a record

Dressage rider Florian Bascher finished 18th in the Equestrian World Championships Grand Prix at Herning on Monday. The former Spanish Riding School rider had a slight improvement in his personal record score of 73.447 per cent, which he entered into the final on Sunday with Fidertraum OLD in 20th place, to 73.571 points. Until the second knit, the duo seemed within reach of the top 15 freestyle finals.

“Veder was great there, and I just felt like I never lost control there,” Bacher explained. The 36-year-old World Championship No. 1 confirmed that his horse couldn’t do anything about losing points in the second knit. “But it doesn’t matter, I’m very happy with the mistake.” Pacher also rates the Olympic ticket’s chances for the Austrian dressage team as good – especially since the team in Denmark is already ninth, although super racer Victoria Max-Theurer and Topas have “still plenty of room for improvement”.

With Victoria’s Max Thierrer horse DSP Quantaz, seven-time Olympic champion Isabel Wirth finished fourth as the best German. Gold went to British Charlotte Fry with Glamordale on the dream ride, which the judges rated at 82.508 per cent in front of an excited 11,500 spectators. Danes Katherine Laudrup-Dufour with Vamos Amigos (81.322) and Dutchman Dinga van Lier with Hermes (79,407) landed on places.

Unlucky jump team

The Austrian vaulting team, which once secured medals in world title competitions, remained unlucky on Monday. 12th place remained in the group – although they remained 4th after the mandatory program. However, a horse without a ruddy can’t be calmed down once it reaches free-swimming. After falling off the horse, as all participants remained unharmed, the exercise had to be stopped.