Thursday, 28 August 2025
A dramatic first day had perfectly set up today’s team medal decider at the FEI Dressage European Championship 2025 in Crozet, France. With some six teams in contention for a podium position, including Great Britain, it was set to be an exciting climax, with enough drama to match the cloudy skies above the Alps.
The British Equestrian dressage quartet, in partnership with Agria, headed into the second day of Grand Prix with a firm grasp on a podium position. This was down to a super display from Becky Moody with her own and Jo Cooper’s Jagerbomb to score 74.829%, which buoyed British spirits after Andrew Gould and Indigro, owned by Max and Tatiana Skillman, were sadly eliminated on veterinary grounds when pathfinders for the team.
Thirteen is a number some actively choose to avoid but, this week, dressage icon Carl Hester has little choice. Crozet marks his 13th European Championship start and the British team was drawn 13 out of 14 in the running order. Would it prove lucky or unlucky for the rider from the tiny Channel Island of Sark?
His partner for this championship was the same one who helped the British team to gold in Reisenbeck 2023 and Olympic bronze in Paris last year – Fame, who Carl co-owns with his long-time Fiona Bigwood and her daughter, Mette Dahl. With the final few riders in the third rotation set to be very influential for the outcome of their respective teams, the crowds began to bustle and it became far busier around the picturesque arena – plus, everyone always wants to watch the master that is Carl Hester at work.
By Bordeaux 28, Fame is a compact horse in terms of his frame – Carl clearly enjoys riding the buzzy powerhouse and, as they cantered to X for their first halt, the arena fell silent. Carl elected to go conservative with the first extended trot, but it had plenty of power to get them off to a secure start. The half-passes were expertly ridden, with plenty of scope and stretch, while a square halt and pleasing five steps of rein-back followed. The walk tour gave Fame a good stretch – while he began to look towards the busy riders’ stand, Carl managed it perfectly and the collected walk into passage was well ridden. The two-time changes in canter were secure and expressive, as was the extended canter, before Carl – as is his hallmark – presented a pinpoint accurate zig zag.
The diagonal line of one-time changes in canter was also a masterclass, with the lightest of aids from Carl and Fame in perfect harmony, which his rider rewarded with a quick pat. The pirouettes on the centreline are a specialty of Carl’s, and he and Fame didn’t disappoint, showing super balance and steps. The final extended trot was a super way to end, with good ground cover with super balance. The final halt brought a huge smile from Carl – he knew it was what he hoped he could deliver.
The score was a vital one for Britain’s hopes, with riders from Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands all boosting their totals in this penultimate rotation. The final mark flashed up as 76.087% – it was just what Britain needed and kept the team well in the medal hunt. It also shot Carl to the top of the individual standings.
“I am just thrilled!” declared Carl. “He is such a genuine horse. He's nice to ride, he’s fun to ride and he's fun to ride around the Grand Prix because he doesn't run out of energy – and he’s like that every day, whether you're at home or in an arena.
“I've had some great rides this year. Of course, there's always something that can be better. I probably went better in my extended trots today than I've gone before, but I just thought, ‘go for it – we're behind anyway, so I need to ride a little bit stronger’.
“But he did everything. He does everything. He's got so many highlights. I came here and he [Fame] had done three Grands Prix, all 77%, and got nearly 77% today, so he has been the most consistent horse, I think, probably this year over Grands Prix.
“Of course, I'm really happy. I'm happy that Lottie has a little bit less pressure as well. It always seems to be that your number one rider gets all that heaped onto them. I always think, ‘poor Lottie every year, you're going to get all the pressure again’. So, it's just nice to add a little bit of contribution to that towards the team,” he added.
They may be reigning World Champions and they may be the current World Number One combination, but going last under extreme pressure to deliver will never be a simple ask of Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Fry and the striking black stallion Glamourdale, whom she owns with her employers and mentors, Van Olst Horses. Over the past three championships, they’ve done just that to deliver a medal and today, they found themselves in that familiar position.
With the final riders having been for Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, it was clear what the duo had to do. Cathrine Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle set the leaderboard alight as the first combination to break the 80% barrier and boost Denmark’s chances, while the ever-reliable Isabell Werth did what she does best and delivered in spades for Germany with Wendy De Fontaine with a 79.224%. As Lottie entered the arena, it was almost certain Denmark had claimed the bronze medal, so it would be a head-to-head with Germany for the two remaining podium placings. The mathematicians had the calculators going – 78.729% was the score required for Britain to retain their gold medal, won two years previous in Reisenbeck, Germany.
‘Glammy’ is a horse who turns heads with his presence, his power and his ‘wow factor’ and, as Lottie piloted him down the centreline, it was clear they meant business. A huge, collected canter into halt got them started, before a powerful but secure extended trot. Then, it was into the trot half-pass left and right, which were super, scoring eights and nines. The rein-back was easy, with very even steps, and a light, springy passage earned eights from all seven judges before a sticky first piaffe, but Lottie was quick to keep the rhythm.
Canter is certainly the duo’s party piece, but a early, unexplained flying change in the early collected canter gave the watching crowd a moment of surprise. They quickly put that behind them with a spectacular two-time change line, before Lottie let her eager partner fly in the extended cater to earn two tens and five nines from the judges. The canter pirouettes are not the easiest for Glammy because his canter is so powerful and, today, Lottie had a job to manage the first, but pulled the second off superbly. The final trot-piaffe-passage tour was pleasing, with no less than a seven point five awarded to bring them to a final halt and salute.
Their scores had been trending up around the leaders, but dropped with a few mistakes before rising again with the highlights – it was certainly going to be close for the medal. The final score was announced as 75.869% – not quite enough to steal gold, but plenty enough to take silver.
It was a landmark 50th European gold medal for Germany and the 26th occasion they’ve taken the team title – incredibly, Isabell Werth has been a part of 13 of those teams.
Final team standings:
The final word on the team success rests with Carl Hester; “Every medal is special, every occasion is special and you never, ever take anything for granted. It was just so lovely to be back on a team again and build on last year – we had bronze in Paris, so to come here and take silver is really exciting for all of us. We’re obviously sad for Andrew because he didn’t get to compete, but at least we got him a reward and a medal today.
“It was very exciting this afternoon because it was wide open. Isabell is such a competitor, Lottie is such a competitor and it was just going to be a brilliant competition for who was going to win. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion and that’s good sport,” he summed up.
In the individual stakes, Carl and Fame finished best of the Brits in fifth place, just ahead of Lottie and Glamourdale in sixth. Becky and Jagerbomb weren’t far behind in eighth, meaning all three will progress to tomorrow’s Grand Prix Special and the hunt for individual honours.
The all-important times for tomorrow are:
You can watch all the action live on FEI.TV, powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, with a subscription. All the start lists and results are available via World Sport Timing, and everything you need to know about the British squad and how the competition will progress is on our online Dressage Hub.