The first two days of competition are all about the team with riders in each Grade competing in the Team test. However, as there are some riders competing here as individuals (a team is composed of a minimum of three and maximum of four individuals), they also take part in the team test but their scores do not go towards any final marks, making it a practice run of sorts.
The Swedish Warmbloods made a really good start to the Paralympic Games.
Deborah Criddle (GBR) and LJT Akilles (SWB born 2000 by Amiral out of Heba (55) 14572 by Herkules-Flamingo, breeder Bollerup Lantbruksinstitut) placed 2d with 72.926% in Grade III that took place today. The British team is in lead after the first half of the team competition.
British Dressage writes:
"Competing at her fourth Paralympics, Britain’s Grade III representative Deb Criddle rode the 12-year-old 16.1hh LJT Akilles at his biggest event to date to score 72.926% and finish second.
Deb has had the ride on the 12-year-old by Amiral, owned by The Lady Joseph Trust, since March last year, winning European team and freestyle gold as well as individual silver after just a few months together.
She said: “It was not our best test; I didn’t ride the first few movements enough because I didn’t know what to expect from him in this atmosphere. I now know I can ask for a lot more. It would have been nice to have broken the 74% barrier, but you have to push the barriers for that and need to have a lot more expression. I went in feeling I had to be a little careful in some movements. I also had a couple of late transitions, but I would rather show harmony and super-soft transitions. He had a look at something – a sandbag I think – but apart from that, he didn’t put a foot wrong. It is the rider accuracy that needs a bit more work!”
Anne Cecilie Ore (NOR) and Ballantine (SWB born 1998 by Bourbon out of Gwendelyn 23995 by Bernstein-Gibraltar, breeder Benny Månsson) placed 10th with 64.704% in Grade III.
Grade IV rider Line Thoring Jörgensen (DEN) and Di Caprio 1023 (SWB born 1999 by De Niro out of Namoni (55) 17536 by Napoleon-Monaco, breeder Helena and Niclas Magnusson) placed 5th with 69.406%. The Danish Team is 3d place after the first half of the team competition.
Left picture:
Youngest in the Paralympic, only 15 year old Grade 1a rider Natasha Tse Pui Ting (HKG) and Undulette (SWB born 1996 by Underworld xx out of Utriette 17843 by Utrillo-O´den, breeder Magnus Dyrendahl) got 58.824% and placed 13th.
