GB defy turbulent build-up to win dressage bronze

Great Britain’s dressage riders put a turbulent build-up behind them to win team bronze at the Paris Olympics.

Seven-time Olympian Carl Hester, Lottie Fry and Becky Moody scored a combined 232.492% to place behind gold medallists Germany and Denmark in silver on the podium at Chateau de Versailles.

It came less than two weeks after Charlotte Dujardin, the star of British dressage, withdrew on the eve of the Games and was provisionally suspended by equestrian’s world governing body for “excessively” whipping a horse.

Prior to their podium finish being confirmed, Hester told BBC Sport: “Any medal will be great, let’s face it, after the couple of weeks we’ve had. It will be great for the whole team.”

GB have now won medals in this event at four consecutive Games.

This was also their fourth equestrian medal at Paris 2024 so far, following golds in the team eventing and jumping, and Laura Collett’s individual eventing bronze.

After Dujardin’s withdrawal, Moody was promoted from alternate to make her Olympic debut and, going first for GB in Saturday’s final, scored a personal best of 76.489% on Jagerbomb – who she bred herself – to put her team top of the standings after the opening group of riders.

Hester, the veteran and team talisman, had hoped for more than his 76.520% score on Fame, as Denmark and then Germany – who had always been expected to contest the gold – moved ahead in the standings.

Fry, the 2022 individual world champion, scored 79.483% on Glamourdale to secure a medal for the British trio, though they had to wait to have the colour confirmed.

“It has been a long, long, week,” said Hester. “A new member on the team, it’s always fantastic to bring new blood on to the team, and Lottie again bringing in that amazing score to give us a chance.

“It was very close at the top, we knew it would be a hard-fought competition.”

Germany, who won by just 0.12 points, now have a record 15 golds in the team dressage event, including eight of the past nine – with Great Britain’s victory at London 2012 the only blip.

German rider Isabell Werth, 55, became the first athlete to win a medal at seven different Olympics.

The equestrian world was rocked on 23 July when Dujardin, British dressage’s darling and GB’s joint-most decorated female Olympian, announced her withdrawal from the Games after a video emerged showing her “making an error of judgement”.

That error of judgement, it later transpired, was her whipping a horse around its legs during a training session.

As a result, the FEI suspended the six-time Olympic medallist pending an investigation, while Dujardin also had her UK Sport funding suspended and lost a host of sponsors.

It came as a “huge shock” to the team, according to 57-year-old Hester. But with an Olympics about to start, there was no time to dwell.

“You dream of coming to an Olympic Games and getting a personal best, so that was amazing,” Moody, 44, told BBC Sport after her performance in the final.

“Two weeks ago I was expecting to come for a lovely 10-day holiday in France, to be inspired, learn, and go home better.

“Having to do this, there’s been a bit of nausea but it’s been an amazing experience with an incredible team around me.”

Fry, who won team bronze alongside Hester and Dujardin in Tokyo three years ago, said: “It wasn’t the easiest build-up, that’s for sure, but I think it’s really brought us closer together.”

The individual dressage final takes place on Sunday with Fry, Hester and Moody all in contention.