ACOG - News - IBM

(28 July 1996; Day 9)

Closing the Gap in International Dressage

After more than a decade of complete and total domination of international dressage, other countries are beginning to close in on Germany. On Sunday at the Georgia International Horse Park, Germany won its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal for team dressage and eighth team dressage medal since 1928, by a margin of just 116 points.

Germany's Isabell WERTH and Gigolo lead the field into Tuesday's individual competition, but a margin of just 22 points separates the defending Grand Prix world champion from defending Kur world champion Anky VAN GRUNSVEN and Bonfire of the Netherlands. Michelle GIBSON and Peron of the United States also stand in the way of a repeat of Germany's individual medal sweep in Barcelona, as the Roswell, Ga., native stands in third, 13 points behind VAN GRUNSVEN.

All of the team medalists qualified all four riders to the individual competition. Added to the mix is two-time defending individual gold medalists, Nicole UPHOFF-BECKER and Rembrandt, also of Germany. An indication of Germany's strength, UPHOFF-BECKER was named as an alternate to Germany's team. UPHOFF-BECKER was unwilling to travel Rembrandt to Atlanta as a reserve, but was allowed to ride as an individual at the Centennial Olympics because of a provision that gives an automatic Olympic berth to a defending gold medal pair.

"The improvement of the Netherlands and United States provides for a good competition," said German dressage chef d'equippe Anton FISCHER. "We are pleased that the competition is getting closer. This was the most exciting competition in a long time." Of course, FISCHER is also quick to point out that the success of the Dutch and U.S. can be traced to German ties. Both teams have used German trainers at some time, and half of the United States bronze medal team, Steffen PETERS and Guenter SEIDEL, is German-born.

Perhaps the most interesting test of the U.S. and Dutch progress is yet to come. WERTH, VAN GRUNSVEN and GIBSON will continue the battle for individual gold medals on 31 July when 25 individuals perform the Grand Prix Special and 3 August, when the freestyle, or Kur, will complete the individual competition.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Amy H. Symons.


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