Brenner and Pearson take top spot on day one

With less than one percentage point separating Brenner and Voets, it is clear that the competition for the individual title in Grade III will be close.

Germany’s Hannelore Brenner and Great Britain’s Lee Pearson gained the early advantage with excellent riding in the team-test para-equestrian dressage on day one of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy, France, on Monday (25 August).

Brenner, the defending world champion and double gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, earned the top Grade III score of 72.474% on her horse Women Of The World.

European champion, the Netherlands’ Sanne Voets on Vedet PB N.O.P. took second with 72.053% ahead of Denmark’s Annika Lykke Risum with Aros A Fenris in third on a mark of 69.868%.

“I’m really happy to be here with my horse,” Brenner said. “It’s our eighth championship and every year she is so wonderful. She is nearly 19-years-old and she was really fantastic.

“There are some things we can do better but I am happy with the ride. I want to ride the best I can with my horse but I know there are some really good horses, so we will see how we can do.”

With less than one percentage point separating Brenner and Voets, it is clear that the competition for the individual title in Grade III will be close.

“I think we had a very nice test today with a lot of control. I started a little safe because this is a very important test for our team result,” said Voets of her competition. “Our main goal here is to medal so we’re on track for Rio 2016.”

A field of 25 riders took to the arena for Grade Ib, including all three London 2012 medallists, competing against each other for the first time since the Paralympic Games.

The competition marked a clear return to form for Great Britain’s Lee Pearson riding Zion, who took the win with an impressive 77.960% ahead of Austria’s individual freestyle London 2012 gold medallist Pepo Puch on horse Fine Feeling S with 76.520%. Italy’s Silvia Veratti on Woikoski Double U was third on 72.000%.

Pearson, who claimed victory in his first major international competition since London 2012, was quick to praise his horse.

He said: “He [Zion] went into the arena and he was a bit tense, but I was still really pleased with him and the trot work was phenomenal. He’s a brilliant horse to train. He’s so laid back and he learns very quickly, I’m very excited about his future career.

Day two at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 will see athletes in Grades Ia, II and IV take to the arena for round one of the team competition, before team round two and individual competitions on Wednesday, 28 August.

For more information on the competition, visit the event website.