Germany snatch 26th team gold in Crozet thriller
By Bettine van Harselaar
The team competition at the Jiva Hill Stables FEI Dressage European Championship 2025 in Crozet (FRA) went right down to the wire. Already on the opening day it was clear that Germany and Great Britain would be battling for the title, and until their final two team athletes it remained a neck-and-neck race. In the end, it was Isabell Werth (GER) with Wendy de Fontaine who clinched the gold for Germany.
Werth delivers under pressure
Everything came down to the last two starters for Germany and Great Britain: would it be Werth with Wendy de Fontaine, or Charlotte Fry (GBR) with Glamourdale (GBR), to secure gold for their nation?
Werth was first to go with Wendy de Fontaine (owned by Chateau de Fontaine and Madeleine Winter-Schulze). Riding with all her trademark professionalism, she produced a fault-free performance. Without taking the very last risks, but with a mare of such outstanding quality, Werth could afford to play it safe. The scoreboard showed 79.224%, the second-highest score of the team competition.
That left Fry, who needed 78.728% with Glamourdale (owned by the rider and Van Olst Horses) to put Great Britain ahead. They entered the arena boldly, with Fry riding full of risk in the extensions. But the daring strategy also brought mistakes: Glamourdale spooked after the canter strike-off, the piaffes lacked a little conviction, and balance was lost in the first pirouette. The final mark of 75.869% was still an excellent result, but left the defending champions with silver.
Fry admitted afterwards: “It was quite some pressure going in, and in the end we still did a good job with silver. It was very exciting, but I didn’t check the scoreboard before our test. It just wasn’t our day today, that can happen. I’m really looking forward to the next days, because Glamourdale always settles in, and usually improves day by day.”
Germany back on top
The German victory marked their 26th team gold in the history of the European Championships. Chef d’Equipe Klaus Roeser was delighted: “They all did a marvellous job, and we’re happy to bring the title back to Germany.”
Werth too expressed relief and joy:
“The competition was completely open, anything could happen. So we’re very happy and satisfied with the result. It was fun, tense and a really good mix of everything! I’m glad we made it, but it was also just a lucky day.” Isabell Werth (GER)
The gold-winning team consisted of Werth and Wendy de Fontaine, Katharina Hemmer with Denoix PCH, Frederic Wandres with Bluetooth OLD and Ingrid Klimke with Vayron NRW. Their combined score of 229.644% put them at the top of the leaderboard.
Klimke, first to go yesterday with Vayron NRW (owned by Rudolf Spiekermann), did not have her dream performance but will have another chance in the Grand Prix Special: “It is really thanks to my teammates that I am standing here with gold,” she said modestly.
Wandres, with Bluetooth OLD (owned by Hof Kasselmann), added another team gold medal to his Olympic team title from Paris: “I’m super happy with the gold and with my test, but if we hadn’t had the mistakes in the canter tour I would have been even happier,” he said.
For Hemmer, who led overnight and finished seventh on her Championship debut, it was also a week to remember.
Great Britain earn silver after tense finale
For Great Britain, the day was especially nerve-wracking, having already lost Andrew Gould to elimination on the first day. It was their veteran Carl Hester who produced the team’s best score in his 13th European Championship appearance. With Fame (owned by Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and the rider) he posted 76.087%. Together with Fry’s 75.869% and Becky Moody’s 74.829%, the team ended on 226.785% for silver.
Laudrup-Dufour shines for Denmark
The highest score of the entire Grand Prix came from Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN) and Mount St. John Freestyle (owned by Mount St. John Equestrian and Laudrup-Dufour & Zinglersen ApS). Their 80.823% was untouchable, securing bronze for Denmark.
“Freestyle was fresh and relaxed, her qualities together with our growing partnership are really turning into something special”. Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, (NED)
Denmark thus repeated their team bronze from Hagen (2021) and Riesenbeck (2023), this time on 223.385%. After silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they once again showed their depth.
“We came here with quite a green team, and maybe weren’t yet in a position to chase the Germans and Brits, but we made it to the podium,” Dufour explained. Teammates Andreas Helgstrand (Jovian), Nadja Aaboe Sloth (Favour Gersdorf) and Dikke Dupont (Grand Galliano) all contributed to the medal.
Belgium make history in fourth
A historic fourth place went to Belgium, thanks in large part to rising star Justin Verboomen with his striking black stallion Zonik Plus. Despite two costly mistakes, including an error in the double-counted one-tempi, they still earned 79.084%, the third-highest score of the day.
With strong tests also from Larissa Pauluis (Flambeau), Domien Michiels (Intermezzo van het Meerdaalhof) and Charlotte Defalque, the team finished just 3% off the podium.
Strong results for the Netherlands and Sweden
The Netherlands took fifth place, led by Dinja van Liere and Hermes (owned by Joop van Uytert). Their 76.941% placed them fourth individually, once again showing the excellent piaffe and passage work that had already brought them double bronze at the FEI Dressage World Championship 2022 in Herning (DEN).
Sweden finished just 0.2% behind The Netherlands in sixth. Their top combination was Maria von Essen with Invoice (owned by Alexanders Hovslageri and Häst AB) on 73.804%, closely followed by Patrik Kittel with Touchdown (owned by Sommarkvan AB).
Top individuals and the road ahead
The best of the individual starters was Isabel Freese (NOR) with Total Hope OLD (owned by Oivind Bache, Lone Boegh-Hendriksen and Paul Schockemöhle), who scored 74.146% with the powerful stallion.
The top 30 combinations from the Grand Prix now qualify for the Grand Prix Special, which begins on Friday morning at 10:00.
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