Hester Puts Team GB in the Lead with Masterclass Ride at 2023 European Dressage Championships

British multiple Olympian Carl Hester put Team Great Britain in the lead of the team championship on the first day of competition at the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck on Wednesday 6 September 2023. Delivering a ride that was nothing less than a true masterclass, Hester piloted Fiona Bigwood's Fame to the high score of the day, 78.540%.

With one score counting for the provisional team ranking, even if two riders per team went today, Great Britain is in the lead, followed by Germany and Denmark. These three stand far apart, but it are Austria, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Belgium who are in pursuit, albeit in the distance.

Get Caramelised in Riesenbeck

After a very disappointing, rainy summer in north Europe with plenty of shows getting drenched, the season finale of the Europeans in Riesenbeck is fortunately blessed with a week of total sunshine and 30 ° C temperatures. This balmy weather brings out the big crowds to the picturesque venue, lined with tall oak trees, but those who make the journey better come protected with bottles of sunscreen as one of the bleachers has no cover and you'll literally be a chicken on the grill.

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