Caen/FRA: Augustin OLD Sixth Again in the Freestyle
With 81.03 percent (!!!) Augustin OLD took sixth place again in the Freestyle Final after placing sixth in the Grand Prix as well as in the Special.
Foto: Becker
"I just can't anymore"! I am really very proud of Augustin and very happy but also a bit exhausted now that all the stress from the last days has sort of dissipated.
I used our free day between the Special and Freestyle to lightly exercise Augustin with just a bridle so he could save this strength until the Freestyle Final with the best 15 at the World Equestrian Games – a strategy that turned out to be a good idea. Augustin was refreshed and motivated. When we rode into the stadium where spirits were very high, he was distracted by the atmosphere for a moment which was not really surprising when you know that an unbelievable 21,000 spectators are out there. But I was able to calm him down and we went through our freestyle very precisely, with good transitions and expressive piaffes, passage and pirouettes. It was so much fun to ride him in this field of world class riders and in front of the magnificent backdrop.
Sixth place three times in the World Equestrian Games – that, along with three fifth places in the EC in Windsor/GBR, is my best result in championships so far and I can hardly believe it yet …
Now I just hope that we get home safe and healthy. The dressage horses have to leave the stables by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday since the show jumpers for the coming WEG week will be arriving. The Austrian show jumping team will be moving into the boxes in the Austrian-Switzerland tent.
Augustin left on time at 6:00 a.m. and will be making an interim stop in Zweibrücken/GER on his way home and will hopefully arrive in Achleiten Sunday afternoon in good shape.
I want to thank my family, my team and my fans for their great support. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!