This Is Guernsey

By Rob Turville

CARL HESTER and the Great Britain dressage team resume competition this morning with a real chance of a medal. After day one of the competition at the Markopoulo Stadium just outside of Athens, Sark-born Hester, 37, lay fourth on 70.667.

His Great Britain team-mate Emma Hindle, on Wie Weltmeyer, was 11th on 67.500 and the GB quartet were third overnight.

‘That was such a fantastic performance from the horse. It was decided in the team meeting that I should go first because this is my fourth Olympics but I didn’t really want to go first. But it worked and I am delighted with that,’ said Hester.

‘I was nervous at the start of the test and when the crowd started cheering, he got nervous as well.

‘But he is a very talented horse and was just brilliant out there.’

The team was in bronze-medal position at the end of the opening day, a totally unexpected position for them.

Germany led on 71.813 points, the US were second on 69.146, while the British quartet were just behind on 69.084.

The two other GB members, Richard Davison, partnering Ballaseyr Royale, and Nicola McGivern, on Active Walero, are in action today.

Hester’s brilliant mark on Escapado put him in fourth in the individual standings.

All five judges marked him at 70.000% or more: he received scores of 70.208, 70.625, 71.042, 71.458 and 70.000, which were then averaged to produce his individual mark.

Spain’s Rafael Soto, on Invasor, led the individual standings, having been awarded 72.792% for his display.

Germany’s Hubertus Schmidt, with 72.333%, and Heike Kemmer, on 71.292%, were second and third respectively in the individual competition .

The Olympic dressage competition involves several phases. The first round, known as the grand prix, takes place over two days and determines the winners of the team competition.

The individual places are then decided over two further rounds comprising the grand prix special, taking the top 25 riders from the team standings. A cut is then made and the top 15 move through to the Grand Prix final freestyle round on the final day.