Robert Dover Predicts The Dutch Will Finally Edge Germany For Olympic Team Gold

This year will be very similar to previous years where you have two different races going on in the team competition. There will be a Dutch versus German race, and then there’s the rest of the field who will be going for that bronze medal. It’s sort of sad that we have not moved the sport along to a place where there is a greater race between more countries for the gold.

I believe the Netherlands is going to edge out Germany this year. I think that because of what I just saw from Aachen (Germany). The reserve rider for the Dutch team, Adelinde Cornelissen, beat everyone but Isabell Werth and Satchmo at the Aachen CHIO. That bodes well for the Dutch. If they do what they’ve been doing, they’re going to take that medal. It won’t be easy for them. If all of the Germans do their very best, then they’ll give the Dutch a run for their money, because the Germans are on excellent horses too, and they’re great riders.

Sadly, the general competition is going to feature a weaker field than we’ve had in past Games because of some dropouts, like the Swiss team and a few of the other riders who had soundness issues with their horses. The weaker field is an advantage for America. That Denmark won’t have Blue Hors Matine or Lone Jorgensen bodes well for the United States.

If all things stay the same, and all the horses that are now nominated stay sound and do their thing, then I’m extremely happy to be of the opinion that the United States will be in the bronze position followed by Denmark and then by either England, Spain or Sweden.

If everything goes right, the United States will win the bronze medal, but if one little thing goes wrong, then the Danes have Andreas Helgstrand with Blue Hors Don Schufro and Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein with Digby. Andreas will hope to score around 71 or 72 percent, and Nathalie could get 70 percent. She’ll do a very credible job. Their third rider is Anne van Olst with Clearwater. That’s going to be their weakest link, like a 67 percent. I think we have the lead over them for bronze because we have three horses that should get 70 percent.

With the Swedes, both Tinne Wilhelmsson with Solos Carex and Jan Brink on Briar will be around
69 percent.

The Spanish will be better than expected. I believe the Spanish will all be between 67 and 69 percent. They had two great horses before between Beauvalais and Invasor. Now the Spanish have regrouped, and they’re coming up with their horses, but they’re not consistently over the 70 percent mark. I don’t think they’ll be a challenge to the United States.

Courtney King-Dye is a wonderful rider. She’s a flagship rider for any country. She sits so beautifully, so
elegantly. She makes Harmony’s Mythilus look fantastic. She’s done better at producing an outline in the horse that is more competitive. The movements, especially the piaffe-passage, are excellent.

Ravel is with a top, very experienced rider, Steffen Peters, who stays cool and knows his job. Ravel is the latest and probably the finest horse Steffen has ever ridden. His piaffe is outstanding and, as a type, he shows top class and consistency throughout his test.