Friday at CHIO Aachen was an intense day of dressage competition, with 44 tests completed by early afternoon under notably tough judging. The leaderboard was topped by New Zealand’s Tim Price with Vitali and Germany’s rising star Jérôme Robiné aboard Black Ice, both scoring 27.3. Jérôme, only 27, impressed by sticking to a simple, confident plan that leveraged five years of partnership with his 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse, while Tim Price’s Vitali showed signs of returning to peak form after a challenging Badminton test. Other notable performances included Monica Spencer and Artist in third, Bubby Upton and Cola in fourth, and Tom McEwen with Brookfield Quality in fifth, all posting strong sub-31 scores.
Team standings saw New Zealand leading with 88.5 points, followed by Great Britain at 91.2 and Germany in bronze position with 96.1, thanks in part to Jérôme Robiné’s contribution. The U.S. team dropped to fourth after a difficult day, with Will Coleman’s Off the Record as the dropped score. Despite some frustration over the strict scoring, riders like Caroline Pamukcu and Boyd Martin remained optimistic about their horses’ performances and the upcoming showjumping and cross-country phases. The competition continues with showjumping in the main arena under the lights, promising an exciting and pivotal evening.
