Dressage Heavyweight Medal Favourites

Anky van Grunsven (NED), the defending gold medallist in Individual Dressage, will be competing in her fifth Olympic Games in Athens. The Dutch rider will be competing with a relatively new partnership in 10-year-old SALINERO, replacing her very successful BONFIRE.

BONFIRE was retired after Sydney as a gold medalist and VAN GRUNSVEN considers herself blessed to find another top horse.
 
SALINERO has adjusted pretty well in his new surroundings in Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre.
 
The pair has formed a winning partnership right from the start, which was last highlighted by coming in first place in the International Dressage event in Aachen, Germany last month, beating Germany's Ulla SALZGEBER on her home turf. The pair also won the World Cup Finals earlier this year.
 
Van GRUNSVEN says she's back on form since the dreadful last year, which saw her breaking her leg and SALINERO injured.
 
The competition in Dressage, starting Friday, 20 August, is expected to be very close with SALZGEBER and American Debbie McDONALD breathing on van GRUNSVEN's shoulder.
 
The defending Olympic champion says that she will be pleased if she's on the medal podium.
 
"I have tasted golden success in Sydney, so I know what it is like and therefore can just relax and enjoy the competition without pressure," said van GRUNSVEN.
 
As for her Dutch colleagues in the Team event, she feels that they will have to wait for another four years to taste gold.
 
The Dutch team consists of three more riders besides van GRUNSVEN. The most experienced team mate is German born, Sven ROTHENBERGER, competing at his second Games after having been world champion with the German Team.
 
The others are Marlies VAN BALEN and Imke SCHELLEKEN-BARTELS. Both young ladies are continuing a family tradition with their mothers have been in Olympic dressage arenas before them.  SCHELLEKEN-BARTELS had a bit of a scare during the first few days in Athens when her dark bay stallion Lancet suffered from a mild colic attack. After some days rest, and under the careful eye of their Team veterinarian, the handsome stallion made a full crecovering and returned to work. Colic attacks are not uncommon at large international competitions such as the Olympics due to the added stress long travel poses on the horses.
 
The German streak of six successive gold medals, van GRUNSVEN feels, will extend to seven.