By Emily Goddard

Team Germany clinched the dressage team title at the World Equestrian Games ©FEIGermany have secured the dressage team gold medal ahead of silver medallists Great Britain and third place finishers The Netherlands at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy today.

All three podium nation's secured a spot at the Rio 2016 Olympics with their performances, but Isabell Werth's score of 81.529 signalled Germany's intentions for victory early on, before Helen Langehanenberg's 81.357 performance on Damon Hill NRW.

"It's been very interesting, both yesterday and today, with brilliant and fantastic sport on a very high level," German Chef d'Equipe Klaus Roeser said.

"I want to say thanks to four young, nice and charming ladies who worked as a team together making us really strong."

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro posted 85.271, the highest individual score of the competition, while team mates Carl Hester, Gareth Hughes and Michael Eilberg rode to 74.196, 69.714 and 71.886 respectively to seal the silver for Britain.

The Dutch total of 227.400 was good enough for third place thanks to Edward Gal's score of 72.414 and 79.629 from Adelinde Cornelissen, who placed fourth individually at the end of the day.

The United States rein supreme at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy ©FEIThe United States rein supreme at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy ©FEI


Elsewhere today, the United States won their fourth consecutive World Equestrian Games reining gold medal.

Mandy McCutcheon rode Yellow Jersey to a score of 224 and Shawn Flarida posted 229.5 at the Parc des Expositions in Caen to secure the title for their nation with a total of 677.5 after outstanding performances from team mates Andrea Fappani and Jordan Larson yesterday.

"This is an awesome horse and I've been so fortunate to ride him for the last three years," Flarida said of Spooks Gotta Whiz.

"I trust him completely and I know that he is very talented so I was afraid to be the one to make a mistake.

"The crowd here was wonderful and showing in front of such an enthusiastic audience was just great.

"My team mates couldn't have been better and I am once again proud to represent my country with such outstanding horsemen and women.

Belgium claimed the silver medal with 663 thanks to Ann Poels Fonck, Piet Mesdagh, Cira Baeck and Bernard Fonck, while Austria won the bronze with 658.5 after performances from Martin Muehlstaetter, Rudi Kronsteiner, Tina Kuenstner-Mantl and Markus Morawitz.

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