The six-leg series, spanning events on both side of the Atlantic, has taken place for the first time this season.

Germany, one of the traditional dressage powerhouses, were dominant on home turf in a set of performances littered with personal bests.

Isabell Werth posted a personal-best score of 83.271 to lead the way on Weihegold after the Grand Prix section, while team-mates Kristina Bröring-Sprehe, on Desperados, and Dorothee Schneider, on Showtime, lined up second and third with marks of 82.314 and 80.70 respectively. 

Twenty-one-year-old Sonke Rothenberger and his nine-year-old gelding, Cosmo, posted 75.60 for fifth place overall.

A complete German whitewash was narrowly avoided after American Steffen Peters steered Legolas into fourth.

Peters, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Shelly Francis and Arlene Page lay in second place for the US, with Denmark third, as the top six progressed into the Grand Prix Special.

Germany duly continued their form to finish on 492.598 points, led by another huge score of 83.725 from Broring-Sprehe.

Werth made several mistakes but still managed 80.686.

“I did something different in our warm-up and I think it unsettled her a bit so she lost a bitof power and confidence and we got a bit stuck,” she said. 

“But it’s important that things like this happen so we can learn from them."

Schneider managed 81.902 and Rothenberger 76.412, with the four riders confirmed as the German Olympic team after the competition.

The US finished on second place with 437.139, with Denmark hanging on for bronze with 430.418.

Sweden could only finish fifth, with this not enough to prevents the Americans pipping them for the top spot.

They finished on 51 points, ahead of Sweden with 47 and Denmark on 40.

Germany rose to fourth with 38, nine ahead of fifth placed The Netherlands.

A weakened team from Olympic champions Britain only managed sixth overall.