Never has a Press Conference been so much fun!!! Normal procedure would be that we would go to a Press Conference to get a couple of quotes and maybe the odd image of the winner - this was not the case with today's conference after the Grand Prix Special.

The three medallists were full of fun and excitement over their horses and the presiding Chief of Judges for today's competition Stephen Clarke could not stop smiling!

Edward was very honest when he said "after a test like Adelinde did,I am happy to be second to her - and what happened today was good for the sport, good for the riders, good for our horses - I'm delighted"! Gal then went on to explain that his horse got a little more tense and then got excited and "perhaps I built up a little more tension in the canter than perhaps I should have. The passage and extensions were good but the walk was tense - but he's only 9 years old!."

Edward Gal was asked if there is now a "new Dutch School of Dressage" as there is much discussion behind the shelter sheds about the methods of the Dutch riders. Their supposed methods have attracted much discussion about whether it is cruel and unjustified traning or whether it is about the expertise with which the training is undertaken - Gal was obviously not going to take the bait on this question and answered with "it's about how we ride, it feels good and it looks good, but it's not just about training. You must keep the horse happy - it is about adapting to the horse not the other way around!"

Certainly if Cornelissen and Gal's horses are anything to go by, there can surely not be too much criticism of their methods - the horses are happy and willing participants as far as we can see.

Adelinde was asked how she felt going last in the Special to which she answered that she knew she had to produce something but that she had "no idea what others had scored - I rode my own test, like always"!

"After the competition had finished I congratulated Edward on winning and he laughed - I had read the wrong scores and thought I was second to him!"

On her horse she said that he can do even better but "I just have to get him to focus more on me and less on the crowd".

Adelinde also praised her hero and trainer, Klaus Balkenhol who works in conjunction with her father as trainers. Klaus "comes to the stables once a month and then he and my father work together, with Klaus always coming to competitions with me, as well as my father."

Bronze medallist, Laura Bechtolsheimer said afterwards that she was "still feeling a bit shaken up - I was more determined than ever going in today and my horse is always genuine and and always gives me his best. In a competition like this it is very special to be part of it and for it to happen in Great Britain on home turf is really great. This was the best test I've ever ridden".

Stephen Clarke - pictured left and right - president of the Ground Jury was asked how special was today's competition?

His answer brought the smile to his face - "I've judged a few championships in my time but I've never seen sport like this. This was the greatest moment in dressage history - we've never seen riders performing at such a level before and now the sport is wide open - anyone can win. I want to applaud the courage of the riders who rode so brilliantly under pressure - this was an outstanding day"

Clarke went to n to say "that's the pleasure of judging, believe it or not we don't like to give low marks and only do it when we have to, when its appropriate we love to give high marks - that's the excitement of the sport".

"It is is really exciting at this level and the hair on the back of your neck stands up with the brilliant and exciting tests. Totilas's passage - sometimes 10 just isn't enough!!!!!! As Judges we love to give high marks and when the opportunity arises we love to give them!"

And there was then a great deal of laughter as the banter between Clarke and Gal centred on the horse receiving 2's and 3's for some movements and then 10's for others - but the message was loud and clear and that was that the riders understood they would be judged for each movement and the judges would judge each movement and not be afraid to give marks as seen to fit the movement.

If the comments from Eric Lette and Stephan Clarke are indicative of Dressage Judges around the world, then the sport is in good hands and will go from strength to strength!

At the end of the conference this evening, the KWPN made a special presentation to the owner, Moorlands Mr Visser which sees Totilas as a fully approved stallion of the KWPN.