Germany and the Netherlands, both are considered top medal contenders, concluded their race Saturday night after a tight finish in the Olympic Dressage Individual Grand Prix Special (GPS) competition at the Shatin Equestrian Venue.

The battle will continue on Tuesday between Germany's Isabell Werth, who won her last Individual gold at Atlanta 1996 and double Individual gold medalist Anky van Grunsven from the Netherlands.

Isabell Werth finished first on 75.20 GPS percent while Anky van Grunsven came second on 74.96 GPS percent. "Thank goodness it's not all over yet, but it will be very, very tight. Normally the Freestyle is to Anky's (van Grunsven) advantage", she told reporters.

Meanwhile, Grunsven was disappointed over her performance tonight. "I don't care which color the medal is but I must not ride like this, with two such big mistakes. Everybody knows I never give up until the end", she said.

"It is a miscommunication. This does not even happen in training, but I got that wrong. Of course, these things only happen in the Olympics", she added.

On her strategy after the first mistake, she said "I took too much risk, I wanted to get more points but I made another stupid mistake. I am very disappointed."

At the 2006 World Championship in Aachen, Werth riding Satchmo took out the Grand Prix Special, and Anky van Grunsven on Salinero stayed on top in the Freestyle, with both riders winning a medal. But under Olympic rules, only one medal is awarded for these two competitions, with the results from the two tests weighted equally.

During the on-going Olympic equestrian competitions in Hong Kong, the Germans have already bagged three gold medals so far -- team and individual eventing and the team dressage.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2008)