HONG KONG, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A race for Individual Dressage gold started at the Shatin Equestrian Venue Tuesday night.

    Individual medals for Dressage will be decided in the final results of the Freestyle Tuesday night.

    Germany's Isabell Werth and Netherlands's Anky van Grunsven are considered gold favorites, but their horses have some problems. Werth could not protect a strong lead in the Special after her horse Satchmo spooked badly and it has to be seen whether the horse has settled again.

    Grunsven had similar problems with Salinero showing two mistakes. They are the current World Cup winners and Grunsven holds a record of eight World Cup wins.

    Heike Kemmer from Germany, riding Bonaparte, is also considered one of the medal favorites. She is in third position on 72.250 percent after a faultless test in the Grand Prix Special. A member of two gold medal-winning teams, she has yet to win an individual Olympic Games medal.

    Half of the Freestyle marks are based on artistic presentation. This includes rhythm, harmony between horse and rider, choreography and use of the arena, degree of difficulty, music and interpretation of the music. The Freestyle counts for half of the medal score.

    Fifteen riders qualified for the final. The riders with the top five scores will ride last.

    The first rider out in the arena is Danish Team bronze medalist Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein with Digby.