Dressage News

With a result of 73.75, Michal Rapcewicz. (POL) aboard the 11-year old gelding Randon won the Grand Prix Freestyle of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage qualifier held in Lipica (SLO) from 5 to 8 June 2008. Second was British Jane Gregory with Lucky Star (72.85), who became the most successful rider of the entire event in Lipica. The third place also went to Great Britain: Anna Ross Davies scored 72.50 on the Holsteiner Liebling II. Last year’s winner Wayne Channon (GBR) and his black Lorenzo came in fourth (71.70). Happy about his fifth place was Peter Gmoser (AUT) with Contreau (70.85). 

Spectators enjoyed the competition as well as the classical dressage show featuring Lipizzaner stallions from Lipica.

It was Michal Rapcewicz’s fourth visit to Lipica. Currently training with Belgian Peter Spahn in The Netherlands, he had to travel almost 1,500 km, but the long journey was worth the while. In Lipica he celebrated his biggest success to date and is now well motivated for the Olympic Games.

Austrian Christian Schumach on the 16-year-old Hanoverian Auheim’s Da Vinci, son of Davignon, won the Grand Prix. The 26-year-old rider from Kärtnen received 68.79% ahead of Jane Gregory on Lucky Star (67, 91%) and Ireland’s Anna Merveldt on Coryolano (67, 62%).

Merveldt, who went on to win the Grand Prix Special on a score of 65.96%, had to wait all night before she could secure her price. Because of a severe thunderstorm, the test was interrupted on Saturday evening shortly before the end and didn’t resume until Sunday morning. Second place went to Pernilla Markusson from Sweden on Loredo (65.60%), and Remy Issartel from France was third with Hilton du Clotobie (64.72%).

 Further information is available on www.lipica.org and www.sportmarketing-ehlers.de.

Anky van Grunsven danced to victory on her new Wibi Soerjadi Freestyle in Amsterdam.

In the week before Jumping Amsterdam all Dutch press, radio and television had commented on the new Freestyle of Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven composed by Wibi Soerjadi, a Freestyle that is supposed to be Van Grunsven’s new Olympic Freestyle. From last week on the music even can be downloaded from the website of Soerjadi and Van Grunsven’s own website. For the second year the virtuoso was in Amsterdam to witness the performance of the Freestyle he composed. And for the second year he could celebrate the win! Last year Imke Schellekens-Bartels was the winner, this year Anky van Grunsven took over the lead.
The chairman of the judges Wim Ernes praised the riders. As the tension always builds up towards a final, a very strong field of competitors had entered the Amsterdam Horseshow. “The first three were of a very special level. Anky, Imke and Kyra, they all were top of the bill. However they were followed by a strong second part with good competition. Especially Dutch Stéphanie Peters showed great progress. Another surprise was British Camilla Sygall”, Ernes commented.

“After a bit of an insecure start due to the very enthusiast but noisy crowd and some flashlights, I felt very happy with my horse IPS Salinero and my test, my debut for the Dutch of my new Freestyle”, Anky van Grunsven said.

It can be considered as something very special that two individuals, not sharing the same high level of knowing the details of each other’s skills and profession and managing their own companies, at their own expenses have found each other again in emotion. “Everything is made to measure”, Soerjadi explained. “It’s not about listening to the music, it’s about feeling the music.” Van Grunsven agreed: “Especially when I make the transition from the walk into the canter I feel a very special harmony and emotion. I am totally happy with my new Freestyle music now. We have changed it a little after my first ride in London. Together with the continuing developments and growth of Salinero, I cannot think of a nicer piece of music now than this one.”

Just like in Mechelen, Imke Schellekens-Bartels became the runner up twice. Today she blamed herself totally for the mistake in the second pirouette. “I made an expensive mess around the second pirouette. Hunter Douglas Sunrise is not to blame, she gave me a great feeling. Another thing I noticed is the rhythm of the canter and my music. The canter is starting to change a bit. Probably we have to work a little on that in the Freestyle.”

Riding the last qualifier in Neumünster doesn’t fit in the training schedule of Schellekens. “Riding the World Cup™ Final in my home country would be great. In the standings three Dutch are ahead of me. Probably a wild card can be considered by the World Cup™ Committee”, Imke Schellekens-Bartels hopes.

Kyra Kyrklund said that to get as high as possible at the Olympic ranking list is her first objective. She will ride in Neumünster in the last World Cup™ qualifier of the Western European League. “It looks like I have a good chance of competing in the Final after a good ride in Neumünster as well and of course I’ll take my chance than”, Kyrklund stated. Her Cabaret-music is very well fitting to the horse that went in great harmony but sometimes could be a little more loose to the opinion of the judges. “To me the relaxation and harmony of Max and Kyrklund was outstanding. But I rewarded the music of Schellekens-Bartels with 0,5 more because of the degree of difficulty, also in timing”, chairman Ernes explained.

The audience’s biggest applause however was reserved for Dutch rider Jeannette Haazen. Together with her impressive Horse Nartan and coached by her husband and trainer Chris, she finished eleventh. Her entry is just a miracle. Last November when driving to the first World Cup™ Qualifier in Odense, Denmark, she crashed into an unlit, stationary car. Following major surgery and hospitalisation the couple was present again at the sixth World Cup™ qualifier in Amsterdam. Chris Haazen can not yet walk properly, but still manages to coach his wife. Talking about mentality and perseverance real sportsman have!

Some competitors this time had to cancel their participation.

Swiss Silvia Iklé who has been in the news recently because of her drop out of the Olympic Games now stayed at home because of some fractures due to a nasty fall on the floor when teaching.

Amsterdam and Laurens van Lieren do not seem to hit it off. Two years ago during the World Cup™ Final in Amsterdam, a tray full of glasses and empty dishes crashed to the floor, frightening Hexagon Ollright. Just before leaving for Amsterdam, the horse developed some problem and Van Lieren cancelled his entry. “My vet hasn’t discovered anything at all, but Amsterdam is not the most important date in my schedule. At a meeting with team manager Mariette van Gansewinkel and team coach Sjef Janssen, we decided not to take any risk”, Van Lieren explained.

RESULTS

1. IPS SALINERO Anky van Grunsven NED 83,85%

2. HUNTER DOUGLAS SUNRISE Imke Sxchellekens-Bartels NED 79,00%

3. MAX Kyra Kyrklund FIN 78,80%

4. RIGOLETTO Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein DEN 74,30%

5. JEFF Stéphanie Peters NED 73,70%

6. GREDSTEDSGARD CASIMIR Andreas Helgstrand DEN 72,00%

7. D.J. Camilla Sygall GBR 71,90%

8. PAGANINI Jeroen Devroe BEL 70,80%

9. BMC KIGALI Marlies van Baalen NED 70,40%

10. GUINESS 888 Louise Nathhorst SWE 69,95%

11. NARTAN Jeannette Haazen NED 69,75%

12. RANDON Michal Rapcewicz POL 68,95%

13. MAXIMUS JSS Catherine Haddad USA 68,70%

14. ANDRETTI Anna Paprocka Campanella ITA 66,50%

15. ZANCOR Anna-Katharina Lüttgen GER 64,35%

Hooge Mierde, - The Global Dressage Forum, organised by Academy Bartels with the trainers club IDTC, took place on 30 and 31 October in Hooge Mierde, the Netherlands. It turned out to be an exciting event, with lectures and clinics by horse whisperer Monty Roberts, Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven, top trainer Hubertus Schmidt and FEI chief Mariette Withages. Highlight was the discussion about the training methods of Anky, including some real ‘hot’ moments.

Over 350 riders, trainers, judges, scientists and officials from 25 countries came to the Academy in Hooge Mierde for the dressage Forum of the year, taking place for the sixth time. The first day was opened by a lecture and demonstration by German team rider Hubertus Schmidt. Schmidt showed his abilities with the 7-year old Rhinelander gelding Furst Fabio, an ex Bundeschampionat winner, underlining the importance of looseness and suppleness with the achievement of “schwung” as goal. Schmidt’s told that the horse has to maintain a light contact with the bit while stretching towards the bit at all times. The second speaker of the day was the Dutch sports psychologist Dr. Rico Schuijers who showed useful techniques to acquire the right frame of mind and concentration for a competition. Dutch team member Laurens van Lieren as well as Olympic archery medallist Wietse van Alten demonstrated certain relaxation and focal strategies to come into the right frame of mind for competitions. During the evening session The American horse whisperer Monty Roberts spoke for the first time at a dressage forum and showed the importance of trust and communication with the horse in order to achieve a positive relationship with it.

The second day started with a lecture by the Australian zoologist and ex 3-day event rider Andrew McLean, who explained equine psychology. Dressage riders mainly apply operant conditioning by pressure-release, and negative and positive reinforcement. McLean demonstrated his theory by working Imke Schellekens’ young stallion Aachen (by Arpeggio) in-hand, who was very naughty in hand and McLean showed that by telling the horse to rein back each time he wants to go forward, you give a clear signal to him that he has to wait for your sign to move. Mariette Withages then reviewed the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen. The audience was invited to judge the Grand Prix Special test of Mexican Bernadette Pujals, Danish Andreas Helgstrand and German Isabell Werth. Each movement and its score were publicly discussed and the audience finally got the opportunity to voice their opinion on why they did not agree with the judges’ marks. The final session of the day was on coaching and hyperflexion. Dr. Rene van Weeren discussed his observations on his scientific research studying the low-deep and round (LDR) head position of the horse. So far he has come to the conclusion that from a biomechanical viewpoint there is no reason to contest this method. Sjef Janssen spoke about his training and coaching methods, followed by a training demonstration in which Van Grunsven rode Painted Black in the LDR position. The panel discussion, including a rather hot debate between van Grunsven en 2 German journalists, was the end of 2 most interesting days. Many people in the audience, who had been at the GDF for several years, agreed that this was the most interesting dressage Forum ever.

Isabell Werth and 11 year old Warum Nicht FRH just have won the 22nd Rolex FEI World Cup™ Dressage with the highest price money ever. Isabell Werth has not been gambling yet in Las Vegas, she smiled, but the amount of 132.855,11 (comparable to 81.000 Euro and 110.000 USD) now is a certainty yet!
Isabell Werth had a wonderful ride. During her Freestyle she started smiling and she kept on smiling until he last centreline ridden with one hand. “I didn’t expect ‘Hannes’ to be so good today as he was! He was not spooky at all like in Grand Prix and I could take all risks, any second. This really was our day!”, Isabell commented enthusiastically. She added that she really had learned a lot from the behaviour and specialities of Warum Nicht FRH, as she until now never had brought him to a championship yet.
The chairman of he judges Dieter Schüle characterized the test of Isabell Werth as outstanding. He marked the test with a 10 for the music, as also the interpretation and timing was an example. Nevertheless her points of 84,25% are not a record, as Anky van Grunsven and Keltec Salinero were marked with 87,75% last year at the winning test in the WC™ Final in Amsterdam and with 87,93% at a qualifier in ‘s-Hertogenbosch 2006.
Runner up in Las Vegas was Dutch Imke Schellekens-Bartels. She had a challenging ride as her mare Sunrise was in season and it was not easy to cope with that. “Although the losing in the loosing arena was rather difficult, she was as much with me as possible in the test. This could not have been better this moment”, remarked Imke Schellekens-Bartels. The well known virtuoso and composer of her Freestyle Wibi Soerjadi witnessed the reception of ‘his’ Freestyle in the Thomas and Mack Centre personally and was very happy with the runner up position.
The best American pair Steffen Peters and Floriano finished third. Steffen Peters, member of the brons medall winning team of the WEG in Aachen, was very happy with his third position and the fitness and healthiness of his 17 year old partner. “As long as he feels this coöperative with me, I will continue to bring him in the big sport. But let’s take one day in a day and enjoy the moment”, he commented.

Unfortunately this World Cup™ Final suffered from some withdrawals. After the Danish bronze winning medal horse Blue Hors Matiné had to be withdrawn due to an injury, today also the Swedish horse Solos Carex was not present as he suffered from fever.
Nevertheless the enthusiasm of the Las Vegas-audience raised to the ultimate from the very beginning of the Final.
One of the favourites of the Las Vegas Final from two years ago, Dutch Edward Gal partnered to Lingh that time, now was not able to please the audience and the judges as his stallion Gribaldi lacked cooperation. The pair finished 11th.
Stallion Idocus partnered with American Courtney King and owned by Christine McCartney was the first with 73,20% to reach over 70%. Idocus also competed in the World Cup™ Finals in 2003 and 2004 partnered with Dutch Marlies van Baalen.

The location of next year’s World Cup™ Final and on the Qualifiers will be decided within some weeks. Please find updated information on the website of the FEI www.horsesport.org

RESULTS

1. Warum Nicht FRH (Isabell Werth GER) 84,25
2. Sunrise (Imke Schellekens-Bartels NED 77,95
3. Floriano (Steffen Peters USA) 77,80
4. Max (Kyra Kyrklund FIN) 77,50
5. Briar (Jan Brink SWE) 76,45
6. Idocus (Courtney King NED) 73,20
7. Maximus JSS (Catherine Haddad USA) 69,65
8. Problesk (Iryna Lis, BEL) 68,85
9. BMC Kigali (Marlies van Baalen NED) 68,05
10. Tip Top (Leslie Morse USA) 65,85
11. G4S IPS Gribaldi (Edward Gal NED) 64,90

For more information please contact:
Rolex FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final Las Vegas (USA) April 18-22
Media Contact: Marty Baumann
Reach him at the Thomas and Mack Centre +1 702 895 1098
Website www.worldcuplasvegas.com
E-mail info@worldcuplasvegas.com

Please also find all updated biographies on the riders of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final Las Vegas at www.horsesport.org

For further information on the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) www.horsesport.org
For further information and all FEI World Cup ™ news: www.feiworldcup.org

The FEI World Cup™ Dressage, initiated in 1985, is the only worldwide series in this discipline. It comprises qualifying leagues encompassing Western and Central Europe, North America, Canada and Australia. Each FEI World Cup™ Dressage qualifier comprises a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competitions, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judges on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup™ Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.

No snow and heavy weather could prevent the knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience of 10.800 people in the Gothenburg Scandinavium Arena to cheer as loud as could be for Swedish favourite Jan Brink and the great 16 year old stallion Briar. Jan Brink did a wonderful Freestyle with a fresh and happy Briar. His first passage was rewarded with the mark 9 and the piaffes were very good as well. Jan Brink blamed himself for the mistake in the one tempi changes today. “Yesterday in Grand Prix I went for relaxation and a harmonious ride. Today I liked to show more power and I just corrected too much with my outside leg in the changes. A pity, but the most important is that Briar felt this motivated! As long as I can keep it this way, I am a happy rider”, Jan Brink commented.
Standing ovations also for the runner up Finnish Kyra Kyrklund, who was definitely welcomed by the audience as their ‘lost daughter coming back home’ now when she is living in Great-Britain a few years already, after having spend a long time in Flyinge in Sweden. Last Sunday Kyra Kyrklund competed in Neumunster, now in Gothenburg. “This was a try out, competing in this sequence, to witness the reaction of Max. But the Freestyle in Neumünster and the Grand Prix and Freestyle now in Gothenburg were no doubt our three best tests ever! After the Grand Prix in Neumünster last week, Max has not made any mistake in those three tests, remarkable. I am too happy”, ‘lost daughter’ Kyra Kyrklund said.
A lot of Swedish competitors rode to their advantage at home soil. Solos Carex partnered by Tinne Vilhelmson showed a wonderful trotting part and reached third position, her highest in the World Cup™ so far. Louise Nathhorst was partnered with Isidor this time, a son of her Guinness. An inspiring moment was the last extension at the center-line, leaving only one hand at the reigns. Swedish judge Gustav Svalling was a happy man with the fresh Swedish partnerships coming up. “Solos Carex is one of my favourites. Now when he is gelded he is much more cooperative. When he grows in energy, he will be one of the new pillars of the Swedish team. The same counts for Louise Nathhorst partnering Isidor. A little more stabilized and it will be an anchor too, I’m sure”, he commented.
Chairman of the judges Japanese judge Furuoka was thrilled and nervous to be the chairman for the first time in an official World Cup™ Qualifier. “But being nervous only helps to get concentrated. It was a wonderful show with tests with a lot of variation and a great number of spectators”, she commented.

As the snow fall in Sweden has been very heavy and even led to special warnings to stay inside, no dressage competitor will leave tonight from the Horseshow to travel home. They will all be among the spectators to see the jumping and to discuss the possibilities for the World Cup™ Final coming up in April 19-22.

“This was my best Freestyle ever partnering ‘Hannes’!”, Isabell Werth most happily commented after her winning performance at the sold out stadium of the VR Classics in Neumunster. Great enthusiasm evolved from the crowd during the FEI World Cup™ Qualifier in Neumünster, in fact not only for German participants, but for all riders. The grey Balagur partnered by Russian Alexandra Korelova already brought its rider trained by Georges Theodorescu to the Olympic Games in Athens. The chairman of the judges Mariette Withages said she had never seen him perform so well. She rewarded him both in Grand Prix and today in the Freestyle with the ultimate mark of 10 for its piaffe! The horse is an example for its obedience, easiness and friendly expression.
The enthusiasm for the former police horse Balagur almost exploded just when the chestnut Warum Nicht alias Hannes came in mounted by home rider and World champion Isabell Wert“This was my best Freestyle ever partnering ‘Hannes’!”, Isabell Werth most happily commented after her winning performance at the sold out stadium of the VR Classics in Neumunster. Great enthusiasm evolved from the crowd during the FEI World Cup™ Qualifier in Neumünster, in fact not only for German participants, but for all riders. The grey Balagur partnered by Russian Alexandra Korelova already brought its rider trained by Georges Theodorescu to the Olympic Games in Athens. The chairman of the judges Mariette Withages said she had never seen him perform so well. She rewarded him both in Grand Prix and today in the Freestyle with the ultimate note of 10 for its piaffe! The horse is an example for its obedience, easiness and friendly expression.
The enthusiasm for the former police horse Balagur almost exploded just when the chestnut Warum Nicht alias Hannes came in mounted by home rider and World champion Isabell Werth. She said, “I had some trouble to get Hannes concentrated again as he almost immediately left the arena again because of the excitement. But as we have worked hard on further physical developments, when we started and continued the test Hannes gave a most wonderful feeling. This no doubt has been my best Freestyle ever partnering Hannes and it has been rewarded with a record score for the two of us, which makes me too happy!”
The test was without any mistake. Highlights were the piaffe and passage and the fitting variety between the half passes in passage and in collected trot. “We have been thinking of changing the music, but as this fits so well, we’ll concentrate on new music for Satchmo, which is a hard job anyway”, Isabell smiled.
A pleasure for the eye also was stallion Blue Hors Don Schufro partnered by bronze medallist of the WEG in Aachen 2006 Danish Andreas Helgstrand. His stallion is an example for the looseness combined with power in the movements. Some minor mistakes prevented a higher score and the pair was rewarded with the runner up position.
Neumünster might have attracted the strongest field of participants until now in the Western European League, but not all competitors kept out of the zone of mistakes. Max of Finnish Kyra Kyrklund didn’t perform the piaffe and the half passes to its advantage today. Douglas Dorsey of British Laura Bechtolsheimer had most wonderful pirouettes but had some mistakes in the flying changes. Wansuela Suerte, partnered again with Hubertus Schmidt, did a correct test but lacked some natural looseness and power now some other horses have. Former world champion show jumping BMC Kigali partnered with Marlies van Baalen in international dressage needs more experience to grow but showed the looseness dressage should have.

Dutch Imke Schellekens-Bartels, who was already leading the table after winning the two qualifiers of the FEI World Cup™ in London-Olympia and Mechelen in Amsterdam as well was a hot favourite. She did not disappoint the home crowd. The Dutch national champion showed a brand new Freestyle to music, composed by Dutch virtuoso pianist Wibi Soerjadi. The Freestyle called ‘The spirit of Sunrise’ touched the crowd and the judges from the very start. Imke Schellekens-Bartels was too happy, as her Grand Prix of yesterday did not work out to her advantage. Unexpected mistakes occurred, like canter in the first extended trot, mistakes in the two tempi and one tempi changes and an unwanted change short for a pirouette. After her Grand Prix which was rewarded with the fifth position she had no explanation, after her winning Freestyle she had. “We have been training technically a bit different lately as the lightness and looseness of Sunrise is improving very much. The shape she is in has never been better, but she obviously got confused in the arena by her own lightness and I in turn got confused too as I did not expect her mistakes and didn’t know how to solve them. Today as I was focused more it all went wonderful. This extraordinary music of Wibi Soerjadi even helps me to control the rhythm of Sunrise and to avoid mistakes.”

The chairman of the judges Francis Verbeek said she and her colleagues really had enjoyed the new Freestyle music. When marking the one tempi changes as the most special part in the music, composer Soerjadi happily raised his hands, as this had been the major theme for him in his composition. “I have been everywhere in the world for my concerts and have given a concert in the great Carnegy Hall in New York. But today here in Amsterdam RAI has been my most exciting experience!”, Soerjadi emphasized. It looks like a new era for Freestyle music has started, not only emphasizing the rhythm but also expressing the character, energy, sonority and beauty in the horse and its movements. “For me as a musician rhythm only is too easy and not a challenge. I like to express all aspects”, Soerjadi explained.

Switzerland’s Silvia Iklé already renewed her Freestyle for the FEI World Cup™ Qualifier in Frankfurt, winning on her very first appearance with this brand new Freestyle composed by famous Swiss composer Bauer and a bandoneon piece played by Zisman. Silvia Iklé was the winner of the Grand Prix in Amsterdam. The piaffe and passage is the strongest point of her great mover and she ad a lot of that of course in her Freestyle. It was hard to decide between Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Silvia Iklé. Francis Verbeek commented: “I felt the trotting part and the piaffe and passage were wonderful, but the canter part might have been a bit hectic, in the music too. But for me the first four all were remarkable well performed tests.”

For Silvia Iklé the main goal will be to try to qualify the Swiss team at the EC in Torino for the Olympic Games. She, trainer Jürgen Koschel, the Swiss Federation, and Swiss chef d’équipe Peter von Grebel will decide within 10 days whether riding another qualifier and the FEI World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas will fit into the major goals for the Swiss to qualify for the Olympic Games.

It was a Dutch Party in Amsterdam as Edward Gal, Laurens van Lieren and Marlies van Baalen ended at third, fourth and fifth position. Edward Gal showed the black stallion G4S IPS Gribaldi in what might have been his best Freestyle ever accompanied by the former freestyle music of his sold stallion Lingh. “Now Gribaldi has proved he has deserved his own Freestyle”, Edward Gal promised.

Joost Peters, who played the bass in the new Freestyle of Imke Schellekens-Bartels and also designed the Queen-based Freestyle for Laurens van Lieren and Hexagon’s Ollright, was a happy man to see Laurens van Lieren reach fourth position.

The second Dutch rider to present a brand new Freestyle in Amsterdam was Marlies van Baalen, who asked Anky van Grunsven’s composer Cees Sling of Slings Music Cast, to produce a new Freestyle, called ‘Marlies and the Magnifient riders’. The Western theme including scores from High Chapparall, Rawhide, Riffleman, Bonanza and Once upon a time in the west accompanied a well ridden test, which brought Marlies her highest marks in a FEI World Cup™ qualifier until now.

For World Champion Isabell Werth her busy schedule travelling between Zürich and Amsterdam didn’t benefit her results in the Amsterdam FEI World Cup™, placing just 13th.

Following seven FEI World Cup™ Qualifiers in Aarhus, Maastricht, Stockholm, London-Olympia, Frankfurt, Mechelen and Amsterdam, only three more qualifiers are left in Western Europe to qualify for the FEI World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas. The next FEI World Cup™ Qualifier will be Neumunster.
The next FEI World Cup™ Dressage qualifier will take place in Neumünster (GER) February 14-18