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.

“To me this was top of the bill. This was a top final at a top venue with a top field of competitors doing top performances,” Ground Jury President Jan Peeters complimented. Probably the highest standard field ever to compete in the 23^rd FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. After the Grand Prix as a warming up test won by Isabell Werth, Anky van Grunsven scored her ninth FEI World Cup™ Dressage victory, her fourth riding her Olympic champion IPS Salinero. Finnish Kyra Kyrklund took the third place aboard Max.

The tough battle between the titans Isabell Werth and Anky van Grunsven was not decided until the very last ride which was Anky’s. Isabell Werth and the big chestnut Warum Nicht FRH had a great test. Their Freestyle is nicely choreographed and gradually builds up to an exciting climax. Remarkable extensions and half passes were rewarded with high marks. However, the pair left little room for improvement when they a mistake in the one tempi flying changes and hardly halted at the end, which brought the score down to 82,60%.

Anky van Grunsven and IPS Salinero produced an impression of another kind. It was almost as if IPS Salinero was in a dimension of his own, simply doing his job to the music, calm and relaxed, easy going, easy moving. No shivers down the spine, but wet hands because of the harmony and stillness. The music composed by Wibi Soerjadi seemed to tone down the level of energy while increasing the overall impression of harmony. With a result of 85,20% the win was a undisputable.