With three World Cup competitions in two weeks, the dressage world is moving at full force. Top level competition has been going on across Europe but, country-wise, it is Germany which currently sets the pace of World Cup Victories.
Anky and Rudolf in Amsterdam.
The first weekend of December was reserved for the beautiful CDI-W in Amsterdam. While the Junior Riders/ Eurodressage was present at that show last year, this year the team had to skip it. Nevertheless, here are the happenings and results of Jumping Amsterdam.
In the Short Grand Prix the race ran between the Bremen citizen Rudolf Zeilinger and Erp-native Anky van Grunsven. While Van Grunsven's number one horse Bonfire celebrated his retirement in grand galore in Amsterdam, Gestion Joker had to fill in the competition part for owner/rider Van Grunsven. The Hanoverian gelding Joker (by Prince Tatch xx) had been out for quite a while due to an injury, but now he seems to be back all the way. With a 70.49%, Van Grunsven left Rudolf Zeilinger on Livinjo behind her (69.32%). Third position was filled in by Sonja Gademann with Jup.
In the Kur to Music Zeilinger and Van Grunsven made the crowd sit on the edge of their seat as a 0.15% point difference, determined the lead. it was the German Rudolf Zeilinger who took home grand victory. Zeilinger rode his number one horse Livinjo (Hanoverian by Lysander). Van Grunsven came in second and Gademann was third again.
A disappointing debut was made by Coby van Baalen on De Havikerwaard's Welcome. The liver chestnut licensed stallion Welcome (by World Cup I) was sold by Uwe Schulten-Baumer to the Van der Kamp family of breeding station De Havikerwaard three years ago. Uptill now, the stallion was unable to excel under Leida Strijk, nor under Ebba von Essen, nor under Coby van Baalen. Welcome scored a bare 65.02% (11th place) in the Grand Prix and a better 68.96% (11th place) in the freestyle. More was expected from this combination which makes one doubt if the show debut of Van Baalen/Welcome came much too early.
A more interesting battle had been fought at Intermediaire I level, as that level presented the upcoming talents of the leading European riders. On the temperamental breeding stallion Gestion Junior STV (by Uniform), Anky van Grunsven won the Intermediaire I with a score of 69.95%. Conrad Schumacher's prime student, Ellen Bontje, captured the second place on the phlegmatic Rubioso N. Coby van Baalen's leading "nachwuchspferd" More Magic did well. With 69.50% in the Intermediaire I (3rd place) and 73.38% (1st place) in the freestyle, the combination can be taken into account as a serious adversary. World Online More Magic is a Westphalian by Maraschino.
Image Copyrighted - Dirk Caremans - No Reproduction without explicit permission