Hubertus Schmidt and Wansuela Suerte won their second FEI World Cup qualifier of the season in Neumunster, almost certainly booking a ticket for April's FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Duesseldorf.
" I was very happy with Wansuela here", said Schmidt, " She was hot at the beginning but the canter work felt very good and we worked well to the music." As best German here, Schmidt will now consult with team trainer Holger Schmezer, but expects to concentrate on the Final, which takes place from April 1-4.
Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff is back in the hunt after her lovely mare Wahajama-Unicef showed growing maturity for second place, just half a point over Isabell Werth's Apache. With only three riders per nation able to ride at the Final, the two ladies are heading to the last qualifier, Indoor Brabant, on March 25-28. Werth is in a strong position, now third in the points' standings behind Schmidt and leader Heike Kemmer, but with Linsenhoff on 41 to her 58 points, she must take it to the wire to be certain.
Werth was happy with Apache, who she rode here to Antony's music rather than the 11-year-old's usual classical programme. " There were a few little mistakes" she said, " but I am so happy with his development this season. Of course there are things to improve, but I feel he is heading the right way."
The surprise of the competition was newcomer Isabel von Wendorff's fourth place on Legacy. While not in the FEI World Cup hunt, the local rider on the 11-year-old Holstein gelding she bred and trained herself made the most of her opportunity to ride at this show, especially as she had just one week's notice.
British rider Emma Hindle was the only non-German to make a serious inroad into the prizes placing fifth on Wie Weltmeyer. She now shares equal fourth place in the standings with Holland's Anky van Grunsven on 57 points.
Twelve starters scored over 70 per cent, and the winner, on 77.81, was a unanimous verdict but as the sell out crowd produced a huge atmosphere - standing ovations have become the in thing this year - there were no faultless tests.
Judge at 'H" Volker Moritz commented: " It was a very exciting class, but the standard was not as high as we expected. The winner, Wansuela Suerte, can earn 80 per cent when she is really good. She got better, and better as the test went on, but she was tense in the beginning. Wahajama-Unicef did a good job today, it is all coming together more." He agreed with FEI Dressage Committee Chairman, and Ground Jury President, Mariette Withages that one of the most exciting aspects of the class was the number of good young horses. Mme Withages said: " It was interesting and promising for the future. Legacy in particular produced a good picture and has lots of potential."
It was all appreciated by the crowd, and just two days prior to this penultimate FEI World Cup dressage qualifier, the show reported that next year's Sunday performance is already sold out.
by Bernadette Faurie
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