Michal Rapcewicz (Poland) won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at the international dressage show in Lipica, Slovenia, on Sunday afternoon. The 26-year-old and his eleven year-old polish gelding Randon were the last of the 15 starters
in the ring and convinced the judges with their test, full of high points especially for the successful piaffe and passage (73.75).
Second was the British Jane Gregory with Lucky Star (72.85). Gregory became the overall high point champion of the event in Lipica. The third place also went to a British rider: Anna Ross Davies (72.50) rode her Holsteiner horse "Liebling II”. Last year's winner Wayne Channon (Great Britain) and his black stallion Lorenzo placed fourth this time (71.70). Happy about his fifth place was Peter Gmoser with Contrea" (70.85) from Austria.
Many viewers had enjoyed the World Cup qualifier to the full in bright sunshine. In the break there was a real highlight: a classical dressage show with the Lipizzaner stallions from Lipica.
The Freestyle-winner Michal Rapcewicz has been in Lipica for the fourth time. The dressage riders traines with the Belgian Peter Spahn in Hemrik (Netherlands). He had almost 1500 kilometers to go, but in the end the long journey was worthwhile. In Lipica he celebrated his biggest success and is now well motivated for the Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
Virginia Maghenzani was the best junior rider at the dressage days in Lipica. The Italian girl had left her competitors not a breath of chance. She won all the three tests with her ten year old Westphalian horse "Flori" (by Florestan), including the freestyle test to music. Once successful in the saddle of ponies, Virginia first rode jumping courses before she moved to the dressage sport. "Flori" has been in her stable for only a month, and Lipica was the first international start of the two. With this stronf debut in the international dressage sport, the professional world can still expect much of the talented horse girl.
The Italian girl Micol Rustignoli was the best participant in the Young Rider tour. Her chestnut "Konkorde" showed very solid performances all the time.
Ulrike Prunthaller from Austria won both, the Intermediate I as well as the freestyle test at the Intermediate level, with her nine-year-old bay stallion "Bartlgut's Harvard" (by Hohenstein). Best Slovene rider of the show was Igor Maver, chief trainer of the stud farm in Lipica.
Extremely satisfied with the FEI World Cup tournament was Lipica’s Director Matjaz Pust, who had put a new footing in the dressage stadium in March. By 2010 he wants to improve the infrastructure of the famous stud and plans to have the first CHIO with the disciplines dressage, jumping and driving in three years in Lipica. It takes only three weeks that the first jumping riders meet for a four-star-event in the Slovenian horses Mecca. Riders from over 20 nations have already been entered.
by Susanne Müller - Lipica press officer
Related Links
Scores 2008 CDI-W Lipica
Austrian Christian Schumach wins FEI Grand Prix at 2008 CDI-W Lipica