As the Schleyerhalle were sold out for the Grand Prix Kur to Music at the 2010 CDI Stuttgart the atmosphere for the dressage highlight of the week a bit electrifying with apprehension, typical of the enthusiastic Stuttgart crowd.
First to go was Italian Valentina Truppa on her long time partner, the Danish bred gelding Chablis. One can see that they are trusted partners, Chablis listening to Valentina and being with her all the time. The bright chestnut moved with a very nice elevation and a fine bit contact. The passage looked impressive, but in the piaffe the 13-year old could sit more on his hind legs. A real strong point were the one-time changes which were straight and fluently forward. Valentina rode them with one hand and used her free hand to pat Chablis several times as a reward. 72.2% was the mark.
The next starter, Carola Koppelmann mounted on her long time partner Le Bo, were not able to match that score. The 17-year old Hanoverian by Lauries Crusador xx did so well in the Hamburg Dressage Derby this year and still expresses an eagerness to work. Koppelmann usef hits of the German singer Nena which fitted the programme very well. The canter pirouettes and the one-time changes on a circle line were highlights in the dynamic test. In the extended trot it would have been nice if Le Bo had opened his frame a bit more and the piaffes were not settled enough. The overall impression was one of a horse well-managed that even at his progressed age he loves doing his job.
One of the surprise riders at the WEG in Kentucky, Swiss Marcela Krinke-Susmelj, was next on Corinth. The bay Oldenburger gelding was once trained by Fritz Stahlecker's daughter Ulrike Stadelmayer and made, a bit surprisingly, the kur final in Kentucky. Corinth very obviously retained his good form and performed well. His piaffe and passage were great as well as the flying changes on curved lines. The overall picture would even be nicer without the 14-year old's tail swooshing in the movemenrs he performed so well! The Chenook offspring halted perfectly for almost half a minute at the end of his ride while his rider cheered in the saddle. 74% and a fifth place were a clear improvement to their Grand Prix.
The Belgian Fanny Verliefden followed on a typical Rubinstein offspring, appropriately named Rubel. The chique black is an elegant horse, but entered the arena tensed resulting in a piaffing halt. Unfortunately, though showing much talent, this tension did not completely disappear during the ride, which made them finish last with 68,15%.
One of the 2010 season shooting stars entered next: Winyamaro, a 10-year old colourful chestnut by Walt Disney I x Trapper, presented by German based American Catherine Haddad. This gelding with the white face and the long thick main almost made the U.S. WEG team this year and is a charming horse. Haddad presented her hopeful to music by Pink which matched the dynamic horse very well. 73.25% meant a 6th place in the end.
Nathalie zu Saeyn-Wittgenstein from Denmark had travelled to Stuttgart with her 2007 EU championships horse Rigoletto, a Danish warmblood gelding by Rubinstein bred by her mother.
Their freestyle was dominated by several canter-walk transitions which demonstrated the throughness of the 14-year old. Of course the niece of the Danish Queen showed many piaffe and passage parts, both are a strength of Rigoletto who has a very good hind leg activity. He finished 4th with 74.45%.
Three German pairs were left in this class and all three fought for victory.
First to go was Hubertus Schmidt on a young horse named Dark Diamond. The dark brown gelding is only nine years old and by Diamond Hit x Ramiro's Son I. Though still inexperienced he showed a lot of talent but was sometimes a bit too eager. The overall picture was one of a horse really working engaged from behind. The crowds were thrilled and cheering when Schmidt left the arena. They had good cause because Schmidt took the lead with 76.4%; a brilliant result for such a young horse.
Tension was building up when Ulla Salzgeber came in with her cute Herzruf's Erbe. This Rhinelander by the Trakehner Herzruf had been a great hope a year earlier but he sustained an injury at the CDIO Aachen. Now back in business and doing fine Salzgeber put in a breathtaking performance with almost every exercise being very high level. Especially the piaffe and passage, but also the canter pirouettes and extended trots delighted the crowd and „Herzi“ had to undergo a barrage of clapping and cries from the tribunes when his wonderful kur was over. 79,85% caused an uproar and the question remained whether Isabell Werth and Satchmo, winners of the World Cup Kur in Odense some weeks ago, could match this.
Isabell Werth left no doubt she was going to try everything and completely relied on her 16-year old Hanoverian. She animated the crowds into clapping her into the arena, which they immediately did in the rhythm of the music of German crooner Roberto Blanco.
What followd was firework. Werth risked all and Satchmo did not tense up, but played with the most difficult movements. He appeared to be the best Satchmo seen in a long time and 82.8% beat Herzruf's Erbe. A storm broke loose when the points flashed on the board. Werth waved to the crowds which celebrated their national hero long and loudly.
For Isabell Werth Stuttgart once again had turned out to be a real success and accordingly she expressed her happiness in the press conference after the prize giving: "The freestyle was pure joy. The crowds and me, we carried one another."
Text by Silke Rottermann for Eurodressage
Photos by Barbara Schnell and Silke Rottermann
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