In a first battle of the titans since the 2012 Olympic Games in August 2012, two of the world's best dressage horses -- Damon Hill and Parzival -- bumped fists facing each other again since London and the pendulum swung in favour of Damon Hill. Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill edged out Adelinde Cornelissen on Parzival with a 82.468% Grand Prix score, coming close to her personal best score of 82.766% which she earned in November at the CDI-W Stuttgart.
Judges Peter Holler (GER), Mariette Withages (BEL), Gustaf Svalling (SWE), Raphaël Saleh (FRA), and Freddy Leyman (BEL) were seated around the ring to assess the rides of 12 competitor in this first indoor World Dressage Masters held at Jumping Mechelen in Belgium. Almost five months after the London Games Mechelen would be more than an interesting show to attend for spectators as they would be able to witness how both Langehanenberg and Cornelissen have dealt with their "issues" in this period of time. In London Damon Hill struggled with the rhythm in piaffe, while Parzival leaned too much on the bit to sustain a proper self carriage throughout the test.
As winner of the Odense and Lyon World Cup Qualifier, Cornelissen started a very conscientious PR-campaign stressing at every oppotunity and at each press conference how much she is working on "harmony and self-carriage" which the judges faulted her on in London. The sympathetic Dutch rider quit training with Dutch team coach Sjef Janssen and uses her life partner, show jumper Sjaak van der Lei, as eyes on the ground. For more than a year she has been working on core stability and mental strength through a Spartan fitness regime created by Dutch gymnastics coach Tsjalling van den Berg. While Cornelissen showed off this personal progress at the Global Dressage Forum, for which she should be applauded, in Mechelen the time had come to see how her horse Parzival has been changing as well and could live up to the words spoken at press conferences.
Helen Langehanenberg and the 12-year old Westfalian stallion Damon Hill (by Donnerhall x Rubinstein) were the fourth to last pair to enter the ring with only one pair having cracked the 70% barrier so far. The liver chestnut stallion looked fit and fresh and ended up executing a brilliant test. The trot extensions were phenomenal, the half passes had so much elasticity and suspension. The passage was better than Totilas' had ever shown with a naturalness, elasticity and bounce uncomparable to any other horse. This is no trick or circus but pure talent. Damon Hill does open his mouth regularly but the contact was always very light and soft. The first piaffe was well controlled but right before the transition he made a double beat behind. The transition itself was good. The extended walk is good for a 10. The second piaffe-passage was immaculate though in general the stallion tends to lean on the forehand in piaffe. The collection was a bit lost in the transition to canter. The zig zag was excellent, the pirouettes tiny, in the two tempi's the horse could have a bit more uphill tendency and in the ones he should cover more ground but the changes itself were good. The final centerline was outstanding.
Langehanenberg scored 82.468% and placed first overall. Four judges ranked her first with 84.894% Svalling as high score and Saleh's 79.255% as low score. The French judge ranked her second.
Adelinde Cornelissen and her 15-year old Parzival (by Jazz x Ulft) were the second to last pair to enter the arena. The long-legged, elastic chestnut shone in his clipped chestnut coat. In the trot tour Cornelissen showed much control and centeredness. The trot extensions were very ground covering, though Parzival should move the hind legs more towards the gravity point. The half passes were outstanding. It immediately stood out that the gelding had his mouth more closed than usual and while the contact was still strong it had improved. The first passage was very regular but Parzival pulled his hocks up and out instead of moving the hind legs underneath the body. The same was for the piaffe. It was very rhythmical and on the spot but the hind legs didn't carry the weight. The transitions were very smooth. The extended walk was good. The second piaffe-passage was very rhytmical but the transition out was hesitant. Parzival amasses quite a lot of points with his fantastic canter work. The tempi changes are world class: uphill, ground covering and super straight. The zig zag is incredibly ground covering and the pirouettes are tiny though there was a double beat in the left pirouette. The final centerline was very expressive but after the transition from piaffe, Cornelissen lost the collection in the passage and to make amends she halted two meters before the marker.
The judges awarded the test 81.702% with German judge Holler as high score 83.723% and Belgian judge Withages as low score (78.085%). It was very interesting to watch Adelinde ride in Mechelen, especially to see Parzival's mouth more closed and the contact slightly better. However when Adelinde seems to ride the horse with less drive from the leg, it comes at a loss in the piaffe and passage with the hocks moving more out and behind the body. Nevertheless the contact still has to improve more -- it has to be lighter -- if the Dutch rider is aiming for an image of harmony. It will be the only way for the ambitious Cornelissen to beat the British armada and the superior ground quality and lightness of Damon Hill.
Dutch Patrick van der Meer and his 11-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Uzzo (by Lancet x Indoctro) finished in third position. The long legged bay gelding always enters the ring covered in sweat and relaxation is probably the most important point to work on for the Dutch rider because the horse appears wired, wound up and uncomfortable. Despite that Uzzo is incredibly talented, has wonderful reach in the front leg and does great extenstions. The trot half passes and passage are brilliant. The tempi changes were well ridden and the final centerline was very good, but the piaffes are too tense. The judges awarded the test with 73.319%. German judge Holler seemed to have no problem with the body tension and scored the ride 77.660% while Belgian judge Withages appeared to look for more lightness and relaxation as she appraised the ride with 69.681%.
German Nadine Cappelmann brought along her routinier Elvis, a 16-year old Hanoverian gelding by Espri x Garibaldi. The chestnut gelding had his hay days in 2006 (WEG) and 2008 (OG) but since then could no longer hold his own amongst an ever improving new group of horses that rose to the top. Elvis showed great trot extensions, good half passes, a bouncy passage but in piaffe he becomes stagnant and doesn't jump rhythmically off the ground as Elvis leans too much on the forehand. The tempi changes were ok but the zig zag appeared laboured. They scored 71.553% to finish fourth with Saleh's 69.787 as low score and Svalling's 73.191 as high score.
Belgian Jeroen Devroe made his come back to the international show ring after missing out on the 2012 Olympic Games due to an injured Apollo van het Vijvershof (by Welt Hit II x Ritmeister). The combination made a show come back at the Belgian Dressage Championships, which they won beating Belgian Olympian Claudia Fassaert. Apollo then got another break to return in Mechelen. The pair produced a very proper, clean and elegant ride but Apollo should be more engaged from behind. The first extended trot should have been more even and in the rein back the gelding dragged his legs, but the piaffe and passage were soft and sweet. In passage Apollo needs to step under much more. The extended walk got better towards the end of the diagonal. The canter work was well executed with good pirouettes and two tempi's. One change was short behind in the one time changes. The zig zag was well ridden though Apollo dropped behind the vertical. Devroe scored 70.383% with 67.447% as low score (Saleh) and 71.809 as high score (Holler).
Text and Photos by Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed
Related Links
Scores: 2012 CDI Mechelen
Langehanenberg and Damon Hill Win 2012 CDI Mechelen Grand Prix