Isabell Werth and her number two Grand Prix horse Emilio won the Grand Prix for Special on the first day of competition on 1 July 2016 at the 2016 CDI Fritzens hosted at Evelyn and Klaus Haim-Swarovski's Schindlhof in the Tyrolian Alps. Werth scored 78.9% for victory and referred Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Zaire to a second place (75.54%).
Irish Judy Reynolds, who will be making her Olympic debut in Rio, slotted in third on Vancouver K with 71.5. Show host Evelyn Haim-Swarovski saddled her top horse Dorina, a Danish warmblood mare by Don Schufro, and finished 12th with 66.100%. She qualified for the Grand Prix Special on Sunday.
German team trainer Monica Theodorescu is on the scene in Fritzens to keep an eye on her German team riders and she saw top sport from riders coming from 22 different nations. Isabell Werth and her uncomplicated 10-year old Emilio showed nerves of steel and sure form.
"78.96% is Emilio's best score at an international shows. He has improved much, especially in the canter tour. His potential is huge but there is still one or two percentage points more in there," said Werth in her ClipMyHorse interview. Five-time Olympian Isabell Werth has two horses short listed for Rio: Emilio and Weihegold.
Evelyn Haim-Swarovski Qualified for the Special
Evelyn Haim-Swarovski and her Dorina produced a clean round in the Grand Prix and ranked 12 in a field of 26 horse and rider combinations. They easily qualified for the Special on Sunday. The highlights of their test included the piaffe and they received an overall score of 66.1% from the panel of judges, which includes two judges that will officiate at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"Unfortunately I did give a few points away, but my goal was to finish in the top 15 in this big starters" field and qualify for the Special. I achieved it," said Evelyn smiling.
Big Sport in Small Tour
German dressage riders covered the top three spots in the international Prix St Georges, which was the opening class of the 2016 CDI Fritzens on Friday morning. Dorothee Schneider and the 9-year old Kiss Me (by Kaiserkult) posted a winning score of 75.6% and edged out Isabell Werth on the 7-year old German Sport Horse stallion Belantis (by Benetton Dream). The grey is the 2014 Bundeschampion and World Championship silver medalist. In his first international Prix St Georges test he scored 73.8% Max Wadenspanner and his 8-year old Sanwereo slotted in third with 71.2%
The best scoring Austrian rider was Christian Schumach on the 8-year old Oldenburg stallion Sinclair Jason. The pair landed 6th place with 69.474%.
Austrian Para team Achieves Rio Qualification
The Austrian Paralympic team candidates performed strongly at the Schindlhof. In the warm up test for the Austrian Para Dressage Championships, Pepo Puch won the class with 81.4% on Fontainenoir.
The five other para riders are still contesting three Rio team tickets the next two days. They all showed good form today. The Kartner based Julia Sciancalepore (Grade 1a) and Pommery 4 scored 71.957%.
"All horses are well on form and the weather is playing along. It's perfect that the Austrian Championships are taking place at the Schindlhof in this wonderful atmosphere," said Austrian chef d'equipe Theres Rantner. "So much is going on here for our Paras and their horses that this is an optimal preparation for the Olympics."
The good performances proved that the para riders also easily dealt with the doping controls which took place before and after the warm up test.
Photos © Max Schreiner
Info, images, videos, starter and results lists can be found at www.schindlhof.at, or on Facebook and Youtube.
Tentative Schedule:
Saturday 2 July 2016
- 08h: Intermediaire I
- 12h: Austrian Championships Paradressage - Round 2
followed by a show program with the World and European vaulting pas de deux champions Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha - 13h30: Grand Prix for Kur
Sunday 3 July 2016
- 08h: Grand Prix Consolation class
- 09h: Grand Prix Special (top 15 pairs of the Grand Prix for Special)
- 12h: Austrian Championships Paradressage - Round 3 Kur to Music
followed by a show program and prize giving "Who Wears the Nicest Hat?", moderated by Mirjam Weichselbraun - 14h30: Grand Prix Kur to Music (top 15 pairs of the Grand Prix for Kur)
Related Links
Scores 2016 CDI Fritzens
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2016 CDI Frizens