Danish Rikke Svane and Luxembourg's Sascha Schulze moved into the winner's circle for the big tour classes at the 2016 CDI Biarritz on 14 - 16 October 2016. One of the last outdoor competitions of the 2016 season, the CDI Biarritz annually draws a decent field of mainly French and Dutch riders with this year a group of 16 big tour competitors.
Judges Tissot, Dauban, Holler, Swenden, and Andersson assessed the Grand Prix and put Rikke Svane in first place. Aboard the 14-year old Trakehner Finckenstein (by Latimer x Kennedy), the Luxembourg based Danish rider scored a winning 71.760% in the Grand Prix. She only narrowly edged out Russian Tatiana Miloserdova on her 10-year old Dutch warmblood Awakening (by Sandreo x Welt Hit II). The Milan based Russian scored 71.240% for second place. German born Luxembourg rider Sascha Schulz was third on his new ride Luizao with 69.360%
Svane went on to win the Grand Prix Kur to Music with a 76.300%. She was a league of her own as the second place-getters were almost 8% behind. The 26-year old British Lucy Fallen and the 12-year old Hanoverian Cruise (by Lauries Crusador xx) were second with 69.400%. Fallen and Cruise made their international Grand Prix debut at the CDI Deauville just three months ago.
"Finckenstein behaved very well there," said Svane of her licensed breeding stallion. "The actual competition arena gives the audience the possibility to sit up high and look down at the competitors and for the riders it very nice to have the audience a bit away rather than very close. At least that's what I prefer. I think for Finckenstein it doesn't matter."
After training with fellow Dane Fie Skarsoe in Luxembourg, Svane was coached by Danish team trainer Rudolf Zeilinger for a year and a half, before switching back to a trainer closer to home, Sascha Schulz. "I changed trainer to have new eyes on us and that seams to work out very well. The points speaks for itself," said Rikke. "Sascha was with me in Biarritz and that was the first time he was by my side at a horse show, which gave me very positive remarks and feedback from the judges. I'm very happy with Sascha"s support and his interest in the development of Finckenstein and I." Svane juggles a career as professional dressage rider with being a mother to three kids. "it's not easy but I have great support from our team and my husband," said Rikke.
Svane loved the Biarritz competition because of the accessibility of the show grounds and their location.
"The show grounds are beautifully placed in Biarritz. The beach is only about 2 kilometers away and is worth a visit while you are at the show. You can surf here all year round or go skating. The city of Biarritz also have a lot of old beautiful buildings that refer to their great history."
In the Grand Prix Special Schulz topped the board on Luizao, a 14-year old Holsteiner gelding by Leandro x Calvados II. Luizao arrived in Schulz' stable only two weeks ago. He was previously owned by Austrian Sissy Max-Theurer and last competed by German Wibke Bruns. The bright bay gelding was originally acquired by Max-Theurer in 2009 for her daughter Victoria after Jörg Dietrich and Constanze Rugheimer had trained and competed the horse in Germany.
Now owned by a syndicate and based at Ecuries Des Pres in Leudelange, Luxembourg, Luizao has become Schulz' number one Grand Prix horse. In Biarritz they scored 71.216% for victory in the Special, ahead of Miloserdova on Awakening with 71.196%.
"I'm very happy to have such a good horse and look forward to the next season," Schulz told Eurodressage. "Luizao is a horse which always wants to do a good job and with no problems in any of the exercises. His gaits are always clear with a lot of expression in the collected movements. Now we have to work on the details and then there is a lot of potential to earn results above 70%."
Photos © Rui Pedro Godinho
Related Links
Scores: 2016 CDI Biarritz
Rikke Svane Wins 2015 CDI Drachten Grand Prix
Sascha Schulz In Charge of Small Tour at 2013 CDI-W Lipica