German title favourites Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD breezed to the Grand Prix victory at the 2017 World Cup Finals held at the fantastic CenturyLink exhibition centre in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. on Thursday afternoon 30 April 2017. While none of the A-listers seemed to be completely at the top of their A-game today, the Grand Prix is not entirely relevant for the World Cup as it more a warm up class with the real battle fought in the freestyle on Saturday.
The electric atmosphere in the Omaha mega dome seemed to impress quite a few horses and most riders had the handbrake on today. Several unfortunately underwhelmed with atypical tension or mistakes, whereas others lacked that necessary fine-tuning for those highly anticipated stellar rides which all expect at a world indoor championships - the World Cup Finals - which are the culmination of the winter indoor show season.
Werth and Christine Arns-Krogman's 12-year old Oldenburg mare Weihegold OLD (by Don Schufro x Sandro Hit) were the hot favourites for the title after winning the World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, Stuttgart and Amsterdam, three times with 80% + scores. As last to go in the Grand Prix Werth had to outclass Laura Graves and Verdades' bubbly and energetic ride. Werth rode a much more conservative, safer test in which especially the superb training of the horse was the highlight of the test. Weihegold is quite normal in her basic gaits, but scores with her extremely lightfooted piaffe-passage work, in which the transitions are seamless. The mare let down in the extended trots, which were never truly extended (more medium trots), the half passes had excellent bending but there was little suspension and also the extended walk was very average with two hooves overtrack but lacking a clear 4-beat rhythm. The collected walk was very short. There was a mistake in the two tempi changes. The ones lacked ground cover but were correct. The pirouettes, though, were very well ridden. The final centerline had brilliant activity and expression.
The panel of judges in Omaha, which included Gardner (GBR), Alonso (MEX), Sanders (NED), Wuest (GER), Törnblad (DEN), Gribbons (USA), and Saleh (FRA), considered it the best ride of the day and rewarded Werth's test with 82.300% Werth's ride was certainly a fantastic showcase of superb training and riding, but it was not her best ride ever on Weihegold. Some expected her to land behind Laura Graves and Verdades, but that remains to be the perpetual discussion in dressage: a dual between accuracy and true collection versus energy and expression.
"She was well prepared for today and you never know if she will go over 80. She was nice in the warm up but felt tense coming in because of the applause for Laura," Werth explained. "I had to be careful at the start. Now the job is to calm her down especially after the electric atmosphere in the prize giving."
Graves and her 15-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Verdades (by Florett As x Goya) were second with 79.800%. The pair has consolidated its status as America's number one over the past three years and showed greatness at the outdoor competitions in Wellington this winter and spring.
The darker indoor in Omaha impressed the spooky Verdades and the ride was certainly not effortless. The bay gelding is a massive powerhouse with his harness horse roots. The trot extensions were massive, the half passes the best of the day, but the passage work was too exuberant and lacked collection. In the first piaffe he showed a few backwards steps, the second was better and in the third he pulled the hocks high instead of taking the weight. The extended walk missed some true stretch and relaxation over the top line. Verdades' forté are the tempi changes which were finger-licking good. The zig zag was very solid and the pirouettes small, but there was a hiccup in the right one. If Graves will get more relaxation in her freestyle ride and the horse even more up in the bridle (with the self carriage improving) they could have a chance for the trophy on Saturday.
"Obviously I came here to win," home favourite Graves said at the press conference. "I finished second to Isabell which feels like winning. He's extremely spooky and a lot to manage in such an environment. I had two mistakes in the double coefficient movement so I'm excited for Saturday. I think anything is possible."
British Carl Hester and Jane de la Mare's 13-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Nip Tuck (by Don Ruto x Animo) were third after a generous 76.671% from the judges. While Hester definitely made the best out of the cards he was dealt today, Nip Tuck just did not appear on best form. Hester reported that "Barney" had completely lost his appetite upon arrival in the U.S.A and had not eaten properly until today. The horse looked a bit flat. The halt at entry was dead square, but the trot extensions did not flow enough and there was even some irregularity in the last one. The passage was less engaged than normal. Nip Tuck does not have the greatest understep but normally he's quick and active behind. Today he rather became croup high. The second piaffe lacked forward tendency. The extended canter was excellent though and the pirouettes nice.
"I always give him an easy ride in the Grand Prix so he's rideable on Saturday, so he's relaxed and ready to go," Hester explained. "I'll put my foot on the pedal on Saturday."
Dutchman Edward Gal and the Austrian owned 15-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Voice (by De Niro x Rohdiamant) landed a fourth place. Gal asked for much activity and expression from his stallion, which showed clearly in the big, sweeping trot half passes. Those to the right got uneven though. The passage was bouncy and well engaged, but in the piaffe the horse consistently moved the hindlegs out. Voice often had a sour expression on his face and overall the transitions were too abrupt. The canter strike off from passage was croup high and the horse had picked up the wrong lead. The extended walk had good overstep though. The extended canter lacked lengthening in the frame but there was power in the legs. The zig zag was good, the one tempi's correct but downhill. The pirouettes were small. Gal scored 74.486%.
Irish Judy Reynolds and her 15-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Vancouver K (by Jazz x Ferro) produced the expected, solid quality ride. The black gelding stands out with his springy passage work and very good sit in piaffe, even though he gets too tense in them. The trot extensions had massive ground cover but always appeared hurried. Today Vancouver K was quite restless in the mouth with a tense upper lip, but he obediently followed his rider's aids. The extended walk was a bit quick, the zig zag was a highlight. They scored 74.443% for fifth place.
Dutch Madeleine Witte-Vrees and her 10-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Cennin (by Vivaldi x Donnerhall) showed much promise and improvement. The tall chestnut stallion has always been quite numb in the mouth, but he appeared slightly better today even though he was still strong in the bridle. While the passage work stands out with massive freedom in the shoulder, the young Grand Prix horse still lacks power and he regularly lost the collection and engagement from behind. The piaffe has good potential but he still leans too much on the forehand. The trot extensions were spectacular, the extended walk is nothing else but a 10. The stallion swayed too much in the hindquarters in the tempi changes, the extended canter was impressive, the zig zag lacked ground cover to the left. A mistake in the one tempi changes pushed the score down to 73.900%.
American Kasey Perry-Glass and her 14-year old Danish warmblood gelding Gorklintgaards Dublet (by Diamond Hit x Ferro) landed seventh place. The dark bay was more quiet in the mouth and only flashed his tongue a few times in this test. The trot extensions were big, the trot half passes needed more flow and elasticity. The first piaffe-passage had a great rhythm, the extended walk convinced with its overstep but the collected got lateral after C. Dublet produced a lovely rhythm in piaffe and passage and stayed nicely up in the bridle today. The tempi changes were dead straight, the pirouettes clean. The final passage was outstanding, but the horse stalled right before the piaffe at X. They scored 73.829%.
American Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki's 10-year old Rhinelander mare Rosamunde (by Rock Forever x Fidermark) were eighth. The athletic bay mare had highs and lows in Omaha today. She produced very scopy trot half passes, but the hindquarters needed to track up more. The first piaffe had balance issues, the other two were better. Rosamunde makes herself look big and impressive in passage, but the hindlegs were trailing. The walk was the biggest problem today. She became uneven both in the extended and collected walk and got stiff in the topline. However in canter she regained her stride. The tempi changes lack straightness though and the changes to the left are often shorter, but the pirouettes are so tiny and with much lift in front. They scored 72.57%.
Russian Inessa Merkulova and her superstar, 13-year old Russian Trakehner Mister X (by Egeus) were ninth with 71.929%. The dark bay Mister X is certainly one of the best horses in Omaha, but he couldn't always show off his quality. He has much ground cover in the trot extensions, but hangs on the bit in the trot half passes. The piaffe and passage are exceptional but on the final centerline he stalled before the halt. The pirouettes have the most beautiful silhouette but in the tempi changes his rider sits unbalanced in the saddle. The extended canter was a highlight and the walk part very well ridden.
Australian Kristy Oatley and her 13-year old Hanoverian gelding Du Soleil (by De Niro x Caprimond) completed the top 10 after posting a score of 71.829%. The trot extensions were powerful, the tempi changes were good but needed to be more uphill. Du Soleil certainly has great potential in piaffe and passage but today the hindlegs needed to move more under the body in the passage and in the piaffe the balance was missing a bit. The trot half passes were nice.
Check out our image gallery below with more text and photos from today's Grand Prix. The Kur to Music is on Saturday 1 April 2017.
Text and photos by Astrid Appels - no reproduction allowed
Related Links
Scores 2017 World Cup Finals
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2016-2017 World Cup Finals