Team Holland Wins 2018 CDIO Rotterdam Nations Cup

Shows

2018 CDIO Rotterdam

The Dutch dressage team won the FEI Nations Cup leg hosted at the 2018 CDIO Rotterdam on 21 - 23 June 2018. Sweden, who is leading in the provisional nations cup ranking, placed second and team U.S.A was third.

Team Holland took a good start on Thursday winning the Grand Prix, which was unusually hosted in the B-arena in the forest instead of the main stadium as all years before. Two riders team competed in the Grand Prix Special A-final and two riders in the Kur to Music A-final. The results of the three highest scoring riders were added to the three highest Grand Prix scores to determine the end result for the Rotterdam Nations Cup leg.

Gal Leads Holland to Nations Cup Victory

Edward Gal and the Danish warmblood stallion Zonik (by Zack) won the Kur to Music with 80.075%. The pair scored well on the passage work which was quite open in the frame and energetic. In the piaffe's the horse does not properly sit behind though and in the canter work Zonik got a bit on the forehand, but Gal steered the stallion with much routine through his familiar floorplan and topped the board.

Sweden's Patrik Kittel finished second on the Swiss owned 10-year old Well Done de la Roche, riding to music based on Burlesque. The bay mare is an absolute eye catcher in the show ring with gorgeous, lightfooted gaits, but she was very high strung and tense in the freestyle, which compromised the naturalness and flow of her gaits. The pair got 77.500% from the judges.

American Steffen Peters slotted in third on Akiki Yamazaki's Rosamunde (by Rock Forever) on 77.135. The athletic bay mare could have been more closed in the frame in the passage as the hindlegs were often out, but she showed much elasticity, willingness to work and bounce in the choreography. American Kasey Perry-Glass piloted Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, shone in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Perry had her wonderful Diamond Hit offspring going like clock work in the piaffe, but the trot extensions lacked some regularity behind. They finished fourth% in the Kur with 77.060%.

‘'Zonik felt really good. In the warm-up area he reacted very strongly to Patrik Kittel’s mare and in the ring he was a bit nervous, but he carried on wonderfully," said winner Edward Gal. "I was glad we got to ride in this stadium today, because he has to get used to an atmosphere like this. We made an error in the pirouette that cost us, but I’m very pleased. There were some really good parts."

For the freestyle in the main stadium, the stands were packed. After every test, former Dutch team rider Laurens van Lieren provided his public commentary and for the Freestyle he was assisted by famous Dutch bariton Ernst Daniel Smid who gave his insights on the musical part of the test. As an outsider of the sport Smid provided succulent and strong commentary on the music and was not afraid to call out the poorer ding-a-ling compositions. His commentary provided spectators with new insights.

Nilshagen Tops Grand Prix Special Final

Swedish Therese Nilshagen and her beautiful Oldenburg stallion Dante Weltino (by Danone I x Welt Hit II) aced the Grand Prix Special A-finals on a 74.149%. The lightfooted black stallion was a bit low in the contact and could have scored even more had he stayed more up in the frame.

Dutch Hans Peter Minderhoud landed second place on the KWPN licensed stallion Dream Boy (by Vivaldi x Ferro) on 73.830%. ‘’It's the best test I’ve ridden so far with this horse," Minderhoud commented. "Dream Boy doesn’t get spooky in this entourage and he never complains, but just does his thing. I’m really happy with it."

Swedish Juliette Ramel and her talented Dutch warmblood Buriek KH (by Osmium) slotted in third with 73.596%, while Dutch Emmelie Scholtens and the KWPN stallion Apache (by UB40) were fourth with 72.298%. ‘’For me it was the first time riding here in the big arena," said Scholtens. "I forgot a part of the passage and that’s frustrating, but I’m very happy with Apache and can only be proud.’'

Pleased Dutch Team Trainer

Dutch team trainer Rien van der Schaft had plenty to celebrate in Rotterdam. ‘’There were so many highlights in Edward’s test. That’s fantastic to see, and I’d almost consider it his trademark. Hans Peter performed very well too. These guys prove that they can bring their best when the moment demands it. They really give it their all. As team captain, that makes me very happy. It feels really good when your riders are able to deliver something extra, like they have done tonight. Hats off to all four riders. Besides Apache, who is by no means old, they all have really young horses, which promises a lot for the future.''

Van der Schaft was also pleased with the Nations Cup format. ‘'This Nations Cup concept is a good thing for dressage as a sport. It ensures that you don’t just win if one rider has a score over 80%. You really need the whole team to do well. That ensures excitement in the competition right until the last moment.’' The FEI Nations Cup rankings are calculated with place points. In Thursday’s Grand Prix, the three best results per country counted towards the end result. The same applied tonight for the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle combined. Tonight, The Netherlands beat Swedes by one point.

Sweden and U.S.A Second and Third

The 2018 CDIO Rotterdam is the first of two Dutch team selection trials for the World Equestrian Games in September. The Dutch Grand Prix riders came out full force to Rotterdam, but so did Sweden with its three 2017 European Championship team riders. Team U.S.A. missed Laura Graves as team anchor, but the other four riders on the Rotterdam nations cup team are the actual WEG team candidates from which the final four will be picked.

While Steffen Peters posted the top scores for Team U.S.A. throughout the weekend, Adrienne Lyle braved her own challenges in Rotterdam. Aboard Betsy Juliano’s 11-year-old Hanoverian stallion she scored 73.913% in the Grand Prix, but Christmas came very early for her in the Special when she still got a 71.915% score for a less than perfect test. Prior to the start of the Grand Prix Special, Salvino’s noseband broke, but quick thinking from the U.S. teammates allowed the pair to fix it and get down centerline. The horse was unsettled in the contact, threw his head in the test in the transitions and the passage work was in two pieces. Lyle, however, kept her cool and made the best out of a very unfortunate situation. She finished fifth in the Special with a generous 71.915%.

“A year ago, the United States won the Nations Cup in Rotterdam with great riding on super horses and some good luck that day," said U.S. team captain Robert Dover. "This week we did not have the same luck going our way; however, the thing I will remember forever, besides our superb riders and horses, is the moment when Adrienne Lyle had the misfortune of having Salvino’s noseband snap for no apparent reason. Her teammates, all of whom are actually still competing against her for one of four cherished spots on our World Championship Team, ran to help her take off the failed noseband and in record time, only rivaled by pit crews at NASCAR events, placed a new noseband on Salvino and allowed Adrienne to go on to masterfully ride the stallion to well over 71%! It is because of times like this that I am reminded why I am so proud to be the chef d’equipe of the fabulous U.S. team!”

Photos ©