Photo Report: Wagner Rises to the Top of the Board at the 2019 CDI Lier

Luxembourg's Nicolas Wagner rose to the top of the board in the 4* Grand Prix hosted at the 2019 CDI Lier at equestrian centre Azelhof in Belgium on 28 February - 3 March 2019.

With 31 combinations entered for the Grand Prix, the class was action packed and the highlight of Friday's competition day. 

The 27-year old Wagner and his 10-year old Hanoverian bred Quater Back Junior (by Quaterback x Bonheur) scored a winning 72.848% in the Grand Prix. The sympathetic and bouncy chestnut has impressive trot extensions but was slightly crooked to the left. The passage was very elegant, but in piaffe he still leans on the forehand. The horse is very obedient and correct in the execution of the movements but in the canter work he lost some uphill tendency and swing in the top line. The tempi changes could have been more ground covering. The pirouettes were small.  On Saturday the duo went on to win the Grand Prix Special with 75.553%.

"I the first test he felt a bit tense. He was a bit impressed by the atmosphere, but in the second test he was really nice to ride and felt comfortable. I'm really happy with the Special," Wagner told Eurodressage. 

After their shooting star debut at international Grand Prix level in 2018, Wagner and Quater Back Junior were expected to travel to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, but ended up not making the trip due to a minor colic upset three days before the departure to Tryon. They wanted to play it totally safe and did not ship the horse to the U.S.A. Their last start was in August 2018 and they returned at the CDI Le Mans in February, where they captured a first and third place. At the CDI Lier the young duo rolled along and claimed two first places. 

Quater Back Junior was originally owned by the Spanish based America Michelle Widner del Pino and sold to Wagner's mom Martine Ehlinger in 2015. They competed at the 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo and finished 10th in the 7-year old Finals. At the time Wagner was trained by Klaus Balkenhol, but now he is working with Petra Büttner. 

Dutch Anne Meulendijks certainly gave Wagner a run for his money in the Grand Prix. Aboard her 14-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Avanti (by United x Farrington) she rode a solid test, showing her horse is confirmed in all the movements, but the ride lacked accuracy. The first two piaffes were too early on the marker and traveled forward. The last piaffe had the bare minimum of steps. In the zig zag there was not enough ground cover to the left, but the two tempi changes were impressive. They scored 72.609% for second place and went on to win the Kur to Music on Sunday with 76.445%.

Diederik van Silfhout and his rising Grand Prix star Expression (by Vivaldi x Vincent) landed third place in the Grand Prix with 71.435%. The tall bright bay licensed stallion has an impressive front but moves in a "hackney" way with extreme knee action and a tight top line. In the passage the young GP star cannot muster enough power from behind and almost walks, but in piaffe the stallion showed much willingness. Expression's not so ideally built, left lower hindleg might explain the horse's difficulty with power and self carriage in many movements, but at age 10 the stallion is just at the beginning of his Grand Prix career. The pair placed second in the Kur to Music on Sunday with 75.550%.

Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED WITHOUT PERMISSION. Email us if you are interested in photos.

Related Links
Scores: 2019 CDI Lier
Photo Report: Wagner and Quater Back Junior Shine at 2018 CDI-W Mariakalnok
Van Silfhout's Expression Becomes NOP