On a Marathon Dressage Day, Come Back Stories and Firsts at 2023 CDI Kronenberg

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)
- Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED - If you are interested in them for prints or social media, email us

A week ago Friday, on 1 December 2023, equestrian centre De Peelbergen got packed to the roof as one of the most exciting winter moments was about to happen: the big international premier of British medal winning team horse Mount St. John Freestyle under Danish Olympian and medal winning team rider Cathrine Dufour. 

First Frost

The CDI Kronenberg Indoor is a very well attended CDI indoor competition with classes for young horses, all youth division, a small and a big tour. The building has a very convenient floorplan with a big warmup next to two competition ring and the bar and restaurant splitting those in the middle. Those who dressed well did not freeze inside the building even though the first snow and first had set in that starting week of December. 

With classes starting at 8 AM and running non-stop until after 10 PM, this was dressage for the hardcore, marathon men. Having just returned from Seville, Spain, where I covered SICAB, I just couldn't deal with another 7 AM wake-up call (mind you I don't go to sleep before 2 AM when I'm home in the office). So I comfortably cruised from my home to Kronenberg, an easy one-hour drive - to arrive that at a much more humane time: 10 AM. 

I paced up and down the two arena's snapping shots from the pony and junior classes, the 6-year old young horse test, and Under 25, but  became stationary to fully focus on the Grand Prix, which counted no less than 41 starters.  As soon as the Masterlist was published for this show a few weeks, I knew this event was not to be missed: so many new combinations I had never seen before and with the Olympics looming on the horizon, you can feel the tension in the air.

You Could Hear a Pin Drop

The moment everyone had been waiting for that say was seeing Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on the 14-year old Hanoverian mare Mount St. John Freestyle (by Fidermark x Donnerhall). In the summer Freestyle's owner Emma Blundell sent a shockwave through British dressage land when she announced that she had sold a half ownership share in the horse to the competition: Denmark. Dufour, her wife Rasmine Laudrup and business partners, the Zinglersen family, bought 50% in the horse, securing the ride for Cathrine.  After a 76% earning national show debut, Kronenberg was chosen as the break-out international event.

While the venue was quite noisy with people coming and going, food and drinks being served, laughter and chatting.... one could hear a pin drop when Dufour entered the arena. The edges were packed with people who wanted to witness this special moment: will this combination have Olympic individual medal potential or are they still in a gelling phase. Dufour proved her talent and skill once again and delivered a magnanimous ride. Freestyle is of course exceptionally trained by Dujardin and the mare has matured into a confident Grand Prix horse. An almost 2.5-year break from CDI showing seemed to have done the mare well as she looked happy and relaxed in her job. Less tail swooshing, less excessive foaming.

Dufour clearly rode a conservative, safe test: not pushing the horse too much in the trot extension after she flashed the front legs a bit too much in the first extension. The half passes were smooth, the passage very nice. The transition into the first piaffe was a bit stop-and-go, but stayed well on the spot, even though there was almost some backwards tendency. The extended walk had plenty of overtrack and good relaxation. The collected walk could have been more collected. The second piaffe-passage was ridden with a lot of feeling and expression. Freestyle does get very narrow at the base in piaffe but stays on the spot. Again there was some backward tendency. The pirouettes were tiny, the zig zag superb, the one tempi excellent. There was some loss of elasticity in the powerful extended canter. Overall it was a wonderful, soft and pleasing test with a happy looking horse. They scored 81.196% to win the Grand Prix. The next day they won the Special with 81.404%. Dufour has immediately thrown herself into the mix of Olympic individual medal contenders alongside Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Charlotte Fry, Nanna Skodborg Merrald, and Charlotte Dujardin.

Comeback Stories 

Polish born Anna Paprocka-Campanella switched from riding for Italy back to her native Poland now that the country secured an Olympic team slot for Paris last June. She sourced the well known, 14-year old Grand Prix horse Chrevi's Ravello at Helgstrand's sales year as her Olympic potential. The Skovens Rafael x Chrevi's Cavallo gelding was previously shown by Diana Porsche and Leida Collins-Strijk before he moved to Paprocka in The Netherland. Trained by Belgian Mariette Withages, the new duo scored 64.109% in the Grand Prix (and 66.230% in the Special the next day). It had been seven years since Anna last rode a CDI and 10 years since her last international Grand Prix test. 

Even more impressive is Richard White's recent international campaign. The 62-year old Brit is a very well known and respected dressage trainer world wide, who in April 2022 made his return to competition arena at national level in the U.K. after a 35 (!!) year break. His own and Lynda Cameron's 11-year old Lusitano gelding Heroi do Seixo (by Rubi AR x Jalisco PC) tempted him back into the show ring and it's been a year of firsts. He showed for the first time in his career at Grand Prix level and made his international show debut at the CDI Wellington Heckfield last June. Since then he has competed at the CDI Hartpury and Kronenberg was his third international in his career. He scored 67.304% in the Grand Prix and 68.362% in the Special. Richard stated "I have the best trainer in the world," referring to his wife Kyra Kyrklund.

And what about Frenchman Gilles Siauve! The 68-year old made his big return after 12 years away from the international show scene. His last Grand Prix horse was Windsor van 't Dashageveld (by Ferro x Galoubet van de Helle), which he competed in 2011. His newest equine partner is Feneton, a 10-year old Hanoverian by Foundation x Lancier, whom he premiered in Le Mans last february in the mediuym tour level. In October he moved the horse up to Grand Prix, also in Le Mans. Kronenberg was their second CDI at that level together. They posted 66.044%

The 15-year old Hanoverian breeding stallion Foundation (by Fidertanz x De Vito) made his comeback after almost two-years away from the CDI arena. Not Matthias Rath but his assistant rider, Spanish Judith Sarda Mena, presented the chunky bay stallion, who entered ring with his masculinity on full display. The testosterony horse then focused on his rider and Sarda did a good job bolstering his power. The half passes and trot extensions were nice. In piaffe and passage the horse sways in the hindquarters. The third piaffe was the best of the three. They scored 63.674%. For Sarda it's a great opportunity to gain more mileage on an experienced Grand Prix horse. 

Taking Note

Since the retirement of her French team horse Amorak, Stephanie Brieussel has not competed outside France until September 2023 when she showed at the CDI Waregem in Belgium. Kronenberg was her second cross border event of the year. While most of us were hoping to finally see Paris hopeful acquisitions Devonport, Quaterhit, Don Vito de Hus in the arena, Brieussel brought along Fellini du Soleil, a 9-year old Hanoverian by Foundation x Rubin Royal, who has been her trusted Grand Prix partners at the last few shows (Waregem, Le Mans, Kronenberg). The chestnut scored 67.152% in the Grand Prix. 

Swedish team riders Malin Wahlkamp-Nilsson and Juliette Ramel both had their hands full with their mounts. Nilsson made her team debut at the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck on Masihiro Kosaka and Patrik Kittel's Bergsjoholms Valbonne (by Zack x Epson). In Kronenberg the horse started the test well but got unsettled in the first pirouette. The score dropped to 67.000%. Ramel has been putting mileage on her young Grand Prix horse Gideon KH (by Rhodium x Krack C), the half brother to her celebrated team horse Buriel KH (by Osmium). Juliette debuted Gideon in Troisdorf in October and this was only their second show. The horse has an elegant, off the ground passage, but he was very impressed and tense in the arena. They scored 66.804%.

By the way, in general I was surprised to see so many horses that moved with uneven steps, especially in the trot extensions and half passes. It counted at least five or six in this class. No horse was rung out. 

The CDI Kronenberg Indoor is becoming more and more a fixture on the international calendar and a highly popular event with a huge starters' field across the levels. The venue is becoming one of The Netherlands' and Europe's most popular for good reason.

Eurodressage was on the scene in Kronenberg. We took photos on Friday, not of everyone, but many. If you are interested in photos for social media use or print, send us an email and you can BUY our photos. No reproduction allowed - NO SCREEN SHOTS ON INSTAGRAM!

Related Links
Scores: 2023 CDI Kronenberg
Weekend of Comebacks - Part 2: Famoso and Mount St John Freestyle
The Olympic Curtain Falls for Brazil and South Africa, Austria and France Get Team Spot