Thirty-four riders from sixteen nations made the 2011 CDI Verden Grand Prix held co-incidingly with the 2011 World championships for young dressage horses. It turned out to be a very interesting class as one had the possibility to see riders from foreign nations having a last form- check before the 2011 European Championships in Rotterdam in two weeks, while some of the German riders competed their young hopefuls with remarkable success.
After more than 5,5 hours of competition Isabell Werth’s result of 72.1% turned out to be the winning score in the evening. Don Johnson, who had done so well in the Burgpokal tour a year ago, has further matured and put on muscle looking an impressive Grand Prix horse now. With this 9-year-old Hanoverian (by Don Frederico x Warkant) Werth rode one of her usual tests with lots of panache. She began with impressive trot half passes in which the bay displayed his great athleticism with much overtrack. In the extended trot Don Johnson’s frontlegs come up high, but he still steps under enough from behind. The passage is regular and powerful whereas in the piaffe the Don Frederico-offspring has to become more rhythmical. Unfortunately Don Johnson made a mistake in the one tempi's which brought the mark down a bit, but it’s without a doubt another horse of Werth’s most impressive lot of youngsters which is on its way to the world elite.
For Desperados the Verden Grand Prix ring was familiar turf as he had already been there with Falk Rosenbauer. Now at age 10 the Hanoverian (by De Niro x Wolkenstein II) is competed by former Young Rider Kristina Sprehe. Though the huge stallion does not look the typical ladies’ horse Kristina has already confirmed that she can continue Rosenbauer’s success in her own way by doing extremely well in the U 25 GP- series, winning at Aachen a month ago. In Verden she decided to take part in the seniors’ GP instead of the U 25 tour, which was also a possibility. It turned out to be a good decision because Desperados has nothing to fear facing a field like that. In particular his trot work is outstanding. In the passage, which is powerful and regular, the horse now and then comes a bit deep, but the piaffe was probably the best of the whole class: Desperados piaffed like clockwork, in place and the poll at the highest point, earning him 8s and also a 9. Having 8 points less than Werth in the end, Sprehe stayed close at her heels.
A well known face for many years completed the ladies’ top three: Nadine Capellmann's former Verden auction horse, team World- and Olympic champion Elvis VA showed one of his better performances this year. The trot work of the Espri-son is still powerful and regular as is the passage. In the piaffe Elvis struggles finding a clear rhythm which dropped the marks down in this movement. The canter tour was solid. In the flying changes Elvis comes high in the air, but should be more forward to score even higher. It was a bit bad luck when on the final centreline there were loud rattles from the tent, but though Elvis shortly came a bit high in the passage he remained obedient and attentive until the final halt.
Whereas Capellmann also has Girasol for the future Christoph Koschel seems to bring up his mother’s Rostropowitsch as his Grand Prix back-up for his team horse Donnperignon. The 9-year-old stallion is a harmonious, but rather heavy bodied horse. Koschel began with an energetic trot tour in which Rostropowitsch moved with lots of impression. He showed a powerful regular passage and a satisfying piaffe. In the course of the ride the Westfalian seemed to lean a bit on the rider’s hand. The flying changes were faultless, but needed to be more off the ground. With more experience and strength Koschel might have another strong contender for CDIs in this horse. This time he came a very good 4th, one small point ahead of Jordi Domingo’s Ferro-son Prestige. The black gelding, who had been on the Spanish team for the first time at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong and missed team selection last year due to an injury, is back on the scene. He showed a safe round in which the settled and small canter pirouettes were the clear highlights.
The long Saturday afternoon had begun with a new pair on the scene, Dutch Hans-Peter Minderhoud and the Belgian warmblood stallion Whitney van’t Genthof. This massive Ferro- son was a regular member of the Belgian team with his former rider Stefan van Ingelgem before Minderhoud took the reins over in spring 2011. In Verden they put in a solid round with no major flaws in the movements, but the horse needs be more open in his frame instead of staying constantly behind the vertical. With almost 68% Minderhoud placed 6th.
Without a doubt the busiest and most hardworking rider in Verden was Germany’s Dorothee Schneider from St. Stephan Stud. Not only did she ride three horses with much success in the World championships and another 4-year-old stallion in the riding horse class, but she also took part in the Grand Prix class aboard Sven Rothenberger’s Dutch warmblood Van the Man, placing 7th with 67.76%. Like the double World Champion Asterix Van the Man also has Obelisk as his sire, but is a different type of horse with a rather narrow topline. At only 9 and taking very successfully part in the young GP-horse series earlier this season this dark bay stood by his rider in Verden.
Masterly presented by Schneider who showed him calmly in all the busy corners of the Verden Grand Prix-arena prior before entering it, Van the Man shone with his super rhythmical passage, smoothly bouncing off the ground. The piaffe was quite regular, but the frontleg action is a bit low which might influence the overall impression in this movement. It was a pity that this leggy horse didn’t manage to stay faultless in the two time flying changes, otherwise an even higher place would have been possible.
Diego OLD presented himself to the crowds on good form but the amount of spectators diminished when the 5-year-old final started in the arena nearby at 3 pm. Marion Engelen and the dark bay Oldenburg gelding always form a very elegant pair, but the rider has to take care the 11-year-old does not come behind the vertical in some movements, though the bit contact is light. Apart from the canter half passes, they executed a pleasant test, which lacked extraordinary highlights. On the other hand there were no major flaws and they ended up in a good 8th place out of 34 starters.
German Oliver Oelrich presented an interesting young horse with lots of potential. Floris, a 9-year-old Hanoverian by Emma Hindle’s GP-mount Fürstenreich and owned by Hans Stadelmayer, is an expressive horse with undeniable talent but he needs to get more experience at this highest level. Finishing ninth in the Grand Prix he even improved to a fifth place in the more demanding Special a day later.
Maria Eilberg’s wonderful long-time campaigner Two Sox finished 10th. One could feel a bit sorry for her and her father who supported the pair in the warm-up ring because while they prepared the Westfalian for his ride the national anthem was played for Michael Eilberg in the World Championship stadium. Probably Maria and Ferdi Eilberg would have liked to attend it, but the drawn starting order knew no mercy.
A year older than Two Sox is Carola Koppelmann’s long time companion, the Hanoverian Le Bo which had been bred by her family. Sired by Lauries Crusador xx the 18-year-old appeared quite fresh. Of course his notorious weak spots like the unsettled piaffe and the tendency not to be in front of the vertical will very probably not change anymore. Unfortunately he did not stay faultfree in the one tempi's. His result of only 65.06%, however, seemed a bit hard on a horse which still showed such a wonderful working ethic.
Another oldie did his final round in the rectangle on that day: Cosmopolitan, the 19 year old Holsteiner stallion by Corleone. The dark bay has been with his rider Derk Wieger de Boer, a native Dutchman, since he was a foal. According to the stadium speaker this faithful bay stallion will now enjoy his retirement after countless wins at the highest level.
One deserved horse leaving the international scene, several other young hopefuls stepping in: At Verden the obvious never-ending story of German dressage success began another chapter.
Text and Photos © Silke Rottermann - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED
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