Richard Davison, last year's winner of the World Dressage Masters' Grand Prix Special at the CDI Munich, did it again at the 2012 edition of the Pferdeinternational in Munich: scoring highest of them all in the name-heavy starting field with riders like Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén, Patrik Kittel and Monica Theodorescu. He and his beautiful 13-year old gelding by Florestan, Hiscox Artemis, reached the scores of 73.467 % and showed the audience an almost perfect program with very few mistakes.
The second place was taken by Minna Telde, Sweden and her black stallion Santana IIII who did his first Grand Prix Special and landed on the scores of 72.911% . Third place was taken by Danish rider Lone Jörgensen with her great mover FBW De Vito on 71.22%.
Richard said before his start that his horse Hiscox Artemis never had felt as good as now. "It started in January this year. Suddenly he just exploded in talent and to be honest, his piaffe and passage tour has never been as good as now," said a very happy Richard, who also performed well in yesterday's Grand Prix and explained his start in today's Special. "I was asked to ride the Special by my team back home, to be able to have the points from a GP Special. Of course I would have loved to ride the freestyle here, but since this was a request I couldn't say no to, I agreed and now I must say, it doesn't feel bad at all."
Second placed Minna Telde from Sweden did a beautiful ride with her black stallion Santana, who performed his first Grand Prix Special ever.
"I came here with the aim to ride the Grand Prix Freestyle, so in fact I hadn't been training the Grand Prix Special program before. I had to explain him the collected walk to piaffe transition out on the warming arena just minutes before entering the ring." But for Minna Telde and her Sandro Hit-son it seemed not to make any difference. They performed fantastic and landed on the total scores of 72.911%.
Text and Photos by WDM
Related Links
Scores 2012 CDI Munich
Werth and El Santo Win WDM Grand Prix at 2012 CDI Munich
Davison on a Mission at 2012 World Dressage Masters in Munich