German Sönke Rothenberger has proven that he hasn't unlearnt the basics of the sport when he won the team championships test at the 2014 European Young Riders Championships in Arezzo, Italy, on Thursday 10 July 2014. Aboard the super talented 7-year old Cosmo, Rothenberger spearheaded the German campaign for team gold with a 75.632% personal score.
The Young Riders team test (the Prix St Georges) was judged by an international panel of judges, including Truppa (ITA), Wessels (GBR), de Wolff van Westerrode (NED), Matthiesen (DEN), and Almasy (FRA). The Young riders division became a German blitz krieg with their riders taking first, second, and fifth place. With a total team score of 221.553 points they were almost a full 3% ahead of a strong Dutch team that finished in silver medal position on 218.711 points after a 3rd, 4th and 6th place. The Danish team, led by rookie Kathrine Springborg (11th - 70.026%), grabbed the bronze (208.684 points) ahead of Asutria and Belgium who were on each others' heels with 205.789 and 205.474 points.
The 19-year old Sönke Rothenberger put his tails back on this year, returning to dressage after switching to show jumping. The very tall young rider probably brought one of the most talented horses to the show, but really had to prove his worth in a super strong field of riders. The individual medals will not be a given as many top placed team test riders have a chance at earning individual glory.
In the team test, Rothenberger had to ride at the end of the day when the weather changed from a cool summer breeze to windy autumn weather. His bright bay Dutch bred gelding (by Van Gogh x Landjonker) was impressed by the surrounding and scoping every thing out. Cosmo started off the test with very impressive trot work and outstanding trot extensions in which the difference between medium and extended trot could have been more pronounced. The rider's hands, unfortunately, were very restless throughout the test and the visible half halting and shaking of the hands diminished the quiet silhouette. Cosmo should have shown a bit more collection in trot even though he moved very cadanced and balanced from one movement into the other. The rhythm in the collected walk was clear, although right before the walk pirouettes the horse lost the 4-beat a bit. There was tension before the strike off to canter. The canter pirouettes showed good collection, one change in the four tempi didn't come through but the three tempi changes were big and straight. The extended canter was a bit conservative compared to the jaw dropping trot extensions. Rothenberger scored 75.632 with 78.290% (Wessels) as high score of 74.079% (De Wolff) as low score.
German team mate Florine Kienbaum impressed with her accuracy, routine and harmony. Her beautiful 12-year old Don Windsor is a strong mover, but has less flash than Cosmo. Still, this black gelding (by Don Cardinale x Waldstar xx) excels with his super self carriage and experience. Kienbaum rode a very self-assured, strong halt at entry, powerful trot extensions with a clear lengthening of the stride and balanced half passes. There was a slight loss of clarity in the rhythm in the collected walk, and the right turn on the haunches could have been a bit more active from behind. Don Windsor shows scopy, uphill canter pirouettes with a lovely front leg usage. In canter the horse slightly lost some sharpness to the aids and missed the aid on the first change for the four tempi changes, but Kienbaum was alert and still produced a correct line. The gelding has big sweeping flying changes but lost some power towards the end of the test and dropped a bit from the vertical. They finished second overall with 73.842% with the judges quite unanimous about the score.
The third place went to Dutch Stephanie Kooijman on the 11-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Winston (by OO Seven x Cocktail). The pair was last to go on Thursday and had to ride in the rain, but that did not deter them from producing a strong ride. The medium and extended trot were fabulous, the shoulder in right was visibly better than the left one in which Winston lost ground cover. The extended walk had two hooves overtrack but the nose could have been a bit more out. Kooijman made a mistake in the strike off to canter as Winston picked up the wrong lead. In the left pirouette the black could have kept more activity and jump from behind and for the right pirouette the horse was totally crooked in the preparation. The tempi changes were all very correctly executed but Winston jumps the right changes visibly shorter and less fluid than the left ones. With a 73.711% the Dutch duo led Team Oranje to silver. Kooijman got 72.369% from Truppa and 77.764% from Wessels
Dutch Anne Meulendijks and her talented bright bay Avanti (by United x Farrington) were on Kooijman's heels. Avanti is fantastic horse and a real star for the future, but his weak point in the team test was the walk. The 9-year old gelding has a super impressive trot with good knee action and an ever-working hind leg. The horse carries himself well on the voltes and in the lateral movements and has the poll as highest point throughout, even though the contact could be a bit lighter. In the collected walk he lost points as he became lateral before the walk pirouettes. Avanti got crooked before the strike off to canter and got hasty in the right canter pirouette, but the changes every three strides were very nice. In the line for the fours the final change was not through behind and the change at the end of the diagonal after the extended canter was early. Meulendijks scored 73.000% to finish fourth. She got 71.053% as low score (Matthiesen) and 75.789% (Truppa) as high score.
The leader after group 1 on the first day of the Young Rider team test, German Lisa Maria Klossinger and Daktari (by Donautanz x Carpaccio), finished fifth overall with 72.079%. Klossinger is a new comer to the German team but proved her worth. Her gorgeous 9-year old bay gelding Daktari is a real eye catcher with his shoulder freedom in trot. The horse showed good collection in the corners and on the short side in preparation of each movement. He had good crossing of the legs in the half passes but one extended trot was a bit hurried. The horse did lose some clarity in the 4-beat rhyhtm in the collected walk and got slightly tense. In canter there was a loss of balance in the right pirouette but the tempi changes were very uphill. The final flying change at the end of the extended canter was rushed.
Dutch routinier Jeanine Nieuwenhuis and Baldacci landed sixth place with 72.00%. Her 8-year old Havidoff x Rubiquil gelding is not such an expressive mover but earns point with a correct execution of the movements. Nieuwenhuis should have differentiated more between the medium and extended trot but the horse nicely lengthened the frame and steps. The extended walk was very nice and the tempi changes are straight as a candle. The dark bay gelding could be more still in the contact as he bounces a bit with his nose forwards and backwards.
British Olivia Oakeley and her 13-year old British bred Hanoverian gelding Donna Summer (by Dimaggio x Don Primero) showed great form in Arezzo to finish 7th with 71.158%. The chestnut gelding has amazing scope in the trot extensions and good rhythm and activity in general in trot. In the canter he loses the collection though and should develop better self-carriage and taking the weight from behind but the pirouettes were small and the extended canter explosive.
Swiss Estelle Wettstein and her tall 9-year old black gelding Friedrich der Grosse (by Florencio x Freiherr) impressed in trot with his good cadence and sweeping flying changes but he lacked a bit of collection in the tempi changes every three strides. The rider does attempts to keep the horse's head up in the bridle a bit too much with her hands though. The Swiss pair scored a well earned 70.921% with marks ranging from 68.947 (Truppa) to 73.947 (Wessels).
Dutch Denise Nekeman and her cute, small black stallion Boston (by Johnson x Quattro) slotted in ninth with 70.658%. Her 8-year old stallion is very flashy, energetic and powerful in trot but lacked some straightness in the changes in canter. The half pirouettes were well executed with the left one as best one.
Austrian Lea Elisabeth Pointinger may not have been able to produce equal flash with her seasoned 17-year old Gino (by Gardez x Adlerfarn II) compared to Boston, but the Alpine duo stood out with their nice, soft flow, accuracy and lightness. The changes were exceptionally straight and the walk was well executed. They rounded out the top 10 with a 70.263% score.
Text @ Photos © Astrid Appels / Eurodressage - - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (NO FACEBOOK!! If you want to use the photo, buy it)
Eurodressage's Astrid Appels was on the scene taking photos of all riders in Arezzo. Contact us if you are interested in photo prints, collages or albums.
Related Links
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2014 European Junior/Young Riders Championships
Scores: 2014 European Junior and Young Riders Championships