At the first German CDI outdoor show of the 2016 Olympic season - the 2016 CDI Hagen Horses & Dreams, Germany's number one Kristina Bröring-Sprehe on Desperados, proved that she will be in charge of the German train to Rio. Scoring 82.800% in the Grand Prix on Friday 22 April 2016, Bröring-Sprehe fulfiled all expectations.
As the entire German A-squad was asked to be present in Hagen at this first team selection observation show, the CDI Hagen was destined to be an early season highlight competition and perfect barometer for checking where 2012 Olympic silver medal winning Germany stands in regards to Rio. After the Grand Prix class finished, the German team for Rio was immediately outlined. If all horses stay fit, it will be no surprise that Germany will be fielding Broring-Sprehe, Rothenberger, Werth and von Bredow-Werndl to Brazil.
After Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill ceased to be a combination at the end of 2014, Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados have been spearheading the German campaign. The duo won double individual silver at the 2015 European Championships and came closer than ever to Dujardin and Valegro, who have gradually lost a bit of their shine last year. In Hagen, the panel of judges - consisting of Alban Tissot, Susanne Baarup, Dietrich Plewa, Ghislain Fouarge, and Gustav Svalling - eagerly confirmed her leader's position.
Kristina Sprehe had her 15-year old Hanoverian stallion Desperados (by De Niro x Wolkenstein II) on the aids and in form for the show. They rode a very controlled trot tour with good extensions. The half pass left was better in regularity and scope than the one to the right. The rein back was outstanding. The first passage was not entirely even behind but the piaffe was well executed. The extended walk was very good, in the second passage the horse should have been a bit more engaged but the piaffe was again very good, on the spot and rhythmical. The canter work was very solid, with good tempi changes. There was a minor hiccup in the zig zag. Throughout the test the contact with the left snaffle was quite strong. The final centerline was beautiful and the pair finished on a generous, winning score of 82.800%.
The most exciting performance of the day came from 21-year old Sönke Rothenberger on his 9-year old show jumping bred Dutch warmblood Cosmo (by Van Gogh x Landjonker). The pair had already been a centre of attention since the 2014 European Young Riders Championships where Cosmo amazed with his fantastic basic gaits. The very sensitive and often spooky bright bay gelding has now transformed into a world class Grand Prix horse but does not yet have the mileage and self confidence in the arena. The horse is quickly distracted and was spooky in the corner at M in Hagen. In the second trot extensions he snatched his front leg and cheekily bit in his chest, but the extensions are breath taking. The passage is incredibly lightfooted and regular. The first piaffe was slightly too forward and there was a loss in the rhythm but the second and the third was well ridden. The extended walk was a bit tense. Rothenberger rode the extended canter too conservatively. The two tempi changes were super straight. In the ones the horse got a bit tight in the neck and ridden on the curb. The left pirouette was slightly big, the right one was the best of the two. If Sönke can polish the test a bit more and ride with more guts, the horse will no doubt score over 80%. In Hagen he got a well earned 78.600%
Hubertus Schmidt and the 13-year old Trakehner stallion Imperio (by Connery x Balfour xx) had the ride of a lifetime. The gorgeous bay stallion has never been a super power behind, but Schmidt has truly improved this elastic but slow horse. Imperio has incredible scope in the forequarters. His frontlegs fly in the half passes and trot extensions. The first piaffe was laboured and in passage the horse needs to be more closed in the frame and quicker behind, but he was regular. The extended canter was top class. In the two tempi changes the horse swung in the hindquarters, in the one tempi changes the left hind did not reach as far under as the right one but they were all executed. The left pirouette could be more balanced, the right one was the better one. In the final piaffe at X the right hind leg moves away from under the body but the rhythm was better. They scored 76.820%.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Beatrice Burchler-Keller's 15-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Unee BB (by Gribaldi x Dageraad) landed fourth place.The black stallion showed good crossing and ground cover in the trot half passes. The piaffes were well ridden, the passage regular but could use more understep. Extended walk was relaxed but had one hoof overstep. In the collected the horse stalled. The zig zag was a highlight but the left pirouette was slightly counter bent. Von Bredow rode a very clean, controlled test and scored 76.520%.
Danish Anna Kasprzak and her 17-year old Finnish warmblood Donnperignon (by Donnerhall x Matador) found their groove in Hagen. The trot tour was forward and expressive, the passage energetic and off the ground. The shiny liver chestnut has improved much on his biggest weak point, the piaffe, but could still enter the piaffe with more confidence and spring. The extended walk could have had more overtrack. The tempi changes were very strong, the pirouettes had much scope, but overall in canter the horse needs to be a bit more open in the throatlatch. In the final piaffe at X the horse was slightly crooked to the right. They scored 75.160%.
Text and Photos by Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2016 CDI Hagen