-- Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (no screenshots for social media!)
This article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition. Quotes provided by Horses & Dreams PR
While the international classes at the 2026 CDI Hagen were star studded with the pop stars of our sport, Hof Kasselmann also drew in the big names for the the national level Nurnberger Burgpokal and Louisdor Cup qualifier for Developing Prix St Georges and Grand Prix horses.
The CDI Hagen "Horses & Dreams" competition annually kicks off the qualification circuit for these important series which pave the way for the future of dressage. With 29 starters in the "Burgpokal" and 19 entries for the Louisdor warm-up round, the field was packed and the crowds gathered to fill the grandstand to watch these "FEI fledglings" take flight.
Eurodressage saw and photographed both qualification rounds and approved of the quality of horses in both divisions. While the judging of the Burgpokal on Saturday afternoon left much room for questioning (more on that in an upcoming article), the assessments of the combinations in the Louisdor cup made a bit more sense. Still the amount of support some riders were giving their young Grand Prix horses did not show training on the path of lightness.... yet....ideally.
The twelve highest placed riders in the warm-up round were eligible to ride the final round.
Imo Pectore Wins Louisdor Cup Finals Ticket
Imo Pectore was the price highlight of the 2025 Hof Kasselmann Hybrid Auction, selling for 150,000 euro to an investor. Wandres took over the ride on Imo Pectore (Latin "ab imo pectore" meaning "from the bottom of my heart") from boss Bianca Kasselmann last winter. She had told him he should definitely give the horse a chance, and it quickly became clear just how much potential Imo Pectore possesses. “I would have expected anything this weekend, but not that Imo would win the Louisdor here in Hagen,” said Wandres after the victory. “Hagen has been a demanding season opener for years, with huge competition. We are really proud that he has made such a strong impression here right away.”
The qualifier for the final is ridden without a whip. “This is a very demanding test. He showed an incredible amount of talent today, especially in the passages, and his strong walk is always a safe bet anyway. He has really surpassed himself.”
Wandres did not ride Terry Lan's 8-year old Hanoverian Veuve Clicquot (by Vitalis x Furst Heinrich) tin the Final round. It was with this chestnut that Frederic made the biggest impression, winning the warm-up round with 72.947%. The gelding has been trained up the levels by Frederic's life partner Lars Ligus and only in December did he take over the ride as Ligus spent the winter in Wellington, Florida. The 8-year old was spared from the finals round because of his age.
Annabel Frenzen and the 10-year old Oldenburg bred Szechuan (by Sezuan x Schufro) finished second with 71.149% while Austrian Lisa Wernitznig and Madeleine Weinter-Schulze's KWPN bred Majestic Taonga (by Toto Jr x Jazz) landed third place with 70.617%.
Eurodressage took photos of all CDI riders in Hagen. Contact us if you are interested in buying them for social media (or prints).
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