Nilshagen, Scholz, Oatley Take Trophies at 2021 CDI Verden

Sun, 05/09/2021 - 21:17
2021 CDI Verden
Therese Nilshagen and Dante Weltino at the 2021 CDI Verden :: Photo © LL-foto

An international mix of riders from Sweden, Germany and Australia took the three trophies to be won at the 2021 CDI Verden, the first outdoor spring CDI held on the show grounds of the Hanoverian breed society, where also the World Young Horse Championships take place. 

Nilshagen Begins Olympic Campaign

For the first time this year, Therese Nilshagen rode the Wespe family's 14-year old Oldenburg licensed stallion Dante Weltino (by Danone x Welt Hit II) into the CDI arena and claimed victory in the Grand Prix. Judged by Roudier, Hinsch, Eisenhardt, Wolters, and Rhode, this Grand Prix featured 14 combinations from 9 different countries. Four judges placed Nilshagen first, one had them fifth. Her individual scores ranged from 71.196% to 77.935%. 

In the Grand Prix Special on Sunday, the duo, which competed for Sweden at the 2017 and 2019 European Championships and 2018 World Equestrian Games, finished second with 73.936%. Again the ground jury was divided on how to assess the ride with marks ranging significantly from 70.638 to 75.319%. Nilshagen is the head rider of the stallion station in Lodbergen and trains with Klaus Balkenhol. Verden was the first step in her campaign for Swedish Olympic team selection

"It was fun to be back with Dante again! He was really excited and happy to be in the ring again. The feeling is always nice with him, but I have to admit that I really felt that the last show was long time ago," Therese told Eurodressage. "Dante was a little distracted by good looking mares at the warm up and I didn't really manage to get him 100 concentrated in the test so we had a few hiccups because of the tension, but I can't blame him after so long no show."

Therese has to carefully plan which show to go to next in order to collect the proper scores for team selection.

"We will keep on working and are looking forward for the next show," she said. "At the moment we are planning what show would be the best as the next one. Unfortunately, there are not so many to choose from. "I will do my best to get a team spot for Tokyo."

Scholz Back from Baby Break

Carina Scholz on Tarantino
German Carina Scholz (née Bachmann) is back in the saddle after a baby break, giving birth to daughter Elena on 31 January 2021.  With the 14-year old Hanoverian gelding Tarantino (by Toronto x Carbid) she made her come back in April at the CDI Hagen, where she already posted career high scores of 73.739 in the Grand Prix and 76.955% in the freestyle. 

At the CDI Verden Scholz piloted Tarantino in his second CDI of the year and confirmed their form from Hagen. They were second in the Grand Prix with 73.739%, a score identical to the one they rode at Hof Kasselmann. Also with her test, there was an almost 5% difference between the judges (70.978 - 74.783%).  In the Grand Prix Special they topped the board with 75.043, but there judge Boechmann rewarded them with 72.979%, while Rhode saw a 78.191% in that test. 

For Scholz motherhood has given a new dimension to her life as a professional dressage rider. In an interview with Dressursport Deutschland, she said, "of course everything is different, everything is new and needs to be even better organized as before, but it works out and it's going great."  Carina did not ride two weeks before giving birth and three weeks after delivering her baby, before jumping back into the saddle. "It took a while before I regained the real feeling in my body and have the right body tension again," she said Tarantino got a five-week break from training and felt rejuvenated from his walk and paddock time. 

Back to Back CDI's for Oatley

Kristy Oatley on Du Soleil
Australian Kristy Oatley rode two back-to-back CDI's these past two weeks after a long break from competition in 2020, when Kristy underwent two back surgeries in seven months time. After a long rehabilitation the Australian Olympian returned to the saddle and won three times out of four starts. 

With her number one, the 17-year old Australian team horse Du Soleil (by De Niro x Caprimond), she achieved a double victory at the CDI Zakrzow in Poland and went straight to Verden, where they were fourth in the Grand Prix (71.565%) and won the Kur to Music (76.080%). 

Oatley and Du Soleil have been members of the Australian dressage team since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. They also rode at the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha (USA) and were the sole Australian pair to make it into the Grand Prix Special at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon. This year, whoever,  fellow German based Australians Simone Pearce and cousin Lyndal Oatley are given her a run for the money as these two riders are producing. With no CDI's in Australia planned for 2021, Australian based routinier Mary Hanna has been scoring along the same lines at national shows. With Calanta she recently posted a 73.696% at the CDN Werribee and aboard Syriana she posted a 73.043% and a 72.869 % at the two CDN's at Bawley Point.

Photos © LL-foto

Related Links
Scores: 2021 CDI Verden
Photo Report: Oatleys Sweep the Board at 2021 CDI Zakrzow
Carina Scholz-Bachmann's Tarantino Tests Positive at 2020 CDI-W Zakrzow
Emma Kanerva and Eye Catcher Working Their Way Up at 2021 CDI Verden