Words Christopher Hector – Photos Rebecca Ashton and Lily Forado
What could be finer than sitting up in the grandstand, on a lovely sunny Sunday morning in Aachen, waiting to see fifteen of the world’s best horses and riders in action? That’s a factor too, with the Grand Prix and the Special team competitions, there’s a much larger list of starters which really does only underline the problem that dressage has when the gap between the very good and the rest gets wider all the time…
Malagueño
The Freestyle is the one event when the Iberian horses come into their own, even though they are getting more and more competitive in straight Grand Prix all the time. The first in is a handsome PRE stallion, Malagueño LXXXIII ( Joyero XXIV \ Dominante XVI ) ridden for Spain by Jose Daniel Martin Dockx. This is stylish riding, there’s even a 7.3 for an extended trot, not usually a PRE speciality, they well deserve the 8’s for piaffe (which is), the stallion really gets down behind the takes the weight. It’s been nice, if not outstanding, spanishey music and the crowd cheers and claps in time as they passage into a final halt. What a way to start the day… 79.235.
Steffen Peters was a player in the move to more civilised riding and he still shows that quality of elegant ease with Suppenkasper ( Spielberg \ Krack C ). The work is nice but you get the feeling nice won’t cut it today. 79.715.
Ingrid Klimke’s Hanoverian stallion , Franziskus (Fidertanz \ Alabaster) oozes power, and well deserves the 8.1 for the extended trot, but where’s the grace, where’s the harmony? Surprisingly the spectators have their local hero on a lesser score than the official judges – 77.96.
Fogoso
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Rodrigo Torres ride, in the tiny (15 x10) indoor on his family farm in the back blocks of Portugal. He rode six young horses that day, they came straight from the stable, warmed up in piaffe, and wow, horses with such brilliant balance. If it wasn’t for the problems with PIRO I would have bought one on the spot…
At the time Rodrigo was better known as a rider of Working Equitation horses, and there were a few who scoffed when I said I could easily see Rodrigo compete internationally in a 60 x 20. Well now, Rodrigo is an established campaigner and well loved on the international dressage scene.
He is riding the Lusitano gelding, Fogoso Horsecampline (Rico \ Raja). How sweetly engaged, how correct the riding, and yes, the piaffe and passage are super, the dressage world needs these horses, but I still think there is a place for a World Cup of Baroque horses, where all the movements of the classical repertoire including the airs above the ground would be welcome..
Rodrigo and Fogoso leave the arena, with the rider waving both arms above his head. It’s a far cry from the horses fleeing the arena that Julie Taylor vividly describes in her book I can’t bear to watch – though no doubt many of Julie’s persuasion will be getting totally hysterical out there in digi land, over the horse that died on the cross country (didn’t the British including the rider and owners, handle that well) and the tiny fleck of blood that eliminated Isabell and Quantaz) in the 5 star Special, and Adrianne Lyle (a rider of impeccable tact and correctness) and Salvino in the 4 Star Special. As Isabell said at the press conference, ‘shit happens’. Okay off you all go to beat up on your key boards and tell the world what a horrible person I am, and how you never read anything I write.) I am very sad we have lost a great eventer, and my heart goes out to Ros Canter, but I willing to bet anything you like Quantaz and Salvino are feeling perfectly fine…
Into the arena come Simone Pearce and Fiderdance (Fidertanz / Don Schufro). Simone says she aims for an elegant, ‘girly’ style, and that she has. Okay there are a few hiccups, the combination is a work in progress, give them a bit of time, but hey, with a score of 74.92 Sim will finish the day in front of the great Ingrid Klimke.
Therese Nilshagen’s Dante Weltino (Danone I \ Welt Hit I) takes the breath away, it’s a pity they can’t find some music as classy as the stallion. Still it is work of effortless elegance, just a few mistakes drag the score down to 80.529.
Even if all the other teams didn’t look so desperate to find horses to take to Herning, the Danes would be looking super strong, Cathrine with her choice of two, Daniel has found a horse, one that’s even tall enough for him, there’s Nanna Merrald with her choice of Zack or Orthilia, and add to that one of my faves, Heiline’s Danciera (Fürstenball / De Niro) and Carina Cassøe Krüth. Given that Fürstenball never got further than young horse classes, there was a query over whether he could produce for the Big Sport, well if he can turn out a few more like Danciera, we’ll have to start taking him very seriously as a sire.
Heiline’s Danciera
The black mare has it all, she can collect and she can extend, and has a wonderful piaffe / passage tour. 80.365.
Marshall-Bell
Daniel Bachmann’s Marshall-Bell is better in the passage today, a little more up in front, no slightly weird moves with the hind legs in passage, there’s an awesome piaffe pirouette, and it is looking more and more as if the world will be spared the sight of an eight year old competing in the Grand Prix for a World Title. Like so much of today’s music, the score is eminently forgettable. Perry Thomas (see the interview with Debbie McDonald to come, hopefully tomorrow) thought the key was to serve up something hummable, it would be physically impossible to hum any of this, computer driven tedium…
Tørveslettens Titanium RS2
As she demonstrates on her Totilas son, Tørveslettens Titanium RS2 (out of a Stedinger mare), Marieke van der Putten is one of the most tactful and correct of the Dutch riders. She doesn’t even lean back, and the gelding’s tail only gets going on the changes, the rest of the time it swings sweetly. More elevator music (actually it is more like the crashing bass favoured in my gym to get us lifting even more!) 76.605.
Frederic Wandres is such a skilled rider and he is getting everything Duke of Britain (Dimaggio / Rubinstein) has to offer, it’s precise and technically demanding to a melange of noises you never wanted to hear in the first place. 83.88.
Vamos Amigos
It has been a great day of dressage, but in truth is was all a prelude to the moment Cathrine Dufour and Vamos Amigos stroll on to the floor. The music has colour and tone, there is even a hint of a tune. I’m not sure I have ever seen a horse and rider combination, so assured, so complete, so flawless.
There is a tiny spook at the C judge but the bay is straight into a passage half pass for an 8. This is dressage as it should be. 88.375 first for technical and artistic with all the judges save Christof Umbach who only has Vamos his second best technical mark. 88.375
Last out Benni Werndl with Famoso ((Farewell III \ Welt Hit ) at last some music I can relate to, even the bass is under control, and the strings soar, voice, good voice, and the horse is in perfect synch with the music. Okay we miss his sister, Jessica, but Benjamin and Famoso have done the family Werndl proud…
Thank you Aachen for another magic day…
Famoso
