Isabell Werth & El Santo Capture WDM Munich Grand Prix
13 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Isabell Werth & El Santo Capture WDM Munich Grand Prix
MUNICH, Germany, May 18–Isabell Werth and El Santo captured the World Dressage Masters Grand Prix Friday, and Italy’s Valentina Truppa and Eremeo del Castegna placed second with a personal best score as they gear up for the Olympics this summer.
Isabell and the 11-year-old Rhinelander gelding (Ehrentusch x Rhythme x Rhythmus) scored 77.426 per cent, their best score at Grand Prix in 10 months as the world’s most decorated dressage rider fights for a place on her fifth German Olympic team.
The 26-year-old Valentina Truppa and Eremo del Castegna, Italy’s top combination and qualified as an individual for London, scored 76.511 per cent, eclipsing the previous best for the pair of 75.106 per cent that they were awarded at the World Cup Final in ‘s-Herienbosch,The Netherlands last month in which she and the 11-year-old Italian-bred gelding (Rohdiamant x Weltgirl x Weltmeyer) came third.
Austria’s Victoria Max-Theurer and Augustin OLD were third on 75.957 per cent. Vici, also aged 26, has already been nominated by Austria for her third Olympics–she rode in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games.
British veteran Richard Davison and Hiscox Artemis also posted a personal best score of 74.404 per cent in finishing fourth, surpassing their previous high of 73.374 per cent attained just a month ago also at the World Cup Final in The Netherlands.
Hiscox Artemis (Florestan x Delphine x Delphi), a 13-year-old Westfalen gelding, has been competed by Richard at Grand Prix since the end of 2008 but the pair have not made a British championship team and are seeking one of the four places–three team and one individual–that the host nation has qualified for and are favorites for team gold.
Also Friday, Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfvén and Don Auriello won the CDI3* Olympic Grand Prix Special with 74.756 per cent with fellow nominated Olympic team mate Patrik Kittel on Silvano 71 second on 72.400 per cent and Victoria Max-Theurer on her Eichendorff 10 in third place on 71.889 per cent.
Results of the CDI5* Grand Prix: WDM Munich Grand Prix
Results of the CDI3* OGPS: Munich CDI3* Olympic Grand Prix Special
