Dressage-News

WIESBADEN, Germany, June 9, 2014–Totilas and Matthias Alexander Rath put in a performance Monday that earned the pair a personal best score of 83.196 per cent in the PfingstTurnier CDI4* Grand Prix Special in their second show since returning from an absence of two years.

Matthias and the 14-year-old black stallion were awarded more than 80 per cent by all five judges in the Whitsun Monday holiday atmosphere that saw the rider smiling throughout much of the ride that puts him well on to the road to making the German team for the World Equestrian Games at Normandy, France at the end of August.

The gap between the winning combination and the rest of the field was huge–Kristian von Krusenstierna of Sweden on Biggles was second on 69.902 per cent and Germany’s Matthias Kempkes on Riccoletto third on 69.908 per cent. Matthias and Totilas (Gribaldi x Glendale) received four marks of 10 in the ride.

Matthias and Totilas won the Grand Prix on Saturday with a score of 82.800 per cent that was the second highest Grand Prix score since the pair began competing together three years ago.

Monday’s result in the Special eclipsed their previous best of 83.063 per cent the pair notched at Aachen, Germany in 2011.

“It was good,” Matthias said, “but just as in the lessons where you can score especially well with Totilas in the piaffe, passage and the transitions, we still have points we leave behind.”
left lying. ”

Nevertheless, he said, “it was probably from my feeling, the best job we’ve ever shown.”

Comparisons with other Grand Prix Special results this year are difficult as Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin that hold the world record of 88.022 per cent set in Hagen, Germany in April, 2012 have not performed the Special since the European Championships last August. Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover also have no Special results this year and neither does Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival.

Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW have the highest Grand Prix Special result of 2014 of 85.275 per cent in Dortmund, Germany in March while their Olympic team mates Kristina Sprehe and Desperados FRH posted 80.980 per cent at Hagen at the end of April.

Edward Gal’s top score with Totilas in the Grand Prix Special was 86.460 per cent at Aachen, Germany in 2010.

With the prospect of Totilas being added to a lineup of Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW and Kristina Sprehe and Desperados in Normandy, Germany could be the first nation in history with three combinations each with records of scores of at least 80 per cent.

Matthias said he hopes to compete next at Gestüt Peterhof CDI4* in Perl-Borg, Germany June 25-29, an official German WEG observation show.

Results:

GRAND PRIX SPECIAL