Dressage-News

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany, Feb. 20, 2016–Isabell Werth rode Weihegold OLD to a score of 80.020 per cent to win the World Cup Grand Prix Saturday and become only the second rider in the world to achieve 80 per cent at Grand Prix on two different horses.

The performance on the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare was the fifth by Isabell and the first since a deal was announced last month that Germany’s five-time Olympic gold medal rider would take over the ride ahead of the summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. To see a video of the ride, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3sjfcthg8A&feature=youtu.be

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Unee BB, team mates of Isabell at last summer’s European Championships and bronze medalist at the World Cup Final in Las Vegas last April, placed second on 75.500 per cent.

Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands on Jerich Parzival, the oldest horse in the competition at 19, was third on 74.380 per cent. Parzival, that Adelinde competed in only two shows in 2015 , was one of only six  horses in the Grand Prix Saturday born in the 20th century and is nearing the end of a Big Tour competition career that began nine years ago and racked up 123 starts for  57 wins including 80 per cent at Grand Prix on 16 occasions. Adelinde said the World Cup Final–which the pair has won twice–or the Olympics are not on the schedule at the moment.

This event was the eighth of nine World Cup qualifying events in the Western European League with the Freestyle that will count for points to go to the Final in Gothenburg, Sweden next month scheduled for Sunday.

Isabell and Weihegold were awarded first place by all five judges. Only a single mark of 10 was given, for the final centerline piaffe and awarded by Sisanne Baarup of Denmark.

“That was good,” said Isabell. “Weihegold is an incredibly uncomplicated and willing horse.”

The 46-year-old Isabell first joined the 80 per cent club on Bella Rose, the Westfalen mare now 12 years old that has been out of the competition arena with an injury since November, 2014 and achieved 80 per cent in Grand Prix twice in 2014, including at the World Games in Normandy. Isabell told dressage-news.com last month that Bella Rose has recovered from the injury and she plans to return the mare to outdoor competition in the spring.

The result in Neumünster also means she is one of only 11 riders ever to post scores of at least 80 per cent.

The only other rider to achieve 80 per cent at Grand Prix on two different horses was Edward Gal of the Netherlands who performed the feat on Totilas and Glock’s Undercover.

The previous best score for Isabell and Weihegold (Don Schufro x Sandro Hit) was 75.92 per cent at Amsterdam three weeks ago.

Beatrice Buchwald, assistant trainer to Isabell, rode Weihegold in eight of their 13 Grand Prix starts, that included five victories. Beatrice also rode the horse to the German Small Tour Championship, the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal Prix St. George Special for horses aged seven to nine years old in 2013, and the Louisdor Preis for developing Grand Prix horses in 2014.

With barely two weeks remaining for individual riders to qualify for the summer Olympics, Denmark’s Anna Kasprzak on Hoennerups Driver retired from their ride but her nation is still likely to qualify at least three and possibly four pairs to be able to send a “composite” team to Rio.

Fellow Danish team rider Agnete Kirk Thinggaard on JoJo AZ scored 72.080 per cent to tie for sixth place with Switzerland’s Marcela Krinke Susmelj on Smeyer’s Molberg, also seeking to qualify as an individual for Rio.

Poland’s Beate Stremler on Rubicon D improved her chances of going to the Olympics with a score of 72.400 per cent for fifth place as did Ireland’s Judy Reynolds on Vancouver with 71.680 per cent for ninth place.

Results:

CDI-W Grand Prix