Laura Graves On 30th Birthday Rides Verdades to Win Aachen Nations Cup Grand Prix Special
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
AACHEN, Germany, Jul22, 2017–Laura Graves celebrated her 30th birthday rode Verdades to win the World Equestrian Festival Nations Cup Grand Prix Special Saturday, beating German superstar Isabell Werth on her Olympic team gold medal mount Weihegold OLD for the first time.
Laura of Geneva, Florida and her 15-year-old KWPN gelding scored 81.824 per cent for the victory while Isabell and Weihegold, the world’s No. 1 combination, were on 81.059 per cent. The score for Laura and Verdades, ranked fourth in the world, was a personal best in the Special.
In an emotional tribute, the Deutsche Bank stadium that seats 6,500 spectators and hosts dressage at this show grounds sang “Happy Birthday,” to Laura. (Report on Team USA and rendition of Happy Birthday coming up.)
German power in dressage was on display, though, a month before the European Championships with Isabell and Weihegold placing second, and her Rio Olympic team mate Sönke Rothenberger on Cosmo third on 78.314 per cent. Dorothee Schneider who rode Sammy Davis Jr. to sixth place on 75.216 per cent was thrilled with the performance by the horse that she said was “an international nobody” just four months ago.
Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour on Cassidy, the horse she has competed through the levels from juniors, to young riders, Under-25 and the Olympics last year, were fourth on 78.118 per cent while Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K, Olympians for Ireland as well as in the Omaha World Cup Final, fifth on 75.784 per cent.
Germany, as expected, won the Nations Cup with the United States taking silver and Sweden the bronze.
The rare moment of the Stars & Stripes being raised and American national anthem played in the dressage arena was not lost on the predominantly German crowd that embraced Laura and Verdades as the best of the contest at the world’s premier horse show.
Laura and “Diddy,” as she calls the horse she has partnered since a foal bought from a video sent from the Netherlands, were performing the Special for the first time since riding on the U.S. bronze medal team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last August.
Results:
CDIO5* Nations Cup Grand Prix Special
Judges–E: Isobel Wessels H: Evi Eisenhard C: Anne Gribbons M: Annette Fransén-Iacobaeus B: Hans-Christian Matthiesen
| Pl. | NR. | RIDER OWNER | E | H | C | M | B | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORSE SEX \ COLOR \ BORN \ SIRE X SIREDAM | PERC. RANK | PERC. RANK | PERC. RANK | PERC. RANK | PERC. RANK | |||
| 1 | 385 | Laura Graves USA | 81.569 (1) | 80.000 (2) | 84.608 (2) | 79.510 (1) | 83.431 (1) | 81.824 |
| Verdades – KWPN Gelding \ Bay \ 2002 \ Florett As x Goya | ||||||||
| 2 | 387 | Isabell Werth GER | 77.451 (5) | 81.078 (1) | 85.588 (1) | 78.824 (2) | 82.353 (2) | 81.059 |
| Weihegold OLD – OLDBG Mare \ Black \ 2005 \ Don Schufro x Sandro Hit | ||||||||
| 3 | 321 | Sönke Rothenberger GER | 79.118 (3) | 77.843 (3) | 77.353 (3) | 78.529 (3) | 78.725 (4) | 78.314 |
| Cosmo 59 – KWPN Gelding \ Bay \ 2007 \ Van Gogh x Fruhling / Landjonker | ||||||||
| 4 | 307 | Cathrine Dufour DEN | 80.392 (2) | 76.373 (6) | 77.255 (4) | 77.157 (4) | 79.412 (3) | 78.118 |
| Atterupgaards Cassidy – DWB Gelding \ Chestnut \ 2003 \ Caprimond x Donnerhall | ||||||||
| 5 | 384 | Judy Reynolds IRL | 76.863 (7) | 76.863 (5) | 74.608 (5) | 75.490 (5) | 75.098 (6) | 75.784 |
| Vancouver K – KWPN Gelding \ Bay \ 2002 \ Jazz x Ferro | ||||||||
| 6 | 374 | Dorothee Schneider GER | 76.961 (6) | 77.059 (4) | 72.157 (12) | 73.725 (9) | 76.176 (5) | 75.216 |
| Sammy Davis Jr. \ Black \ 2006 \ San Remo x Wenckstern | ||||||||
| 7 | 326 | Therese Nilshagen SWE | 77.549 (4) | 72.059 (12) | 74.216 (7) | 75.294 (6) | 74.804 (7) | 74.784 |
| Dante Weltino OLD – OLDBG \ Black \ 2007 \ Danone x Welt Hit II | ||||||||
| 8 | 330 | Patrik Kittel SWE | 74.118 (10) | 73.529 (7) | 74.314 (6) | 74.314 (8) | 74.510 (8) | 74.157 |
| Delaunay – OLDBG \ Bay \ 2006 \ Dr.Doolittle x Feinbrand | ||||||||
| 9 | 373 | Adrienne Lyle USA | 74.706 (8) | 73.333 (9) | 73.137 (9) | 72.843 (10) | 74.020 (9) | 73.608 |
| Salvino – HANN \ Bay \ 2007 \ Sandro Hit x Donnerhall | ||||||||
| 10 | 301 | Claudio Castilla Ruiz ESP | 73.235 (11) | 72.353 (10) | 73.235 (8) | 72.353 (11) | 71.765 (13) | 72.588 |
| Alcaide Stallion \ Chestnut \ 2005 \ | ||||||||
| 11 | 311 | Malin Nilsson SWE | 72.059 (13) | 71.471 (15) | 72.941 (10) | 74.706 (7) | 70.294 (19) | 72.294 |
| Bon-Ami – KWPN \ Black \ 2006 \ | ||||||||
| 12 | 361 | Olivia Lagoy-Weltz USA | 72.549 (12) | 72.353 (10) | 70.980 (13) | 71.373 (13) | 73.333 (10) | 72.118 |
| Lonoir – DWB \ Bay \ 2004 \ de Noir x Loran | ||||||||
| 13 | 353 | Kasey Perry-Glass USA | 74.608 (9) | 70.588 (18) | 70.980 (13) | 69.706 (16) | 72.157 (12) | 71.608 |
| Goerklintgaards Dublet – DWB \ Bay \ 2003 \ Diamond Hit x Ferro | ||||||||
| 14 | 329 | Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez ESP | 70.686 (17) | 73.529 (7) | 72.451 (11) | 69.608 (17) | 71.569 (16) | 71.569 |
| Deep Impact 3 – HANN \ Black \ 2003 \ De Niro x Rubinstein I | ||||||||
| 15 | 390 | Patrick van der Meer NED | 71.275 (16) | 70.980 (17) | 70.098 (15) | 71.569 (12) | 72.647 (11) | 71.314 |
| Zippo – KWPN Gelding \ Chestnut \ 2004 \ Rousseau x Haarlem | ||||||||
| 16 | 360 | Emile Faurie GBR | 72.059 (13) | 70.098 (20) | 69.412 (16) | 70.980 (15) | 71.275 (17) | 70.765 |
| Lollipop 126 – HANN \ Bay \ 2004 \ Lord Sinclair I x Welt Hit I O | ||||||||
| 17 | 378 | Marcela Krinke Susmelj SUI | 70.294 (19) | 71.961 (13) | 69.020 (18) | 69.412 (18) | 71.078 (18) | 70.353 |
| Smeyers Molberg – DWB Gelding \ Bay \ 2001 \ Michellino x Rambo | ||||||||
| 18 | 359 | Agnete Kirk Thinggaard DEN | 70.098 (20) | 71.863 (14) | 69.216 (17) | 68.431 (20) | 71.667 (14) | 70.255 |
| Jojo AZ – HSH Gelding \ DarkBay \ 2003 \ Ginus x Justboy | ||||||||
| 19 | 358 | Hubertus Schmidt GER | 68.980 (25) | 70.353 (19) | 68.294 (19) | 71.235 (14) | 68.392 (23) | 69.451 |
| Imperio 3 – TRAK Stallion \ Bay \ 2003 \ Connery x Balfour xx | ||||||||
| 20 | 372 | Hayley Watson-Greaves GBR | 70.098 (20) | 69.510 (21) | 67.745 (21) | 67.941 (22) | 71.667 (14) | 69.392 |
| Rubins Nite – HANN \ Black \ 2004 \ Rubin-Royal x Limbo | ||||||||
| 21 | 375 | Anders Dahl DEN | 70.588 (18) | 71.078 (16) | 67.549 (24) | 67.745 (23) | 69.804 (22) | 69.353 |
| Selten HW – HANN Gelding \ Black \ 2004 \ Sandro Hit x Hohenstein | ||||||||
| 22 | 348 | Laurence Roos BEL | 69.216 (23) | 68.824 (22) | 68.039 (20) | 69.314 (19) | 70.000 (20) | 69.078 |
| Fil Rouge – BWP Gelding \ DarkBay \ 2005 \ Stedinger x Argentinus | ||||||||
| 23 | 366 | Inessa Merkulova RUS | 69.412 (22) | 68.235 (26) | 67.647 (23) | 68.431 (20) | 68.235 (24) | 68.392 |
| Mister X – TRAK Gelding \ Bay \ 2004 \ | ||||||||
| 24 | 310 | Daniel Bachmann Andersen DEN | 69.020 (24) | 68.529 (24) | 66.373 (26) | 67.549 (24) | 69.902 (21) | 68.275 |
| Blue Hors Don Olymbrio – KWPN \ Chestnut \ 2008 \ Jazz x Olympic Ferro | ||||||||
| 25 | 363 | Jordi Domingo Coll ESP | 72.059 (13) | 68.627 (23) | 66.176 (27) | 65.882 (26) | 66.863 (26) | 67.922 |
| Mango Statesman – HANN \ Bay \ 2007 \ | ||||||||
| 26 | 381 | Jorinde Verwimp BEL | 68.333 (26) | 68.333 (25) | 67.745 (21) | 64.902 (28) | 67.647 (25) | 67.392 |
| Tiamo – KWPN Gelding \ Bay \ 2000 \ Lester x Hemmingway | ||||||||
| 27 | 336 | Cristobal Belmonte Roldán ESP | 67.157 (27) | 67.255 (27) | 66.471 (25) | 65.000 (27) | 65.588 (27) | 66.294 |
| Diavolo II de Laubry – BWP \ DarkBay \ 2003 \ | ||||||||
| 28 | 302 | Gillian Davison GBR | 67.157 (27) | 62.843 (29) | 62.451 (29) | 66.667 (25) | 65.196 (28) | 64.863 |
| Alfranco – KWPN \ Bay \ 2005 \ Negro x Donkerbruin | ||||||||
| 29 | 323 | Jeannette Haazen NED | 65.490 (29) | 63.235 (28) | 62.647 (28) | 64.314 (29) | 61.275 (29) | 63.392 |
| Dabanos d´O4 – BWP Gelding \ Bay \ 2003 \ Abanos x Donnerschlag | ||||||||
| 30 | 356 | Marieke van der Putten NED | 62.157 (30) | 59.608 (30) | 62.451 (29) | 59.314 (30) | 57.647 (30) | 60.235 |
| Zingaro Apple – KWPN \ Bay \ 2004 \ Painted Black x Renevo |
Nations Cup Final Standings
| RANK | TEAM | GRAND PRIX | GRAND PRIX SPECIAL | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GER | 236.457 | 234.589 | 471.046 |
| 2 | USA | 222.842 | 227.550 | 450.392 |
| 3 | SWE | 216.400 | 221.235 | 437.635 |
| 4 | DEN | 218.457 | 217.726 | 436.183 |
| 5 | ESP | 214.171 | 212.079 | 426.250 |
| 6 | 209.228 | 205.020 | 414.248 | |
| 7 | 207.914 | 207.914 | ||
| 8 | BEL | 206.072 | 206.072 |
