Dressage-News

‘s-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands, Mar. 10, 2018–Isabell Werth, the reigning World Cup champion, posted a personal best Grand Prix Freestyle score on Emilio to win the Dutch Masters Sunday, a month before the Paris Final. Isabell led a parade of the top seven placed combinations all posting personal best scores in the last of the events around the globe to qualify for the World Cup Final.

Isabell and the 12-year-old Westfalen gelding, ranked No. 5 in the world, scored 87.405 per cent for the victory to wrap up qualifying events around the world for the 18 starting places at the annual championship.

“Emilio certainly showed an improvement today,” she said, “he was amazing, he felt like 90 per cent!”

Isabell intends to start in Paris with Weihegold OLD on which she is ranked No. 1 in the world and took the title at Omaha, Nebraska a ear ago as well as sweeping the 2017 European Championships and team gold at the 2016 Olympics. She will be seeking her fourth World Cup title.

Edward Gal on Glock’s Zonik also logged their best result with a score of 83.875 per cent second place and earning the maximum of 20 points that clinches the pair an invitation to the French capital.

“He’s improving so fast,” Edward said. “This was only his third World Cup. There are a few little things that need improving, but he keeps surprising me.”

Paris will be the first championship for Edward and the 10-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion that have been partnered at Grand Prix since June last year. Edward was World Cup champion on Totilas in 2010.

Holland’s Madeleine Witte-Vrees and Cennin also were in the parade of personal bests with a score of 82.555 per cent for third place to assure a ticket to Paris and their second final, having competed at Omaha last year.

German team rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Zaire-E also logged a personal best on Zaire-E of 80.525 per cent to place fourth. Jessica, who has had some of her best performances on Unee BB and Zaire since returning from a baby break five months ago, will get a start in Paris for the rider’s fourth Final, all on Unee BB placing third in both Las Vegas in 2015 and Gothenburg, Sweden in 2016.

The Netherlands’ Emmelie Scholtens on Apache also posted joined the personal best list with a score of 80.215 per cent for fifth place, the first result above 80 per cent for the pair. Emmelie and the 13-year-old KWPN stallion competed in only their second event since returning to the international arena at the end of January after a six-month absence.

Anne Meulendijks and MDH Avanti in only their second Big Tour Freestyle, scored 78.235 per cent for sixth. The partnership of Anne and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding won European Young Rider Championship team gold in 2013, team silver and individual and freestyle gold at the Europeans in 2014, team silver at the inaugural Under-25 European Championships in 2016 and repeated in 2017 as well as winning individual silver but the freestyle was canceled because of faulty equipment.

Although the No. 1 Under-25 combination in the world, the 24-year-old rider and Avanti moved up to the senior ranks last month, capturing both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle at Le Mans, France.

Results:

CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle