Isabell Werth & Weihegold Repeat as World Cup Champions, Beating America’s Laura Graves on Verdades

7 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Isabell Werth & Weihegold Repeat as World Cup Champions, Beating America’s Laura Graves on Verdades
A shout of triumph from Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD as the German superstar and her Olypic gold medal mount capture their second World Cup title. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

PARIS, April 14, 2018–Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD won the World Cup Saturday for their second straight title and a total of four, beating back a challenge from America’s Laura Graves and Verdades.

Isabell and Weiehegold scored 90.657 per cent, riding immediately after Laura and Verdades that were awarded 89.082 per cent, a personal best for the American pair following their victory in the Grand Prix Friday.

Laura Graves and Verdades performing their World Cu[p Grand Prix Freestyle. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
Isabell, the most decorated Olympic equestrian and winner of the 2017 Omaha World Cup, admitted that after she and Weihegold were beaten in the Grand Prix, she and German team coach Monica Theodorescu analyzed the ride and worked put a plan for the final.

“This is life,” she said. “A lot of people think its easy to go and win and win and win again. It’s not like that. Yesterday was not our day. Today we could solve it. That’s the reason I love to compete and it helps you to improve yourself.”

Isabell Werth holding aloft the World Cup, with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on her left and Laura Graves on the right. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Isabell, now 48 years old but who has been winning championships for three decades–her first World Cup victory in 1992 and the second in 2007–loves to make the most of the limelight. Last year, she sprayed her fellow riders on the podium, that included Laura Graves as reserve champion. This year she turned the Champagne on the photographers.

Isabell Werth giving photographers a Champagne shower after she won the World up in Paris. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Laura, 30 years old and based in the Orlando area community of Geneva, Florida admitted when she left the arena and heard her score that is a record an American as was her Grand Prix result, “I knew anything was possible. I knew I needed a score like that to have a chance.”

But she acknowledged that Isabell is a tough competitor. She had studied the German’s rides when she was growing up with Verdades that her family had bought from Holland as a foal from an online video.

“Knowing where we stand so close to the top,” Laura said of herself and Verdades, a KWPN gelding now 16 years old, “we never practice the freestyle like other tests and we need to change that. I think there are many more points to be gained in the freestyle.”

Laura and Verdades hoped to become the third American to win the World Cup, the annual individual global championship with the first Final in 1986.

The two previous winners are Debbie McDonald, now Laura’s coach, on Brentina in 2003 and Steffen Peters on Ravel in 2009.

German team rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB won bronze for the third time at a World Cup Final and with the Dutch-bred stallion now 17 years old this will his last Final. She plans to compete Unee BB in more international shows, and has not set a time for retirement.

She confessed. though, that Unee BB was in love Weihegold, a mare, so it was not wise to have him ridden in the celebratory honor round.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, the German bronze medalist, performing her horseless honor round with Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD behind her. Jessica confessed her stallion, Unee BB, is in love with Weihegold, a mare and she figured it was better to excuse him from the celebration. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Results:

World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle

Judges-K: Dr. Evi Eisenhardt (GER) E: Irina Maknami (RUS) H: Francis Verbeek (NED) C: Isabelle Judet (FRA) M: Susanne Baarup (DEN) B: Maribel Alonso (MEX) F: Janet Foy (USA)

PLACEHNRCOMPETITORNATIONKEHCMBFTOTAL
1.410Weihegold OLDIsabell WerthGER Tech.: 88.250 %84.500 %85.000 %84.250 %84.250 %86.250 %84.500 %90.657 %
66.000,00 EUR
black / 13y. / M / OLDBG / Don Schufro / Sandro Hit / 102ZI90 / Christine Arns-Krogmann Art.: 94.400 %96.400 %97.200 %92.200 %97.400 %97.400 %97.200 %
 Total 91.325 %
(1)
90.450 %
(1)
91.100 %
(1)
88.225 %
(2)
90.825 %
(1)
91.825 %
(1)
90.850 %
(1)
2.418VerdadesLaura GravesUSA Tech.: 84.250 %84.750 %84.500 %83.750 %82.250 %81.750 %83.500 %89.082 %
52.250,00 EUR
bay / 16y. / G / KWPN / Florett As / Goya / 103CK84 / Laura Graves & Curt Maes Art.: 94.200 %93.600 %96.200 %94.400 %94.000 %92.400 %97.600 %
 Total 89.225 %
(2)
89.175 %
(2)
90.350 %
(2)
89.075 %
(1)
88.125 %
(2)
87.075 %
(2)
90.550 %
(2)
3.409Unee BBJessica von Bredow-WerndlGER Tech.: 80.000 %77.250 %75.250 %81.250 %76.250 %78.250 %72.500 %83.725 %
41.250,00 EUR
bay / 17y. / S / KWPN / Gribaldi / Dageraad / 102YN67 / Bürchler-Keller, Beatrice A. Art.: 93.000 %88.200 %90.400 %90.000 %89.600 %90.000 %90.200 %
 Total 86.500 %
(3)
82.725 %
(6)
82.825 %
(4)
85.625 %
(3)
82.925 %
(4)
84.125 %
(3)
81.350 %
(5)
4.415DejaPatrik KittelSWE Tech.: 78.250 %79.250 %75.500 %80.250 %76.500 %75.750 %75.750 %83.146 %
27.600,00 EUR
bay / 14y. / M / SWB / Silvano / Don Schufro / 102ZW84 / Marie Harward Art.: 85.800 %89.400 %90.200 %88.000 %89.600 %90.000 %89.800 %
 Total 82.025 %
(5)
84.325 %
(3)
82.850 %
(3)
84.125 %
(4)
83.050 %
(3)
82.875 %
(4)
82.775 %
(3)
5.408Sammy Davis Jr.Dorothee SchneiderGER Tech.: 80.500 %76.250 %73.250 %74.750 %70.500 %74.750 %74.000 %81.843 %
22.100,00 EUR
black / 12y. / G / DSP / San Remo / Wenckstern / 105KW44 / Matthias Herbert Art.: 91.800 %90.600 %89.200 %83.800 %88.400 %89.200 %88.800 %
 Total 86.150 %
(4)
83.425 %
(4)
81.225 %
(6)
79.275 %
(8)
79.450 %
(6)
81.975 %
(6)
81.400 %
(4)
6.412CenninMadeleine Witte-VreesNED Tech.: 75.500 %77.500 %76.500 %79.250 %77.750 %78.250 %73.750 %81.336 %
16.600,00 EUR
chest / 11y. / S / KWPN / Vivaldi / Donnerhall / 104MY84 / N.F. Witte & J.E.J. Cuppen Art.: 82.000 %88.200 %88.400 %84.200 %83.200 %87.200 %87.000 %
 Total 78.750 %
(8)
82.850 %
(5)
82.450 %
(5)
81.725 %
(7)
80.475 %
(5)
82.725 %
(5)
80.375 %
(7)
7.403Blue Hors ZackDaniel Bachmann-AndersenDEN Tech.: 73.250 %76.750 %74.000 %77.500 %73.750 %75.000 %74.000 %80.532 %
11.100,00 EUR
bay / 14y. / S / KWPN / Rousseau / Jazz / 104KR71 / Blue Hors APS Art.: 84.800 %87.600 %86.200 %86.600 %85.000 %86.600 %86.400 %
 Total 79.025 %
(7)
82.175 %
(7)
80.100 %
(8)
82.050 %
(6)
79.375 %
(7)
80.800 %
(8)
80.200 %
(8)
8.411Glock’s Zonik N.O.P.Edward GalNED Tech.: 71.000 %75.750 %75.000 %79.500 %73.000 %76.500 %75.000 %79.654 %
8.350,00 EUR
bay / 10y. / S / DWB / Blue Hors Zack / Romanov / 104AW69 / GLOCK HPC Holding B.V. Art.: 78.000 %85.600 %85.800 %86.200 %80.600 %86.800 %86.400 %
 Total 74.500 %
(10)
80.675 %
(8)
80.400 %
(7)
82.850 %
(5)
76.800 %
(9)
81.650 %
(7)
80.700 %
(6)
9.414Mister XInessa MerkulovaRUS Tech.: 77.000 %75.500 %73.250 %77.250 %76.750 %76.000 %73.000 %79.139 %
5.600,00 EUR
bay / 14y. / G / TRAK / Egeus / 102YZ81 / Inessa Merkulova Art.: 84.200 %83.200 %81.800 %81.200 %81.200 %84.800 %82.800 %
 Total 80.600 %
(6)
79.350 %
(9)
77.525 %
(10)
79.225 %
(9)
78.975 %
(8)
80.400 %
(9)
77.900 %
(9)
10.419Sir Donnerhall II OLDMorgan Barbancon MestreESP Tech.: 73.250 %71.250 %71.500 %71.500 %71.500 %71.750 %72.750 %76.207 %
5.600,00 EUR
dbay / 12y. / S / OLDBG / Sandro Hit / Donnerhall / 103RO36 / Henrik Nyreroed & Sabine Kloy Art.: 81.600 %80.000 %82.800 %79.600 %79.200 %80.800 %79.400 %
 Total 77.425 %
(9)
75.625 %
(11)
77.150 %
(11)
75.550 %
(14)
75.350 %
(11)
76.275 %
(11)
76.075 %
(10)
11.407Rubins NiteHayley Watson-GreavesGBR Tech.: 68.750 %71.500 %69.000 %70.750 %70.250 %71.250 %67.750 %75.346 %
4.250,00 EUR
black / 14y. / G / BHHS / Rubin-Royal / Limbo / 103RB72 / Hayley Watson – Greaves Art.: 79.800 %82.000 %81.400 %81.000 %81.200 %82.400 %77.800 %
 Total 74.275 %
(11)
76.750 %
(10)
75.200 %
(12)
75.875 %
(13)
75.725 %
(10)
76.825 %
(10)
72.775 %
(14)
12.417DaniloShelly FrancisUSA Tech.: 66.500 %69.750 %72.750 %73.250 %70.500 %66.500 %72.000 %74.189 %
4.250,00 EUR
black / 14y. / G / HANN / De Niro / Andiamo / 103VS12 / Patricia A. Stempel Art.: 73.400 %80.000 %82.600 %81.200 %79.000 %74.000 %77.200 %
 Total 69.950 %
(17)
74.875 %
(13)
77.675 %
(9)
77.225 %
(10)
74.750 %
(12)
70.250 %
(17)
74.600 %
(11)
13.401Söhnlein Brilliant MJBelinda WeinbauerAUT Tech.: 68.750 %70.250 %68.500 %72.500 %69.500 %69.250 %68.750 %74.050 %
2.850,00 EUR
bay / 16y. / S / HANN / Shakespeare in Love / Rabino / AUT40448 / Marianne Jerich Art.: 75.200 %80.800 %81.200 %79.600 %76.400 %78.000 %78.000 %
 Total 71.975 %
(15)
75.525 %
(12)
74.850 %
(13)
76.050 %
(12)
72.950 %
(14)
73.625 %
(13)
73.375 %
(12)
14.405After YouLudovic HenryFRA Tech.: 69.750 %68.250 %67.250 %71.000 %69.250 %68.000 %67.500 %72.786 %
2.850,00 EUR
bay / 15y. / G / DSP / Abanos / Ragazzo / 103EV75 / Henry Giorgia & Ludovic & Alexandre Art.: 75.800 %78.400 %76.200 %81.400 %79.000 %74.800 %72.400 %
 Total 72.775 %
(14)
73.325 %
(15)
71.725 %
(16)
76.200 %
(11)
74.125 %
(13)
71.400 %
(16)
69.950 %
(17)
15.404Foco Loco WYvonne Losos de MunizDOM Tech.: 70.500 %70.250 %68.250 %68.250 %66.500 %69.750 %69.000 %72.679 %
1.450,00 EUR
bay / 13y. / G / BWP / V Sierappel / 104LC77 / North Holdings LTD Corp. Art.: 75.600 %77.000 %79.400 %73.800 %72.800 %79.600 %76.800 %
 Total 73.050 %
(13)
73.625 %
(14)
73.825 %
(14)
71.025 %
(16)
69.650 %
(16)
74.675 %
(12)
72.900 %
(13)
16.420ZippoPatrick van der MeerNED Tech.: 69.000 %70.250 %68.500 %69.500 %67.250 %68.750 %69.250 %72.289 %
1.450,00 EUR
chest / 14y. / G / KWPN / Rousseau / Haarlem / 103NA98 / Trainingsstal De Hoeve Art.: 72.000 %74.600 %74.200 %71.600 %67.800 %74.200 %71.800 %
 Total 74.075 %
(12)
73.125 %
(16)
72.875 %
(15)
71.900 %
(15)
70.825 %
(15)
73.000 %
(14)
70.225 %
(16)
17.402ZodiakHanna KarasiovaBLR Tech.: 69.000 %70.250 %68.500 %69.500 %67.250 %68.750 %69.250 %70.621 %
1.450,00 EUR
bay / 10y. / G / Zidane Velvet / Arulis / 103YH04 / Sergey Drazhin Art.: 72.000 %74.600 %74.200 %71.600 %67.800 %74.200 %71.800 %
 Total 70.500 %
(16)
72.425 %
(17)
71.350 %
(17)
70.550 %
(17)
67.525 %
(17)
71.475 %
(15)
70.525 %
(15)

Total: €275,000