Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

AACHEN, Germany, July 19, 2018–Laura Graves and Verdades won the Grand Prix showdown Thursday as the clear winner and to lead the United States to the top of the standings midway through the CDIO5* Nations Cup and less than two months to the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

Laura and Verdades, the 16-year-old KWPN gelding she has partnered since a foal, scored 80.606 per cent, the only pair to break the 80 per cent mark, before a crowd of 5,400 in the atmosphere-packed Deutsche Bank Stadium that claimed its share of mistakes with other combinations.

This CHIO, a virtual mini-WEG of dressage, driving, eventing, jumping and vaulting that is the premier international horse show, is also the final selection event for the United States team for the Tryon WEG.

This was the first competition for the American duo since the World Cup Final in Paris in April where they beat Isabell Werth and her world No. 1 mount Weihegold OLD in the Grand Prix and was runner-up in the freestyle.

And it was reminiscent of this same event a year ago when Laura on her 30th birthday and Verdades beat Isabell and Weihegold in the Grand Prix Special to become the pair in the world to better the world’s No. 1 since the 2016 Olympics.

Cathrine Dufour on Cassidy, one of the star combinations of the 2017 European Championships and who triumphed over Isabell and Emilio last winter, placed second on 78.494 per cent–a spook dropped their score but the 26-year-old rider said her horse that usually dislikes this arena felt happier in it than previously.

Helen Langehanenberg, in her first competition in five months and just 29 days after giving birth to her daughter, rode the American-owned Damsey FRH to third place on 77.034 per cent from the seven-member championship level ground jury.

The shock of the competition was the performance of Isabell Werth on an Emilio that broke several times in piaffes and at other points that produced a result of 72.517 per cent for 17th place. Isabell explained later she was completely mystified by the horse’s performance.

The long-awaited head-to-head showdown at this World Equestrian Festival was:

1. Laura Graves and Verdades, ranked No. 2 in the world

2. Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy ranked No. 4 in the world

17. Isabell Werth and Emilio ranked No. 3 in the world.

The terrific trio of Laura and Verdades, Olympic team bronze medal team mate Kasey Perry Glass on Dublet and 2012 Olympic rider Adrienne Lyle on Salvino produced the results that gave America the lead over Germany in the Nations Cup. The Grand Prix Special to come Saturday will decide the team competition.

All three are coached by Debbie McDonald who will become the U.S. team coach when Robert Dover retires after the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina in Septemeber.

The standings after Grand Prix–1. USA 231.988; 2. Germany 229.798; 3. Denmark 223.106; 4. Netherlands 221.087; 5. Spain 218.090, and 6. Sweden 217.532. Every day is a new day, balancing family and horses. you never know what will happen.

Laura said she was “really exceptionally pleased” with the performance of Verdades, or “Diddy” as she calls the horse that is “really, really tricky, sensitive.”

“When the horse gets to this point,” she explained, “they know the job, all the tricks. It’s training, about half points, the small details.”

Her job with Verdades, she said, was to take away the pressure he puts on himself.

“If anything he tries too hard. He’s really trusting me when I say that’s enough.”

Helen Langehanenberg, on Germany’s 2012 Olympic team and 2014 World Equestrian Games with Damon Hill, said it was her dream to show Damsey in the Nations Cup here but when she was told that would happen, “I stopped breathing for a few minutes.”

She laughed that she now has adopted special tactics with the result Thursday after a long absence–to ride less, and why train so much.

More photos will be added shortly to this report.

Separate reports on team USA and Helen Langehanenberg and Damsey will be posted shortly.

Results:

CDIO5* Grand Prix

Judges-K: Annette Fransén-Iacobaeus-SWE E: Katrina Wuest-GER H: Andrew Ralph Gardner-GBR C: Anne Gribbons-USA M: Susan Hoevenaars-AUS  B: Hans-Christian Matthiesen-DEN F: Mariette Sanders-van Gansewinkel-NED