Dressage-News

By ILSE SCHWARZ

ERMELO, Netherlands, Aug. 4, 2018–The final of the World Breeding Championships for five-year-olds Saturday was exhilarating, satisfying and filled with quality from the first to the last horse. In truth, any one of the top three could have won this year.

Revolution (Rocky Lee x Rouletto) and Andreas Helgstrand simply had the best ride on the day. Had Matthias Alexander Rath on Destacado (Desperados x Londonderry) more experience in the young horse competition world, he would have known that the finals are not the place to be conservative in the presentation. You definitely need a specific show “savvy” that is different from the Grand Prix arena.

Candy OLD (Sir Donnerhall x Fürst Heinrich) was spooked by the audience applause in the preliminary round, and she really did not want to enter for the final. I can only speculate that she would have given her rider, Eva Möller better relaxation over the back in the walk had this not happened. The final three were really the perfect mix. Revolution, the powerhouse, Candy OLD the ballerina and Destacado the complete horse.. or the gentleman.

I was impressed with how many adjectives the ground jury found to describe the 16 horses. They found appropriate new words for almost every horse… I suspect there is a thesaurus hiding in that judging booth.

As you have already gathered, the winner was the incredibly popular, highly rated powerhouse of a stallion, Revolution. This is a stallion that is all male. Absolutely stunning but so secure within himself. He stood like a rock through the awards ceremony. He met every expectation and maybe exceeded some. Let me simply quote the ground jury: “This is really a rockstar, a powerhouse. The trot has super ground cover and it is powerful, 9.8. The walk was clear, it showed ground cover, it was relaxed, 9.0. The canter. What a balance, what a ground cover. Airtime, jumps lovely under the point of gravity… can you guess?” It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was coming, 10. For the submission: Small tension in the first halt, slightly hesitant transition to the trot from the canter but everything else very good, 9.3. And for perspective, if you are really powerful, have clear gaits, supple working over the back and very well work together with your rider, the perspective is a 10.”

Did I agree with these scores? Maybe they were a little inflated, but there is no doubt about the sheer excellence of this stallion. I hope his progeny show not only his movement but his sensible character, too. At the news conference, Andreas was asked about the future of the stallion. “As you know,” he said, “everything I own is for sale, but this one is very special to me. I also owned the now triple world champion Sezuan and I feel this one is the more complete horse.”

The reality is that Revolution is already a popular breeding stallion, and this exposure to the world wide audience will only enhance that. His foals are stunning with very good gaits, so I think his value as a breeding stallion will ensure his place in the Helgstrand barn for a little longer.

Matthias was clearly thrilled at the silver medal with the stallion Destacado, who has been in his stables since he was three year old. There was also a certain gleam in his eye that suggested that may have caught the World Young Horse Championship bug. It was his first time participating in the finals and it definitely made an impression. Destacado also made an impression. A horse with three really good gaits that is just so well trained. Matthias looked so relaxed and comfortable on him for the whole test. It was a joy to watch, and the sympathetic, harmonious partnership were rewarded with a 9.4 in their submission score. The ground jury only had one word for the walk… but they repeated it three times “Wow, wow, wow!” Score, 10. Commentating judge, Maria Colliander added, “If I could have given it an 11 I would have.”

This elegant mare, partnered with the petite rider, Eva Möller, literally looked to be dancing around the arena… once they got in. Candy OLD shows the blood of her sire, Sir Donnerhall 1 by being extremely “sensitive.” Eva coped with everything with a delightful smile on her face. The mare is so exquisite, that I can understand why. Once in the arena, I think she showed us the best trot hindleg of the day, score 9.8. Again, I think the ground jury summed her up perfectly: “Lovely, light footed, absoluely charismatic ballerina. The trot is elastic, active, well under the point of gravity. Good mediums, good transiitons.” Eva got a little quick in the tempo before the first medium, the only critique of the ground jury, 9.8. “The walk shows a good rhythm and energy. A little more supple in the back, 8.6. The canter is well balanced and uphill. 9.4. In the submission, the contact in the trot is really very, very good… a good turn on the haunches.” Yes, the judges REALLY use that turn on the haunches as a significant component of the submission score. The halt was a little crooked so she had 9.4. But they loved her future in the sport, who could you not, 9.7.

Eva actually got the ride on this mare from Helen Langerhanenburg who was pregnant with her second child when qualifications started. The mare will now go back to Helen, but Eva said that she “hoped this wasn’t the last child Eva was having.”

Results:

World Breeding Championship Five-Year-Old Final