Isabell Werth & Emilio Win Salzburg World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle to Qualify for Las Vegas Final

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Isabell Werth and Emilio at Amadeus Horse Indoors World Cup. © 2019 Daniel Kaiser

SALZBURG, Austria, Dec. 8, 2019–Isabell Werth on Emilio won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday to qualify the first of her mounts for the Final in Las Vegas next April to defend the title she has won the past three years.

Fellow German Benjamin Werndl rode Daily Mirror, his 2019 Final partner, to a personal best score of 84.705% to place second but earn the maximum points available to vault to the top of the Western European standings.

Austria’s four-time Olympian Victoria Max-Theurer on Benaglio also logged a personal best 78.525% to place third. The previous best for Vici and the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding she has been competing at Big Tour since April was 76.725% at Nice, France in October.

Isabell rode the 13-year-old Westfalen gelding and ranked No. 9 in the world to a score of 85.905% for the victory and thus fulfill the requirement to complete two World Cup qualifiers to gain an automatic start at the Final of the annual world chamionship.

The German superstar has already completed one of two qualifying events on Weihegold OLD, the Olympic team gold medal mount on which she won three straight World Cup titles. This was the fifth of 11 qualifiers in Western Europe so has plenty of opportunities remaining to return to a Final with the 14-year-old Oldenburg mare on which is ranked No. 2 in the world behind her No. 1 horse, Bella Rose.

The next World Cup in Western Europe is scheduled for London Olympia Dec. 16-17 that will also be a test of a shortened Grand Prix, a different version to one tested at Olympia in 2018.

Results:

CDI-W World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle

Judges:Katrina WüstRaphael SalehThomas LangHans-Christian MatthiesenMagnus Ringmark
Final RankingScore %NationAthleteHorseEHCMBSpectators
1.85.905GERIsabell WerthEmilio 10786.70085.75086.50086.47584.10082.227 (1)
2.84.705GERBenjamin WerndlDaily Mirror 984.72585.22584.72584.10084.75082.183 (2)
3.78.525AUTVictoria Max-TheurerBenaglio78.60077.45078.47578.35079.75077.486 (3)
4.78.150GERHelen LangehanenbergAnnabelle 11077.40079.57577.10077.35079.32576.096 (5)
5.77.605FRAMorgan BarbanconSir Donnerhall II OLD78.97578.97578.15075.42576.50077.396 (4)
6.76.040NEDThamar ZweistraHexagon’s Double Dutch77.40074.75075.72577.62574.70075.683 (6)
7.75.960SWEPatrik KittelEddieni77.15074.67573.55076.65077.77573.841 (7)
8.74.455GRETheodora LivanosRobinvale74.70075.17574.15072.32575.92573.102 (10)
9.73.360AUTStefan LehfellnerFackeltanz OLD74.82572.87573.50071.80073.80073.642 (8)
10.73.310IRLAnna MerveldtEsporim74.17572.42574.70072.07573.17572.611 (11)
11.72.750AUTBelinda WeinbauerFraeulein Auguste MJ72.40071.67574.42574.32570.92573.578 (9)
12.71.795AUTTimna ZachChico 3273.30071.12571.32571.30071.92571.484 (13)
13.71.720ITAFrancesco ZazaWispering Romance69.25072.10071.30072.95073.00072.438 (12)