Dressage-News

MANNHEIM, Germany, April 30, 2021–Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD won the Maimarkt Turnier CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle Friday that with results on Bella Rose completed a sweep of the Big Tour.

Isabell and Weihegold, a 16-year-old Oldenburg mare, ranked No. 2 in the world, scored 86.650% for the musical performance win. The duo won the Grand Prix earlier. Isabell also was victorious on Bella Rose, her No. 1 mount, in the Grand Prix Special section of the event in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic and a recent equine herpes virus outbreak that kept spectators from being on the show grounds.

Anja Plönzke also of Germany on Tannenhof’s Fahrenheit was runner-up on a personal best 77.025%, beating the pair’s previous best of 76.825% posted in Munich 2 1/2 years ago.

Patrick van der Meer of the Netherlands on Chinook was third on 76.250%.

The next major show scheduled in Germany is in Munich in mid-May and followed in early June by the German championships at Balve that will be a key selection event for the team for the Tokyo Olympics.

Weihegold was on the gold medal team at the 2016 Olympics and swept the 2017 European Championships as well three straight World Cup Finals, equal to the record. Opportunities to set a record four consecutive World Cups have been stymied by coronavirus that led to the 2020 and 2021 Finals being canceled.

Isabell and Bella Rose led German teams to gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy and again in 2018 plus individual gold at Tryon, North Carolina and swept the 2019 European Championships.

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle