Dressage-News

LYON, France, Oct. 28, 2021–Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD pulled off victory in the World Cup Grand Prix Thursday after mistakes dropped the three-time World Cup championship pair to fourth place before recovering on the last few movements.

Isabell and Weihegold, a 16-year-old Oldenburg mare ranked No. 4 in the world, scored 78.421% for the win. As the defending titleholder from 2019–2020 and 2021 were canceled because o coronavirus–when the pair won the annual world championship for the third straight year, Isabell needs only two competitions to be invited to the Final in Leipzig, Germany next April.

Isabell and Weihegold, 2016 German Olympic team gold and individual silver medalist, also earned three golds at the 2017 European Championships and team gold and individual silver at the 2019 Europeans. The only other rider to have been champion for three straight years since the World Cup was first staged in 1986 was Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands who did it twice–1995 to 1997 on Bonfire and 2004 to 2006 on Salinero.

Isabell has not yet announced which of her four current Grand Prix horses–Bella Rose, Emilio and Quantaz are the other three–she will take to the Final.

German team mate Frederic Wandres on Duke of Britain, a14-year-old British-bred Hanoverian gelding who qualified for the Final in 2020 but missed his first appearance when the event was canceled, placed second on 75.947%.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Orthilia, 16-year-old Oldenburg mare, that were on Denmark’s bronze medal team at this year’s European Championships, were third on a personal best 75.342%.

The Freestyle to decide points in the Western European League is scheduled for Friday.

Results:

CDI-W Grand Prix

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