Dressage-News

LYON, France, Oct. 29, 2021–The three-time World Cup partnership of Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD won the the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Friday for the first of two results needed to go to the championship Final to seek an historic fourth straight title.

Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Orthilia set a new high score for runner-up in only second international Grand Prix Freestyle, while German team combination of Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain were third and moving to the top of the Western European League standings.

Isabell and Weihegold, a 16-year-old Oldenburg mare ranked No. 4 in the world, scored 84.910% for the win and needs only one other World Cup event to the Final in Leipzig, Germany next April. The pair is the defending titleholder from 2019–2020 and 2021 were canceled because of coronavirus. Isabell and Weihegold, 2016 German Olympic team gold and individual silver medalist, also earned three golds at the 2017 European Championships, team gold and individual silver at both the 2019 and 2021 Europeans. Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands is the only other rider to have been champion for three straight years since the World Cup was first staged in 1986. The duo did it twice–1995 to 1997 on Bonfire and 2004 to 2006 on Salinero.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Orthilia, 16-year-old Oldenburg mare, that were on Denmark’s bronze medal team at this year’s European Championships, scored 83.695% for second in only their second Big Tour musical performance. The only previous Freestyle was at the Europeans in September where they scored 78.904%.

Nanna, a trainer for the Blue Hors stud, began competing Orthilia at Big Tour this year, taking over from Agnete Kirk Thinggaard. Orthilia was acquired from Fiona Bigwood who was on the British team that won team silver at the 2016 Olympics and the 2015 European Championships.

Frederic Wandres on Duke of Britain, a 14-year-old British-bred Hanoverian gelding, earned 81.640% for third place. The German team rider and Duke of Britain moved to the top of the Western European League standings as Frederic pursues his first World Cup Final start. He qualified for the Final in 2020 but the event was canceled.

Cathrine Dufour and Vamos Amigos, a Westfalen gelding and the youngest horse in the lineup at nine years of age, was fourth on 81.135%. Cathrine, 29, won the Western European inaugural 2021-2022 event last week on Cassidy, a popular win around the world. Cathrine and the 18-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding competed at the 2016 Olympics and became a star partnership to take individual and Freestyle bronze medals at the 2017 Europeans.

Cathrine, who has never competed at a World Cup Final, now ranks second in Western Europe. The next event in the league is at Madrid in a month.

Results:

CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle