Dressage-News

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022–Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB, reigning Olympic and European champions, posted a personal best score to win the World Cup Short Grand Prix Saturday while three Danish partnerships all logged new high results at an event that appears likely to have renewed hope for the first Final in three years.

Jessica and the 15-year-old Trakehner mare, No. 1 in the world, scored 84.395% to ease past the pair’s previous best of  84.379% set at the Tokyo Olympics last July.

Isabell Werth the reigning World Cup champion from 2019 rode DSP Quantaz to runner-up on 78.553%. Isabell needs only to complete the Freestyle Sunday to earn her second result required to defend the title that she won for three straight years before coronavirus forced cancellation of the annual championship the past two years..

Three Danish combinations were stars of the event to fill third through fifth placings, all with scores above 77% that were also personal bests.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Orthilia, 17-year-old Oldenburg mare, scored 77.921% to place third and easily surpass the previous best of 75.342% rung up in October 2021.

Nanna took over competing Orthilia just over a year ago when the previous rider, Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, became pregnant. The horse had been competed by Fiona Bigwood on the British team at the 2016 Olympics and the 2015 European Championships.

Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline’s Danciera, 11-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, and ranked No. 6 in the world was just behind on 77.632%, slipping past the pair’s previous high Grand Prix result of 77.000% logged in May 2021.

Cathrine Dufour on Vamos Amigos, a 10-year-old Westfalen gelding, was fifth with a personal best score of 77.395% to smash the previous high of 73.895% set four months ago.

Cathrine, ranked No. 3 in the world on Bohemian that she competed at the Tokyo Olympics, has not competed in a World Cup Final but is ranked fifth in the Western European League and a high placing in the Freestyle Sunday could get an invitation to Leipzig, Germany April 6-10.

Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Annabelle, 14-year-old Holsteiner mare, produced a score of 76.132%, beating their previous best of 74.921% set last October, to place sixth.

The Grand Prix Freestyle that will decide points for West Europe which is allocated nine of 18 places in the Final is scheduled for Sunday.

Frederic Wandres of Germany who is currently competing at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida appears to have an unassailable lead that would send him to his first Final.

Results:

CDI-W World Cup Short Grand Prix