Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

LEIPZIG, Germany, April 7, 2022–Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB posted a personal best score to win the World Cup short Grand Prix Thursday night and set the stage for the German Olympic gold medal partnership to capture their first title in the annual championship that returned after a break of two years.

Jessica and the 15-year-old Trakehner mare scored 84.793% for the victory with Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour on Vamos Amigos also recording a personal best 80.019% for runner-up.

Defending champion Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD seeking an historic fourth straight title received a mark of 79.756% for third place.

The lineup of 17 rider and horse combinations were from 12 countries–three from both Germany and Denmark, two from the United States–Ashley Holzer on Havanna and Anna Buffini on Davinia la Douce–one from Morocco, Yessin Rahmouni on All At Once and one from the Dominican Republic, Yvonne Losos de Muñiz on Aquamrijn, and the others from different European nations.

The previous high mark for Jessica and Dalera was 84.395% set last February while for Cathrine and the 10-year-old Vamos Amigos the previous best was 77.395% though she has scored as high as 83.435% on her top horse, Bohemian.

Jessica, who is pregnant with her second child and will miss the world championships in August, said she felt no pressure seeking to add a World Cup title to the double Olympic gold and a sweep of the European Championships gold medals last September.

“I’m just so happy to ride,” she said. “I’m super fit. From a sportive way, I’m a little bit sad, actually. This is the last competition, at least a big one before the (pregnancy) break.”

She plans to ride her popular La La Land Freestyle Saturday night that will decide the 2022 title for the championship that was canceled the past two years because of the Covid pandemic and an outbreak of the equine herpes virus in Europe last year.

Dalera, she said, continues to improve with probably another two years of top sport remaining. As the pair expect to perform many freestyles, she will use the time off for her pregnancy to create a new musical performance.

Cathrine said, “I was super, super happy” with the performance of Vamos Amigos that she described as being “on fire.”

The indoor arena that attracted a large crowd with virtually no restrictions started clapping during their first extended trot.

“No, no,” she recalled thinking to herself but laughing, “don’t do that.”

She has competed the horse at Big Tour only since the fall of 2020 and only two Freestyles in that time.

Although only 30 years old, Cathrine is one of the most admired international competitors who also is highly respected as a trainer extending outside her homeland.

“I think the music suits really well and it tells a story about my life at the moment,” she said. “I feel like I’m living the dream back home and I just enjoy every day with the horses and I think the music sums it up really well. It’s a really powerful Freestyle and I’m just excited to ride it. He’s still young and it’s my first World Cup Final so I’m just here to enjoy it and have fun.”

Isabell who came back to win the World Cup in Paris in 2018 after placing second in the Grand Prix to America’s Laura Graves on Verdades, made no predictions about the Freestyle to come Saturday.

She praised Weihegold as “always trying to do her best” as she did in the Grand Prix.

“I hope we can show a very good test like she deserves, and it will be pleasure to be here with a loud crowd in a competition,” said the most successful equestrian in history.

“I think it’s just great to retire her not in an empty arena, she really deserves this atmosphere, so I’m really looking forward to it and I will try to enjoy it. And of course I have the pressure of showing her as best as possible, more than ever before because it is the last one.”

The depth of Denmark’s dressage capabilities were shown by the placings in the Grand Prix.

In addition to Cathrine and Vamos Amigos, Nanna Skodborg Merrald on Atterupgaards Orthilia placed fourth on 75.752% and Carina Cassøe Krüth on Heiline’s Danciera fifth on 75.094%.

Results:

World Cup Short Grand Prix