FEI World Championships for Young Dressage Horses
Sunday, August 03, 2008
SMALL FINAL 6 YR OLDS
The small final of the 6 year old dressage horses of the FEI World Championship in Verden was won by an impressive approved stallion. Yesterday the Westphalian Rock Forever was ‘the best of the rest’ in the 5 year old division, today Hanoverian bred and approved Dramatic was the well deserved winner of the small final for 6 year olds. Jana Freund gained no less than 8.64 with the son of Don Frederico. Together with this beautiful black stallion Belgian bred mare China Town’s Dream (8.26) and her rider Vicky Smits-Vanderhasselt took the second chance to qualify for the final which will be held tomorrow. Third and last to go to the final was Oldenburg bred Revanche de Rubin (Rubin Royal x Landadel), who received 8.18 and was presented by Juliane Brunkhorst.
Traditionally the small final is the test for those who were not placed among the top 12 horses of the first selection and therefore didn’t qualify directly for the final. The best three horses of the small final receive the last invitations to participate in the battle for the world titles. Yet, the quality of these ‘left overs’ was very good. Sometimes only a bit of tension or not enough correctness in the education stood in the way of going to the final.
The winning horse exemplified what the judges Eric Lette (Sweden), Jenny Loriston-Clarke (Great Britain), Susanne Baarup (Denmark) and Dr Dietrich Plewa (Germany) really were looking for: power in movement, a fantastic outline, length of stride, super contact and absolute regularity.
China Town’s Dream and Vicky Smits were the great surprise of the small final. Coming from a non-traditional dressage country, the pair really impressed the crowd with a light and ‘easy’ performance, very smooth and nice in rhythm.
Juliane Brunkhorst presented third placed Revanche de Rubin in a very professional way. The representative of Oldenburg showed great elasticity and rideability.
SMALL FINAL 5 YR OLDS
Three superb five year old horses were added to the starting list of the final at the FEI World Championship for Young Dressage Horses. IPS Welt-All performed very convincingly with Dutch rider Theo Hanzon (8.18) and for a long time it seemed that no horse could overtake this impressive KWPN-bred son of Diamond Hit. But at the end of the start list, Westphalian bred and approved stallion Rock Forever (Rockwell x Landstreicher) made an impressive appearance. Trotting and cantering very much off the ground and showing enormous elasticity, regularity and amplitude in walk, his German rider Oliver Oelrich deserved to win (8.54).
The third and last horse to qualify for the final through the small final was In Vita (Buddenbrock x Kennedy), ridden by Luxemburg rider Pascale Sax. This dark Trakehner beauty impressed with suppleness and rideability.
The judges Dr Vincenzo Truppa (Italy), Susanne Baarup (Denmark), Dr Patrick Collard (France) and Peter Holler (Germany) saw a lot quality, also in this group of horses that didn’t directly qualify for the final and needed a second chance. Overall the marks were higher than in the qualifying test. Moreover, this World Championship is not just about ability of the horse, the quality of the education and general rideability are at stake. The judges have to find their way in this grey area of interaction between horse and rider.
Today the small final of the six year old dressage horses precedes the final of the five year olds. Reports will be on this website.
