FEI Dressage World Cup™ WEL 2019/2020: Werth pips Werndl in close contest at Salzburg

Max-Theurer finishes third on home ground

The Queen of international dressage, Germany’s Isabell Werth, continued her relentless march to the 2020 Final when winning today’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier at Salzburg in Austria.

As defending champion she only has to compete twice during the qualifying season with whichever horses she intends to take to the Final in Las Vegas, USA next April, and today’s result makes it a double of victories partnering the 13-year-old gelding Emilio in the current season. 

At Lyon, France in October the pair pinned Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle into runner-up spot, having been pipped by the British duo in the previous day’s Grand Prix. But although they kept their German counterparts Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror at bay in both competitions at the Austrian fixture this weekend, their winning margin was a relatively narrow one each time out.

At the press conference afterwards Werndl said, “this is my favourite place….being so close to Isabell!”

But the five-time title-holder who is bidding to become the first-ever four-in-a-row FEI Dressage World Cup champion was quick with her joking reply....

"I’m very happy that Ben had such a good tournament here in Salzburg and is going so well. As long as he stays like that - in second place - that’s fine by me!"

Isabell Werth (GER)

In the early stages there were smart performances from Austria’s Stefan Lehfeliner and Fackeltanz who posted 73.360, and from Ireland’s Anna Merveldt partnering Esporim. At this summer’s European Championships in Rotterdam (NED) this inexperienced 10-year-old Lusitano helped the Emerald Isle to Olympic qualification, and on his Freestyle debut today posted a solid score of 73.310. A real eye-catcher was the lovely 12-year-old Robinvale ridden by Greek 18-year-old Theodora Livanos who put 74.455 on the board, but it was Swedish star Patrik Kittel who led the way at the halfway stage on a mark of 75.680 with Eddieni.

The target-score shot up to 78.150 when 2013 series champion, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg, took her turn with the lovely mare Annabelle. But their lead didn’t last long, Werth and Emilio setting a whole new standard with another of their power-packed tests when next into the arena. It wasn’t perfect, as Werth said afterwards “there was just a little second going into piaffe”, but, as only she can, this extraordinary competitor simply turned up the heat to throw down a new target of 85.905 which brought the crowd to their feet and put it up to the rest. 

Werndl wasn’t intimidated however. He won with Daily Mirror at this venue last year, and as a partnership the pair have just been getting better and better. They finished second at the opening leg of this series in Herning seven weeks ago scoring 84.545, fifth at the third leg in Stuttgart with 80.900 and today racked up a personal-best 84.705 with a performance filled with freedom of movement, harmony and lightness. Only their piaffe was holding them back from a higher score that might well have challenged even closer for the win.

It looked set to be another German whitewash until, second-last to go, Victoria Max-Theurer and Benaglio snatched third place from Langehanenberg with a lovely performance that earned the Austrian duo a mark of 78.525 to the delight of the home spectators.

Werth is now planning to give Weihegold, the mare with which she has claimed the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title for the last three years, her second outing of the season at Amsterdam (NED) in January. And looking even further head, when asked today which of her rides she plans to take to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games she replied “the season will decide…but it’s no secret that my first choice is Bella Rose, then Weihe and Emilio”. 

Today’s result has now bounced Werndl to the top of the league table ahead of Langehanenberg in second, The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud in third and French rider Morgan Barbancon into fourth place. The next leg, at London, Olympia (GBR) on 17 December, will bring the Western European League to the halfway stage. 

Result here 

WEL Standings here 

Watch highlights here 

VIDEO - Day 4 at KWPN stallion pre-selection, 20 stallion selected for 2nd inspection

A huge Franklin collection with a total of 6 sons selected. Also 2 sons by World Champion Glamourdale were selected.

See the full list of selected stallion from day 4 here.

This very interesting stallion by Franklin / Zack was not selected. (click at the photo to watch the video)

OLD Press Release - International Christmas Party in Vechta

Photo: Christmas present for Taiwan: Final Dancer by Fidertanz - Sir Donnerhall I - Lafontaine. (gr. Feldhaus)

Customers from all over the world met for Christmas Shopping in the Oldenburg Horse Center Vechta. More than 70 percent of the auction horses of the 2nd Oldenburger Special Edition will bring joy to their new owners abroad. 

The top five for international Oldenburg fans: For the top price of 101,000 Euros, a successful participant of the Asian Games from Taiwan found an unique Christmas present in Vechta. The seven-year-old Final Dancer by Fidertanz - Sir Donnerhall I - Lafontaine is bred by Bernd Broghammer from Bösingen, and was exhibited by Nicole Hartmann from Hennef.

Second price peak for 86,000 Euros was the four-year-old parcours crack Touchdown by Toulon - Argentinus - Landadel, bred by Reinhold Schnieder from Lastrup, and exhibited by Agmenton, Estonia. This licensed stallion comes from a sportive dam line. In the future, he will compete at shows with a young talented American rider.

The third rang on the price list for 58.000 Euros was London Calling OLD by Carembar de Muze (Glock’s London) - Cordalmé Z - Grannus, bred and exhibited by Henry Gr. Macke from Uptloh. The dam of the five-year-old mare named Walmeria II is sister of two licensed stallions, including the in 1.55 m courses successful Clemence under Rolf Moormann. 

The price list was followed by the strong-moving Veuve Clicquot by Vivaldi - Stedinger - Rotspon, bred by Thore Kockerols from Bremen, and exhibited by Perkovic Equestrian Investments, Bremen. The magnificent mare will move for 53.000 Euros to a renowned dressage stable in Sweden.  

Canadian dressage rider Evi Strasser will celebrate a very special Christmas party. For 52.000 Euros she secured the finalist of the German Championships Vive la Vie OLD by Honoré du Soir/Trak. - Detroit - Rohdiamant, bred by Bodo Willms from Oldenburg, and exhibited by the owner group BTWW from Oldenburg. 

Oldenburg fans from abroad purchased 15 of the 21 horses. The Oldenburg horses will bring joy to their new owners in Belgium (3), Sweden (3), Canada (2), Netherlands (2), Austria (1), Ireland (1), Spain (1), Taiwan (1), and in the USA (1). The 2nd Oldenburger Special Edition shone with an average price of around 34,000 Euros and total sales of 712,000 Euros.

VIDEO - Werth and Werndl in strong battle for today's CDI-W Grand Prix victory in Salzburg

When Werth and one of her top horses are showing their best they are difficult to beat

For today’s World Cup Grand Prix Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror showed a very strong test without any technical issues, just the first piaffe which became a bit to much forward travelling, while the two subsequent were nice at the spot. Personal best with well deserved 77,717%.

Following the running scores Werth and Werndl were very close to each other all the way, and at the centerline before the two pirouettes they were equal with 77,323%, but with two super pirouettes especially the 2nd for Werth she just pulled off some extra points, and with a strong final her score was 78,957%.

More Personal Best

Morgan Barbancon with Sir Donnerhall II showed their best ever piaffe tours, more activity and obedience with better flow for the transitions. Personal best score 72,304% and placed 3rd.

Placed 6th today was the only 18 year old Theodora Livanos from Greece showing the 12 year old Robinvale with good power and expression all the way. It was just their just fourth international Grand Prix and today with personal best 69,370%. Robinvale is former ridden by Swiss rider Birgit Pläge as was her European Championship horse last year.

Not Kittels day

Swedish Patrik Kittel in an unfamiliar position today with “just” 68,216% and out the placements. Kittel was at start with the 10 year old gelding Eddieni by Johnson / Negro, as he recently has taken over the ride from his stable rider Malin Wahlkamp-Nilsson while she is pregnant with her first child. Lots of errors for the entire canter tour and the best explanation from Kittel himself here below 😂

Full results here.

Here you can watch the entire Grand Prix test.

VIDEOS - Day 3 at KWPN stallion pre-selection, 16 stallion selected for 2nd inspection

No 373 absolute high light of day 3 (click at the photos to watch video).

List of selected stallion day 3.

Danish Warmblood stallions ready for pre-selection 15 & 18 December

Stallions ready for pre-selection at Vallensbæk 15 December

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Stallions ready for pre-selection at Vilhelmsborg 18 December

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Clinic til Dansk Varmblods hingstekåring 2020 - "Den komplette hest - kunsten at udvikle"

Hingstekåringen 2020 bliver jo med et gennemgående Olympisk tema og det afspejler torsdagens clinic naturligvis også med temaet “One moment in time” - to unge mænd med en mission

Vores alle sammens spanske internationale top rytter Severo Jurado Lopez og australske Will Rogers vil være vores værter i 2020 udgaven af torsdag aftens clinic den 5. marts 2020.

Severo og Will er jo begge velkendte og højt respekterede i hele verden, og kombinationen af Severo´s erfaring fra uddannelse af hesten i sadlen, sammen med Will´s erfaring omkring opstart og videreudvikling af den unge hest fra jorden, bringer de to eksperter sammen til denne særlige clinic aften.

Vidste du at Severo og Will gennem mere end et år har arbejdet sammen, dels for at lære og inspirere hinanden i den daglige træning med det fælles mål at træne og udvikle den komplette hest? Deres fælles mission er at uddanne den enkelte hest både mentalt og fysisk, for dermed at kunne udvikle dens fulde potentiale.

Under clinic´en vil Severo og Will forklare deres forskellige vinkler på hvordan de griber hver enkelt hest an, og de vil selvfølgelig vise hvordan de både arbejder sammen og individuelt med hestene.

• Hvad fokuserer Severo på når han sidder I sadlen på en ung hest for første gang?

• Hvad fokuserer Will på når han møder den unge heste på jorden for første gang?

• Hvilken adfærd er nemmest at takle, og vil de være istand til at læse hesten første gang de møder den?

Aftenen byder på meget mere end uddannelse af hestene, publikum får også direkte indsigt I hvordan Severo og Will arbejder med deres passion i dagligdagen, og vi får mulighed for at komme med i deres særlige hesteunivers.

Hvis man spørger Severo og Will om der findes “den komplette hest”, så siger de begge uden at blinke Valegro. Den måde som Valegro var I stand til at gå ad midten til OL, med fuld fokus og top power, til at kunne være hygge onkel midt I Central Park I New York, hvor alle hans fans kunne klappe ham, og være ugentlig turhest for en dame sidst i 70´erne - det er den ultimative komplette hest iflg. Severo og Will.

Severo og Will fortæller også at vi godt kan glæde os til mere end en almindelig clinic aften, da de allerede nu har et par overraskelser i tankerne.

Følg “danskvarmblodshingstekaaring” på Instagram, efter Nytår er Severo og Will klar til bl.a. Q&A (spørgsmål og svar), og video klip hvor de vil løfte sløret for små dele af deres program for clinic aftenen.

KØB ALLEREDE DIN BILLET I DAG - LINK.

Clinic at Danish Warmblood stallion show 2020 "A complete horse - the art of preparation"

One moment in time - two young men with a mission

Spanish international top rider Severo Jurado Lopez and Australian horseman Will Rogers will be our hosts at the 2020 edition of Danish Warmblood stallion show clinic, taking place Thursday 5 March 2020.

Severo and Will are wellknown and highly respected around the World, and the combination of Severo´s knowledge from educating the horse in saddle, with Will´s knowledge starting the education from the ground brings the two experts together for this special clinic evening.

Did you know that Severo and Will actually has been working together for more than a year, learning and inspiring each other towards developing the complete horse? Their common mission is to develop every single horse both mentally and physically in order to reach the full potential.

During the night Will and Severo will explain about their different ways of approaching each horse, and they will of course show how they work together and individually with the horses.

• What does Severo focus on when sitting in the saddle of a young horse for the first time?

• What does Will focus on meeting the young horse at the ground for the first time?

• Which behaviour is easy to handle, and will they be able to fully “read” the horse at first try/handling?

This evening will be much more than development and education of horses, it will also be a possibility to experience two hard working and very dedicated horse people bringing everyone into their daily horse universe.

Asking Severo and Will about which horse they see as “a complete horse”, they say at the same time without hesitation Valegro. The way Valegro was able to at one moment enter the Olympic centerline with full focus and full power to the moments meeting his fans in the middel of Central Park, New York all being able to pat him, and also doing his weekly hacking with a lady in her late 70´s - this is a complete horse.

Severo and Will are ready with a mission - they want to share their experiences with all of us, and surprises will for sure be part of this special clinic evening.

Follow “danskvarmblodshingstekaaring” at Instagram, after New Year Severo and Will are ready with a Q&A session, and video clip where they will reveal small parts from their program for the clinic.

Purchase your tickets today - LINK

Hvem passer hvilke pladser i DV´s sekretariat og på Vilhelmsborg

Nyhed på Varmblod.dk 2.12.2019

Personaleændringer og Omstruktureringer

Der er stor travlhed på Dansk Varmblods sekretariat, og direktør Casper Cassøe har mange dage med møder udenfor huset. Derfor sker der en omstrukturing på sekretariatet.

– Mange kender flere af de ansatte på sekretariatet og flere opdager muligvis at nye kommer til personalerækken, og det er der en enkel forklaring på – Vi har meget at lave, indleder direktør for Dansk Varmblod, Casper Cassøe.

I praksis arbejder de ansatte på sekretariatet med opgaver, der enten relaterer sig til avlen/medlemsservice, markedsføring eller økonomi. Og det er nu besluttet, at den opdeling skal tydeliggøres både internt og i forhold til medlemmerne.

– Vi har følt, at det er tid til at kridte linjerne op, også i forhold til omverdenen. Min souschef og arrangementschef Susanne Hvid og jeg har rigtig meget at lave. Og vi må bare sande, at vi ikke kan nå hele vejen rundt – altid. Derfor skal vi på sekretariatet bære stærkere og bredere, forklarer Casper. Dette også set i lyset af, at Casper og Dansk Varmblods sekretariat får administrative opgaver i forbindelse med VM i Herning i 2022 i lighed med de opgaver, sekretariatet løser for World Cup Herning.

– Den nye organisation er en naturlig følge af, at vi har fået så mange flere opgaver end tidligere, forretningen er blevet så meget større, indleder Dansk Varmblods formand Jan Pedersen, og han fortsætter: – Vi har derfor valgt at give nøglemedarbejdere større ansvar og mere kompetence. Jeg tror, det vil vise sig at være en effektiv organisationsstruktur, der afhænger af, at man er god til at kommunikere på tværs af organisationen, men det forventer jeg, at man kan, slutter Jan Pedersen.

Organisationsændring

Den nye organisationsændring vil træde i kraft pr. 1. december, med en måned, hvor tingene lige skal falde på plads og finde det rette leje. Og så forventer Casper, at den nye struktur vil være fuldt implementeret ved årsskiftet.

Sekretariatet bliver opdelt i afdelinger, og vigtigst af alt i alle afdelinger er medlemsservice:

Avl og medlemsservice, med avlskonsulent Karina Christiansen som afdelingsleder og med Christina Brogaard Lund og Lene Rasmussen i samme afdeling, begge med stor erfaring og styrke netop på dette område. Christina kommer fortsat til at arbejde primært med hoppe- og hingstekåring samt med WBFSH, der ligger under denne afdeling, mens Lene fortsat vil sidde med ansøgninger om brug af udenlandsk hingst, hingsteliste, følskuer, egnethedstester og unghestechampionat. Som medlemmerne kender det i dag.

Marketing og auktion, med marketingchef Louise Ringsbo som afdelingsleder. Louise har udfyldt den opgave de seneste par år, og det har styrket forbundets profil og givet noget nytænkning i forhold til markedsføring. I den afdeling vil de udadvendte aktiviteter også ligge, som f.eks. planlægningen af fejringen af H.K.H. Prinsesse Benediktes fødselsdag på Koldinghus sidste år. Josefine Gade, der har været ansat i et vikariat, bliver nu fastansat og tilknyttet denne afdeling. Sammen med Lene får hun en større rolle i forhold til afviklingen af følskuer og egnethedstest, med fokus på marketing og SoMe. Praktikanter vil også typisk høre ind under denne afdeling, som det nu er tilfældet med Mathilde Feidenhansl.

Bogholderiet bliver fortsat styret af Lise Willemann og nyansatte Mette Kristensen, som bl.a. står for at implementere nyt regnskabssystem og medlemsdatabase. Mette vil også komme til at stå for implementeringen af DV Event, og hun er set som Lises efterfølger, når hun går på en seniorordning.

 Souschef og arrangementschef Susanne Hvid og direktør Casper Cassøe kører et tæt parløb på de store arrangementer, og da Susanne har fået tiltagende mere arbejde med de store arrangementer, vil hun blive trukket væk fra projekterne, hvor lederne i de enkelte afdelinger nu skal tage en langt større del af ansvaret i det daglige.

Også i forhold til det daglige arbejde på Vilhelmsborg bliver der ændringer. Arrangementskoordinator Heide Gautschi har valgt at opsige sin stilling, og hendes job vil i fremtiden bliver varetaget af Monica Forrest. – Monica har været en vigtig del af arbejdet på kontoret, og det vil hun i høj grad fortsat være, men dog i sin nye rolle som arrangementschef for Vilhelmsborg. Vi ønsker Heidi alt det bedste i fremtiden, og så glæder jeg mig til at se Monica udfylde den nye rolle.

– Jeg kan mærke, at det er vigtigt for de ansatte på sekretariatet, at vi lige havde behov for at stoppe op og præcisere, hvor tingene hører hjemme, og hvem der har ansvaret. Det gør det langt lettere at løse opgaverne, også når jeg er så meget ude af kontoret til møder, som det er tilfældet, forklarer Casper Cassøe.

VIDEOS - Day 2 at KWPN stallion pre-selection - 22 stallions selected for 2nd inspection

Best two stallion from day 2:

Also stallions selected to keep an eye on:

Not selected by still very interesting stallion from H2R point of view:

See the full list of stallions selected day 2 HERE.

Zonik gelding sold for top price at 22.000 British pounds (about 26.000 euros) at yesterday's Addington Elite Sale

Zonik - Goethe - Silvano N / 3 year old gelding

H2R top horse sold for 18.000 GBP - Vitalis / Jazz 4 yr old gelding, and Diatano / Laudabilis 4yr old gelding sold for 14.000 GBP.

VIDEOS - Day 1 at KWPN stallion pre-selection with 19 stallions selected for 2nd inspection

H2R picked a few stallions from today’s selection, where no 547 was the top high light of the day.

(Click at the photo to watch the presentation)

Not selected but still a very interesting stallion with lovely angle from behind. (Video not available here but can be found at clipmyhorse archive).

Addington Elite Sales with a top Vitalis boy - the auction is tonight

Another top star by Vitalis for tonights Addington Elite Sales

No 29 by Vitalis / Jazz

Check out the live presentation from yesterday here.

Also no 18 by Zonik / Goethe and no 19 by Diatano / Laudabilis looks like interesting horses for further education.

VIDEO - Dufour & Cassidy winner, personal best, Danish record freestyle performance test

Cathrine Dufour & Atterupgaards Cassidy - photo credit: Lily Forado

​Press Release - Cathrine Dufour crowned SAAB Top 10 Dressage champion in Stockholm

Spectacular prize giving ceremony in the Friends Arena in Stockholm. Isabell Werth (GER), Cathrine Dufour (DEN) and Patrik Kittel (SWE). Photo credit: Roland Thunholm

Eight riders over 80 percent, six personal bests and a new champion. What a final the SAAB Top 10 Dressage in Stockholm turned out to be!

Cathrine Dufour (DEN), riding Atterupgaards Cassidy, could hardly believe what she saw when the results came up after her ride. 89.445 percent is not only a new personal best for Dufour, it is also the winning score in a SAAB Top 10 final, with 0.1 percent! 

- I thought; is this really happening. The numbers were coming in and the results were flipping between me and Isabell in the top, says Dufour.

- This is of course huge for me and I’m so happy with my little chestnut pony. He’s 17 and people ask me if I will retire him, but he loves to compete and I think he really showed that today - nope, this is not the day. 

Isabell Werth (GER) is runner up in the freestyle with 89.310. She is happy with her horse Weihegold OLD.
- I’m super happy with “Weihe” today. She didn’t make any mistakes, but this time it wasn’t my luck with the numbers. I think this is really good sport. When we are this close it gets really exciting.

Home rider Patrik Kittel (SWE), produced not only a personal best, but also a new Swedish record in Grand Prix Freestyle: 86,115% with Well Done de la Roche CMF.
- I’m so happy, not only for me, but for this whole competition and what we have built together with Saab. Six riders produced personal bests here today. And everybody who goes into the arena wants to win. This is top sport and how dressage should be; the public leaving the arena wanting to see more.

Full results

FEI Press Release - Schneider makes it three-in-a-row for Germany when topping Madrid leg with cheeky Sammy

Dorothee Schneider secured the third successive German victory in this season’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League when coming out on top with DSP Sammy Davis Jr. in Madrid, Spain today. (FEI/Thomas Reiner)

Castilla Ruiz and Alcaide are runners-up again for Spain; Netherlands’ Minderhoud moves to top of League table

Dorothee Schneider secured the third successive German victory in this season’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League when coming out on top with DSP Sammy Davis Jr. in Madrid, Spain today where Claudio Castilla Ruiz (Alcaide) lined up second for the host nation ahead of The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud (Glock’s Zinardi) in third.

At the opening leg of the 2019/2020 qualifying series in Herning, Denmark in October it was the home side’s Cathrine Dufour who reigned supreme, but Schneider’s compatriot’s Isabell Werth and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl dominated at the next two rounds. Today Schneider made it a back-to-back German hat-trick, but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the partnership whose record includes European team gold in 2017, World Championship team gold in 2018 and a fifth-place finish at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Paris (FRA) three years ago. Because Sammy was really on his toes this evening….

“He was very good in the Grand Prix yesterday, but in the beginning of the Freestyle today he felt really fresh and we made one mistake in the extended trot and then in the two-tempis", Schneider said.

"I know him so very long now, I’ve been riding him for five years and he has a lot of his own ideas about how we should be doing things! But that’s one of the reasons I love him - he has so much character, we have a great feeling together and he just keeps getting better all the time!”

Dorothee Schneider (GER)

Spain was well-represented with five starters in the 13-strong field, and it was Jose Daniel Martin Dockx and Manchego Arb who were in the lead on a score of 73.265 at the halfway stage. But fellow-countryman Juan Matute Guimon steered Don Diego out in front as the final group of competitors took their turn, only for his mark of 74.460 to be immediately overtaken by Great Britain’s Richard Davison and Bubblingh who put 74.615 on the board.

Castilla Ruiz blew the competition wide open however with a spectacular ride on his handsome 14-year-old stallion Alcaide when fifth-last to go. When Madrid joined the Western European League series for the first time last year this pair wowed the home crowd with a really enjoyable performance to take runner-up spot behind Spanish legend Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Delgado. And they didn’t disappoint this time out either. Once again kicking off their floorplan with one-handed one-tempi changes, and consistently producing quality piaffe/passage, they completed with a confident final halt to raise the bar all the way up to 80.230. 

That was always going to be challenging, and when Schneider’s average was hovering around 79 percent it wasn’t clear if her double of errors was going to leave the double-Olympian vulnerable in the final analysis. But the pure quality of Sammy’s work, including his grace and elevation in passage and his fabulous pirouettes along with strong artistic scores edged the pair up to a final tally of 82.295 which clinched it definitively. 

Second-last to go, Dutch star and 2016 FEI Dressage World Cup champion, Hans Peter Minderhoud, was pleased that his 15-year-old grey stallion, Glock’s Zinardi, coped with the arena atmosphere. “It wasn’t easy for him because he’s a bit spooky, but it was great to be here for the first time in Madrid and with today’s points I’m now almost qualified for Las Vegas - I’ve been there three times before and I would love to ride there again!” he said after slotting into third place on 78.350 and moving up to the top of the Western European League table. Last to go, Morgan Barbancon Mestre from France (Sir Donnerhall) finished fourth which leaves her lying joint-fourth in the League moving on to the next leg in Salzburg, Austria next Saturday.

The top nine in the WEL rankings will qualify for the 2020 FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final and Schneider, now in joint-seventh after four of the 11 qualifying legs, has qualification clearly in her sights. But it’s not easy being German it seems, because as it stands her compatriots Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are ahead of her on the league table and they all want the same thing - to be one of the two Germans who will join defending champion Isabell Werth for the season finale in the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, USA next April.

“We have so many very good riders, and we all want to go!” said Schneider tonight. 

Result here 

WEL Standings here

Weihe and Werth winner of SAAB Top 10 CDI5 Grand Prix today at Sweden International Horse Show

Atterupgaards Cassidy and Cathrine Dufour - photo credit: Lily Forado

SAAB Top 10 - a very special event

More riders from the absolute top of the World Ranking were again this year ready for this special event, and it became a high quality class today.

Imagine to say “another day at the office” when commenting about Isabell Werth with Weihegold OLD winning today’s Grand Prix with impressive 83,652%, but it was really the fact. No technical issues, high quality piaffe/passage tours, super pirouettes, and not least the timing from Werth throughout the entire test makes it still very interesting to follow.

Today the second place went to 🇩🇰 Danish Dufour and her nearly 17 year old partner Atterupgaards Cassidy. It was a top motivated Cassidy and super sharp Dufour dancing through their Personal Best 80,870% Grand Prix (former top score from 02/2018 Göteborg with 80,674%.

Atterupgaards Cassidy DEN - super halt, uphill balance and power diagonal, nice half passes, bit tense halt with rein back, super diagonal, good 1st piaffe good transitions, good walk tour, super 2nd piaffe where Cassidy waiting for signal to go forward, good transition to canter, super 2 times, sharp extended canter, easy smooth zigzag with super flow, superb 1 times, supple tiny pirouettes with huge sit and balance, good transition at M, WOW diagonal, tiny resistance begin of piaffe, super final.

Three combinations at 77%

Another very experienced pair Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with Zaire E showed a very strong performance with an overall very harmonious and elegant picture.

Kittel the man behind SAAB Top 10 showed again that his mare Well Done de la Roche now really has settled for the piaffe tours and this brings them direct into the top of the field today.

Therese Nilshagen and Dante Weltino OLD keep improving for their piaffe tours, and it´s a pleasure to watch the power and suppleness for the trot tour and then the extended canter today was just WOW!

Remember tonight with live stream presentation of PSI collection

See the entire collection here.

Live stream from CDI-W Grand Prix Friday at 16.45 from Madrid

Start list:

KWPN getting ready for dressage stallion pre-selections taking place from 3rd to 7th December in Ermelo

About 300 KWPN dressage stallions getting ready for 1st inspection

Glock´s Toto jr is represented with 29 sons for the pre-selection, so you will definitely have the opportunity to see how he stamps his offsprings and which mare lines that suits him best. Again this year Daily Diamond is represented with sons for the inspection, 17 in total, while the Apache son Indian Rock will be represented with 12 sons.

The KWPN stallion show will take place from 29 January to 1 February in Den Bosch.

The entire pre-selection will be available to follow live at Clipmyhorse.

Dressage stallions

Dressage stallions are evaluated specifically for carriage, stride length, rhythm and regularity, balance in turns, body use in the trot and canter, and the ease with which they perform flying changes when changing direction. In the free movement evaluation, the selection committee also observes the attitude of each dressage stallion. Following evaluation in the chute, the stallion is also judged on his walk and trot in hand. Because the walk is an important basic gait for a dressage stallion, the selection committee places great value on its purity, stride length, and suppleness.

Lunging
In between the first and second round viewing, the dressage stallions will be lunged on the KWPN-center in Ermelo. The lunging will be done by the owner/trainer themselves. The lunging is not a separate selection moment, but it provides the stallion selection committee with relevant additional information about the stallions.

Source: KWPN