Zucchero OLD and Frederic Wandres - photo credit: Lily Forado
What top of the final for the 6 year old class today
The 5 year old was really extraordinary top quality. Said that the top of the 6 year old class really showed some very interesting horses for the future. This next level is with a more collected work including flying changes, and here you really starting to see the extra qualities or weaknesses.
For the 6 year old final the subsequent live comments were provided from German judge Christoph Hess, always with a good explanation for each mark, even though you might not always agree.
The podium was 🥇Zucchero, 🥈Revolution and 🥉Zhaplin Langholt, but from today’s performances it actually looked like Zhaplin Langholt, Zucchero and Revolution.
🥇Zucchero looks like not just the complete package with 3 super paces, but the willingness and natural power is also part of the package, and when watching him from the pricegivning the piaffe steps seems to available when needed.
Zucchero OLD 🇩🇪 nice from back active trot tour, forward flow for shoulder in, volte, half pass, super extended walk for a 10, but disturb for collected walk - looks like a 9, uphill 1st change with great quality, 2nd clearly from behind change, 3rd change super nice, becomes a bit short into 4th change but very nice, super extended trot, applauding before entering the centerline.
🥈Revolution and Andreas Helgstrand had one to beat Zucchero - the flying changes had to be correct today for the gold. Unfortunately still not 100% in order which was clearly reflected by the submission mark.
Revolution and Andreas Helgstrand - photo credit: Lily Forado
Revolution 🇩🇰 nice entering halt, this is X-factor for the trot tour, super balance, lengthening of the frame for extensions, super balance for shoulder in, volte, and really bend for half passes, bit to much let go of the rein for extended walk tour, very nice active collected walk, could collect a bit more for the pirouettes, super uphill canter, lack more clear flow for 1st change, 2nd better bit behind the hand, super 3rd change, power extension and transition back to collection, not clean 4th change, super extended trot, applauding final centerline.
🥉All time H2R favorite Danish Warmblood young horse is Zhaplin Langholt, so much expression, super balance and top qualities. For the preliminary test it was not a 100% polished test, but that fact Helgstrand also was aware of, and today he produced a test not just for a bronze medal, but more like a gold medal from H2R point of view.
Zhaplin Langholt and Andreas Helgstrand - photo credit: Lily Forado
Zhaplin Langholt 🇩🇰 lovely power balanced trot tour nice suspension and flow with nice frame, supple half passes 9,5 for trot from H2R point of view, super walk searching the rein well all the way, good collected walk, small unbalance 2nd walk pirouette, great canter with well performed big changes - 10 for the canter! super diagonal with extended trot, applauding audience. This is a MEDAL
