World Champion 5 year old horses Lyngbjergs St. Paris and Victoria Vallentin - photo credit: Timo Martis
For both 5 year old and 6 year old the best 12 combinations from today are directly qualified for the final Sunday. 3 more will join from Saturday´s small final from both 5 year old and 6 year old.
5 year old
The World Champion combination did not disappoint - they were once again unbeatable. It is a pure please to watch dressage like this. The ultra light footed mare by Blue Hors St. Schufro/Blue Hors Rockefeller showed herself with ease and lightness, well balanced, uphill in a steady natural frame all the way without any technical issues.
Feine Bella NRW and Eric Guardia Martinez - photo credit: Timo Martis
Placed 2nd with a lovely light and super performance was Eric Guardia Martinez with Feine Bella NRW by Fürstenball / Bordeaux. The steady contact and nice flow in a good balance just makes the great overall picture and clearly no 2 today.
Nor of the highly frequented stallions So Perfect or Blue Hors Monte Carlo were able to beat the strong mares today.
Clearly missing among the direct qualified was Rally von Rosing by Revolution / Tailormade Temptatioin and Simone Blomme Rasmussen. During this year they have obviously gain much more experience and grown into a very nice combination showing great overall qualities. Rally von Rosing with nice suppleness for all three gaits and showing great ride ability and potential for the future.
Unfortunately the judging was often missing the clear differences in the scoring of each gait. It is not that often when a horse shows all three basic gaits with same qualities as ex the mare Roxette scoring 8,5 for the trot, 8,5 for the walk and 8,6 for the canter. The canter is clearly the strongest pace with top quality more like +9,0 level.
Might be only from H2R point of view, but seems a bit odd when the judges sitting at the final today, were the same judges recently also were judging at the semifinals.
Directly for the final:
6 year old
Anna Kasprzak repeated yesterday´s success at 7 year old, today with her 6 year old former breeding stallion (now gelded) Danciero by Dancier / Floriscount. Nice active trot tour, super walk tour even though a clear 10 was a bit too positive, as the last freedom from the shoulders was missing, but no doubt a top walk. Very good canter and at the same time practical and active of the ground with huge ability.
Also international top rider Carina Cassøe Krüth showed the stallion Movie Star with a great performance, but still with some moments where you could “feel” a bit of the stallion attitude.
Majken Faaborg Glerup and Midt-West Franceska showed a very clever and well balanced test. Franceska is not a big canter mare, but Majken manage to show her where both horse and rider look as if they enjoy the moments. Best pure amateur combination - what a great achivement.
WCYH rider Susanne Barnow qualified two horses for the final and was placed 4th and 5th. Her World Championship partner from Ermelo Skovdals Dexter shows huge potential and makes a really beautiful and impressive picture in the arena. Today he was a bit impressed by the surrounding, as this was actually only his 2nd ever indoor event.
Also WCYH combination Duné Nec and Sissel Bille Jacobsen showed a very nice test with super extensions, super walk and today also with very well performed flying changes. (much more secure since WCYH)
When watching the entire class you were missing some more specific comments (and deduction in the ride ability) about the transition going out of the entering halt, halt with rein back when not balanced halt and tense rein back. Again here mostly the marks were at the same level and not really devided into each paces.
Directly ready for the final:
