Guenter Seidel was flabbergasted when he was about to begin the walk reprise in his freestyle and then suddenly the music fell out. In surprise he gazed at the judge at C, Volker Moritz, who rung the bell awaiting a restore of the power. Anabel Balkenhol, German chef d'equipe Klaus Balkenhol's daughter and Seidel's helper/trainer,  ran over to the technician's stand to get everything fixed. In the meantime Seidel walked Foltaire and picked up his kur, a modern classical violin composition, without any difference in his overall exquisite performance. The rather short half passes in trot were the only movements to be remarked.

Even more was he surprised when he found out that he won the complete class with a score of 70.35%. Italian Pia Laus came in second on her reserve horse Elliot, while Dover had to be content with a third place. "It's probably the music that the Europeans don't like," an American spectator commented. While his saxophone based freestyle with music from Calamity Jane and Big Spender is a most thrilling experience for rider, horse and spectator, the tune is very unconventional for the more classically accustomed European freestyle fans. Furthermore, Rainier didn't set down a superb performance and his mistakes were pretty much the same as in the Grand Prix. Very impressive was Herbert Boger's ride on his Oldenburg mare High Noon, a Donnerhall x Pik Bube I product. The mare has a superb moving mechanism but her freestyle was a bit too hectic in order to really score high.

Image copyrighted Phelps Photo