Salzgeber and Capellmann Reigned Supreme at Aachen
The 2001 Edition of the CDIO Aachen was a two-men-show
with Germans Ulla Salzgeber and Nadine Capellmann as
protagonists. The duo reigned supreme at Grand Prix
level in the CDI and CDIO competitions and demonstrated
that Germany is most likely going to win the European
Championships in Verden, August 8-12, 2001
In
the CDIO division, Ulla Salzgeber presented a light-feeted,
well trained Rusty who won the Grand Prix with 76.48%,
became second in the Special with 79.35% and dominated
the freestyle with 83.59%. Salzgeber rode her Olympic
kur which features the theme of Carmina Burana to highlight
Rusty's impressive trotwork. "This is the kur which
matches best with Rusty's movements. Gigolo only had
one ultimate kur in his life and I am going to keep
this one until I stop competing Rusty. The music is
perfect. I couldn't make a better one that matches Rusty
more," Salzgeber commented afterwards. Salzgeber
is currently the number one of the world, a position
which she cherishes much but of which she realizes the
fragility. "I know that I am the number one right
now, but that is because I rode no mistakes here in
Aachen, and the others did. When the others are flawless
and I make a mistake, I won't be number one any more.
It's that simple," she said. Clear talk of a sober
rider who is probably going to become the new European
Champion.
Nadine
Capellmann was the only rider who put real pressure
on Salzgeber's shoulder in the CDIO competition. Her
Farbenfroh (Westfalian by Freudentanzer) has become
more relaxed and is simply hallucinating in the piaffe,
passage and extended trot. Capellmann was fifth in the
Grand Prix (70.96%), won the Special (79.44%) and became
second in the kur (82.51%). In the CDI competition,
Capellmann rode her 17-year-old Westfalian Gracioso
to victory in the Grand Prix and Special with scores
of 74.40% and 73.16%.
Alexandra Simons-De Ridder made her first appearance
of the year with her Chacomo. After a long and slow
recovery period of her injured Holsteiner gelding, the
pair was not yet in a shape suitable for a world class
competition as Aachen. Even though De Ridder's heavy
hand work in all three tests blurred the image of perfect
harmony between rider and horse, Chacomo was still there
and is a horse to take into account for the European
Championships. "I know I'm teetering on the brink
of a 5th position in the German Team, but I'm going
to fight for it," De Ridder commented. German Chef
d'Equipe Madeleine Winter-Schulze, who became 60 June
28, will most likely assemble her German team with Salzgeber,
Capellmann, Kemmer and Werth.
Like
expected, did Germany win the CDIO Nations' Cup in Aachen.
The team gathered 5524 points, while Holland followed
in the distance with 5156 points. With the injuries
of Gestion Goliath, Gestion Partout and Olympic Ferro,
and the retirement of Gestion Bonfire, the Dutch team
has lost its grandeur and strength. Although Gonnelien
Rotherberger-Gordijn aboard Jonggor's Weyden (Hanoverian
by Western Star) has recently won the Dutch Dressage
Championships, her second horse Leonardo da Vinci (Oldenburger
by Landadel) is not yet the routinier to get secure
scores for a team. Anky van Grunsven's Gestion Idool
is a beautiful KWPN gelding showing great training,
but he simply lacks the greatness of a Bonfire and it
is highly unlikely that Idool will rise to stardom.
Imke Bartels and her 17-year-old Olympic Barbria are
aware that they have reached the limit of their capabilities
as a pair and can not score higher than a decent 66%.
Nevertheless, Holger Schmezer, German team trainer,
doesn't feel that safe about Germany's number one position.
"The Dutch have lost much strength due to the injuries
of several horses, but I'm sure that they have a surprise
in store for us," Schmezer said.
The
CHIO Aachen 2001 edition was completely imbued by a
Spanish atmosphere. The World Equestrian Games are hosted
by Spain next year and the Spanish delegation in Aachen
wanted to remind the crowds of what they will be offering
at the Games. The surprise of the CDIO competition came
from Spanish top rider Raphael Soto and his Andalusian
Invasor. Spain captured a third place in the nations'
cup and Soto added even more to the success story of
the Spanish quartet that performed in Aachen. In the
Kur to Music, Soto rode a freestyle that got rewarded
with a 78.76% mark and a fourth place. His Invasor excels
in the piaffe and passage and the artistic level of
his kur was very high, but the judges were very mild
to offer Soto such a score, as Invasor becomes too hectic
in the trotwork and loses balances constantly. Nevertheless
did Soto make a statement that next year one has to
travel to Jerez de la Frontera to see some top level
dressage action!
In
the CDIO division, Ulla Salzgeber presented a light-feeted,
well trained Rusty who won the Grand Prix with 76.48%,
became second in the Special with 79.35% and dominated
the freestyle with 83.59%. Salzgeber rode her Olympic
kur which features the theme of Carmina Burana to highlight
Rusty's impressive trotwork. "This is the kur which
matches best with Rusty's movements. Gigolo only had
one ultimate kur in his life and I am going to keep
this one until I stop competing Rusty. The music is
perfect. I couldn't make a better one that matches Rusty
more," Salzgeber commented afterwards. Salzgeber
is currently the number one of the world, a position
which she cherishes much but of which she realizes the
fragility. "I know that I am the number one right
now, but that is because I rode no mistakes here in
Aachen, and the others did. When the others are flawless
and I make a mistake, I won't be number one any more.
It's that simple," she said. Clear talk of a sober
rider who is probably going to become the new European
Champion. 
Nadine
Capellmann was the only rider who put real pressure
on Salzgeber's shoulder in the CDIO competition. Her
Farbenfroh (Westfalian by Freudentanzer) has become
more relaxed and is simply hallucinating in the piaffe,
passage and extended trot. Capellmann was fifth in the
Grand Prix (70.96%), won the Special (79.44%) and became
second in the kur (82.51%). In the CDI competition,
Capellmann rode her 17-year-old Westfalian Gracioso
to victory in the Grand Prix and Special with scores
of 74.40% and 73.16%.
Like
expected, did Germany win the CDIO Nations' Cup in Aachen.
The team gathered 5524 points, while Holland followed
in the distance with 5156 points. With the injuries
of Gestion Goliath, Gestion Partout and Olympic Ferro,
and the retirement of Gestion Bonfire, the Dutch team
has lost its grandeur and strength. Although Gonnelien
Rotherberger-Gordijn aboard Jonggor's Weyden (Hanoverian
by Western Star) has recently won the Dutch Dressage
Championships, her second horse Leonardo da Vinci (Oldenburger
by Landadel) is not yet the routinier to get secure
scores for a team. Anky van Grunsven's Gestion Idool
is a beautiful KWPN gelding showing great training,
but he simply lacks the greatness of a Bonfire and it
is highly unlikely that Idool will rise to stardom.
Imke Bartels and her 17-year-old Olympic Barbria are
aware that they have reached the limit of their capabilities
as a pair and can not score higher than a decent 66%.
Nevertheless, Holger Schmezer, German team trainer,
doesn't feel that safe about Germany's number one position.
"The Dutch have lost much strength due to the injuries
of several horses, but I'm sure that they have a surprise
in store for us," Schmezer said.
The
CHIO Aachen 2001 edition was completely imbued by a
Spanish atmosphere. The World Equestrian Games are hosted
by Spain next year and the Spanish delegation in Aachen
wanted to remind the crowds of what they will be offering
at the Games. The surprise of the CDIO competition came
from Spanish top rider Raphael Soto and his Andalusian
Invasor. Spain captured a third place in the nations'
cup and Soto added even more to the success story of
the Spanish quartet that performed in Aachen. In the
Kur to Music, Soto rode a freestyle that got rewarded
with a 78.76% mark and a fourth place. His Invasor excels
in the piaffe and passage and the artistic level of
his kur was very high, but the judges were very mild
to offer Soto such a score, as Invasor becomes too hectic
in the trotwork and loses balances constantly. Nevertheless
did Soto make a statement that next year one has to
travel to Jerez de la Frontera to see some top level
dressage action!
