2001 World Cup Finals
Aarhus, Denmark
5th - 8th April 2001

Petersen and Rothenberger Join The Elite

Closely following the footsteps of elite riders Salzgeber, Werth and Zeilinger were Danish Lars Petersen and Dutch Gonnelien Rothenberger/Gordijn. Petersen aboard Blue Hors Cavan (Hanoverian by Cavalier) made a few errors in his Grand Prix -- Cavan broke into canter in the extended trot and piaffe -- but overall showed a great piaffe/passage tour and some wonderful tempi's. In the freestyle Petersen wowed his home country's audience with gorgeous flying changes on the circle, and all this to cheery saxophone music. A very funky kur for this funky gelding who has been acclaimed as one of the top dressage horses on the scene since 1998.

Gonnelien Rothenberger/Gordijn is biting back at Dutch Dressage. This temperamental Dutch rider felt profoundly disappointed after not being selected for the 2000 Olympic Games, even though she had an higher score average than other team members who did go to Sydney. However, now she's taking revenge. Gonnelien Rothenberger was the only Dutch rider able to come to Denmark as her horses are stabled at Gut Ehrenhof in Germany (no transport prohibition due to FMD). For the World Cup Final she chose Jonggor's Leonardo da Vinci, an Oldenburg gelding by Landadel, and for the CDI programme in Aarhus, Gonnelien saddled her husband's stallion Jonggor's Weyden, a Hanoverian by Western Star. Leonardo is very sensitive mount which took her three years to get his complete trust. Scoring 69.27% in the Grand Prix and 74.55% in the freestyle, the combination is now officially joining the elite group of riders on the international dressage scene.

Follow The 2001 World Cup Finals Tour

Images copryighted by Dirk Caremans
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