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2003
CDIO Aachen
Salzgeber Maintains Lead after the Special at the
2003 CDIO Aachen
 With
overwhelming dominance did Ulla Salzgeber win the Grand
Prix Special of the 2003 CDIO Aachen. Riding an absolutely
flawless test with powerful traversal movements and
a perfect piaffe-passage tour, Salzgeber scored 78.92%
and placed first with all judges. Judge at H, Linda
Zang, commented that, "she easily could have got
80%, if it were not for a slight problem in the flying
changes." Rusty, a 15-year old Latvian gelding
by Rebus, usually performs textbook tempi changes, but
now there were some beauty mistakes in them. Nevertheless,
this was probably one of Salzgeber's best rides ever
on her number one Grand Prix mount.
Finishing second with a personal Special record score
was Lisa Wilcox and Relevant. Although Relevant did
not top his Grand Prix performance from Thursday, he
did score higher today with his go in the Special. Relevant,
a 12-year old Rubinstein offspring, was not so convincing
in the trot tour at the beginning of his test. The stallion
did not show the same strong submission in the extended
trot and half passes as on Thursday, but he was definitely
superior in the piaffe and passage. In the canter tour,
Wilcox rode some very nice pirouettes, but the tempi
changes were not as straight and pure as it should have
been. The final piaffe and passage did show that Wilcox
and Relevant are a threatening presence for the Germans
to watch out for. Both Lisa Wilcox and Ernst Hoyos was
very pleased with the flawless test that scored 77.04%,
but it only needed some more fine tuning."It's
good, but not good enough," Hoyos said.
Ending third in the Special were Klaus Husenbeth and
Piccolino. Husenbeth, who is trained by Rudolf Zeilinger,
presented his Hanoverian gelding with great brilliance.
Piccolino moved elastically in the half passes and bounced
off the ground in the extensions. Husenbeth and Piccolino
received 73.28% from the judges. A car dealer by profession,
Klaus Husenbeth is the best scoring German amateur Grand
Prix rider at the moment.
Debbie Mcdonald was the second best American scorer
in the Special. Brentina showed a very flowing trot
tour, but the passage could have been more engaged.
The mare seemed a bit tired and, although she tried
hard, she lacked that extra bit of specialty today she
displayed in the Grand Prix. The main reason that her
score got stuck at 'only' 72.68% was the McDonald-Brentina
"tempi changes' jinx". Both in Jerez and Aachen,
the tempi changes seem to be the combination's major
problem. The pair always rides a perfect test up until
the tempi's and then it goes wrong. In the Grand Prix,
the two's had messed up her wonderful score. Today in
the Special it were the tempi's every single stride
that interfered with the picture of total harmony.
 An
outstanding accomplishment came from Steffen Peters
and Grandeur. The combination finished ninth with 70.84%
and beat Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff on Renoir, a pair also
bugged by the tempi change-jinx. That Peters and Grandeur
are in a great form was obvious after the Grand Prix,
but today in the Special they were in brilliant shape.
Grandeur is twice the horse he was three years ago.
Rhythmical half passes, balanced extensions in trot
and canter and elegant collections in the piaffe and
passage were Grandeur's fortes. Only the tempi changes
were a bit short. Tom Meyers, Grandeur's equine therapist,
jokingly said that "he's [Grandeur] like a good
bottle of wine; he gets better with age."
Guenter Seidel and Nikolaus placed thirteenth with
68.20%. The Westfalian gelding Nikolaus broke into canter
in the transition from passage to extended trot and
the first two piaffe moves were tensed and unbalanced.
The traversal movements, however, were very pretty,
as well as the final extended trot.
With two victories in a row, Salzgeber is holding a
firm grip on the lead in the CDIO Grand Prix championship
at Aachen. The Grand Prix freestyle is the final class
which will determine the winner of the 2003 CDIO Aachen.
by Astrid Appels
Images copyrighted: Phelpsphotos
Related Links
Back to the Eurodressage 2003 Aachen
Index
Scores: CDIO
Grand Prix Special
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