2004 Bundeschampionate

Undisputed Victory for FS Lord Loxley

September 6, 2004

In the 5-year old Dressage Horse division at the 2004 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, Germany, the champion's title went undisputedly to the Rhinelander stallion FS Lord Loxley. No other horse in his division at this year's championships was in the proximity of his power, suppleness and ground coverage. Under his steady rider Jana Freund, FS Lord Loxley danced to victory after an virtually immaculate ride with great transitions and balance in every gait.

As much as FS Lord Loxley wielded the axe of power in the finals' ride, as baffling was his qualifying round in which he didn't score higher than 7.9 and was sent to the small finals to earn his ticket for the finals. FS Lord Loxley fell out of the canter and did not want to make a new transition to canter. The combination lost points with that mistake and surprised everyone by not taking the lead after all. In the small finals, however, Freund restored her supremacy and won the class with 8.7

From then on, it only went better. Their finals ride, for which they received a brilliant 9.5 score, the trot and canter tour were both the highlights of the test. "This was top class. He's a world horse," judge Christoph Hess commented, "he has a spectacular trot with a very good hind leg that stay closed. He keeps the nose nicely in front and is right on the vertical. His walk is through the back, his canter is excellent, uphill and forward." There was only praise for this combination.

FS Lord Loxley has been making headlines his entire life. Bred at Gestut Sonnenhof in Belgium, the bay colt was licensed as a 2,5 year old at the 2001 NRW Stallion Licensing in Munster, Germany. There, Josef Wilbers of Ferienhof Stucker (FS) purchased him and that's how he became FS Lord Loxley. The stallion became fourth at the 2003 Bundeschampionate and won this year's NRW Nachwuchsmeeting which was a qualifier for the championships.

This year his fame seemed to have reached an apex. Under Freund, the stallion became the reserve champion at the 2004 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden and the Bundeschampion in Warendorf. And it doesn't look like this will be the end of his success...

Reflecting on his Bundeschampion's title, one can not help but wonder if the horse had won if his biggest competitor, Florencio, would have been at the show. Florencio's Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud did not have an FN licence, which you can only obtain by living in Germany for six months. So, Florencio, a German bred stallion, was not present at the German Young Horse Championships but did go for a consolation victory in August by winning the Pavo Cup Finals in Holland with great ease.

Albeit, FS Lord Loxley was the man of the day in Warendorf and no one will dispute his title.

Text and photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed!

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