2004 World Cup Finals

Heike Kemmer Takes Risks

April 5, 2004

Heike Kemmer had nothing to lose in the freestyle and she realised that if she wante to beat Anky van Grunsven she had to risk it all. When her chestnut Hanoverian Bonaparte entered the ring he looked better than ever: frisky, electric and ready to go.

Unfortunately, Kemmer's calculated risk didn't work. In the extended canter on the centerline, the horse took off and judge at C Volker Moritz suddenly feared for his life. Kemmer got her control over her horse back, had to make an emergency flying change, but continued her test at a lower level of aggression and engagement. In the piaffe, Bonaparte twice lost some impulsion.

Despite these two mistakes it was still a brilliant test with divine music. It also showed Kemmer's high level of creativity, for instance when she performed a canter half pass to the right, followed by a double pirouette, continuing in the half pass again and making another double pirouette before reaching the track again. Kemmer scored 78.650% and finished fourth overall.

Judge Volker Moritz said that Kemmer had an extraordinary start. "The horse has sensational basic gaits," Moritz stated, "but she lost points on two technical parts in her test. Of course the unrequested flying change on the centerline was one of the reason and sometimes in the passage, Bonaparte did not keep an equal rhythm with his right hind leg."

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