2005 European Dressage Championships

Hubertus Schmidt and Jan Brink Go for Glory

Hubertus Schmidt had big shoes to fill in Hagen with Ulla Salzgeber's Rusty retired from the show scene. Germany no longer had a star combination and the two German shooting stars, Martin Schaudt (Weltall VA) and Nadine Capellmann (Elvis VA), were not selected on the team.

Fortunately, Schmidt lived up to his reputation. Being the five time German Professional Dressage Rider Champion, he steered Martina Teichert's 12-year old Hanoverian mare Wansuela Suerte to two second places and one third. Wansuela is an average mover in her basic gaits, but she excels in the FEI movements, her correctness in performance and her overall harmony with the rider.

Wansuela Suerte (Warkant x Wachmann) was relaxed, cool, harmonious in every single movement. She looked tender behind in all her extended trots, but the piaffe passage was lovely, light and rhythmical. You don't get to see the electric spectacle of Salinero in Wansuela's gaits, but this horse is not nervous in her work nor is she sweating throughout the test. The judges did not seem to agree on her walk (which shows little overtrack). Some scored it 9, others gave 5. Schmidt made no major mistakes in any of the three tests and freewheeled his way to scores of 74.625% (Grand Prix), 75.720% (GP Special) and 80.525% (Kur). The silver was his.

Though Wansuela's harmony is heart warming, Jan Brink and the Swedish stallion Bjorsells Briar are a more fascinating pair to watch. The 14-year old Briar (Magini x Krocket) has matured so much in his work this year and the liver chestnut really seems to feel good. If one is to judge quality of paces, Briar would be the silver medal horse, but a mistake in the two's in the Grand Prix and a major spook and blow up in the two's in the Special forced Brink to settle for individual bronze medal.

In the Kur to Music, Brink finished in second place, though, with 81.00% riding to a brand news freestyle which he practised only three times at home in Tullstorp, Sweden. Jan's new music is based on Helena Paparizous' Eurovision Song "Number One". "Briar was in top shape and we were so close to the silver," Brink said. "I'm so happy that I can put in a stable performance at such a high level. Briar has been doing the Grand Prix since he was eight and by now he has done approximately 150 Grand Prix tests. For the future, the new plan is to keep him at the top and motivated for the job. You need a happy horse to be able to present him at such a high level."

Text and Photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed without permission

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