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It is remarkable how few international Grand
Prix riders take the opportunity to show their
young horse prospects at the World Championships.
The top seeded riders in the FEI ranking can automatically
qualify their youngsters without having to do selection
trials but not a single one of them takes the chance
to do it. This year, Dutch Imke Schellekens-Bartels
showed her young KWPN stallion Voice (De Niro x
Rohdiamant) and finished 10th with 7.98. The black
stallion is quite heavy boned and lacked some balance
and strength in trot and canter, but the walk was
good and especially the position of Voice's head
was consistent throughout the ride. |
Fourth horse to go today and one of the first
to actually leave a really good impression was
the Belgian warmblood gelding Cleverboy van de
Abelendreef. This black Donnerhall x Rubinstein
offspring stood out with his balance, regular rhythm
and lovely rideability.
Under Vicky Smits, Cleverboy
presented himself in a very harmonious
way. He might be a tidbit old fashioned in
looks, but his self carriage and lightness were
delightful. |
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It was whispered in the stands that Don Auriello
was one Germany's hottest horses here in Verden,
but the bay gelding could not live up to this rumour.
The long-legged, elegant mover has a dream front
leg, but was not engaged and powerful behind today.
Even though Birgit Wellhausen-Henschke presented
him masterfully in an uphill frame. The canter
was not totally clear in its rhythm and the
walk could have been more relaxed. The pair finished
15th with a score of 7.58 and is one of the
hopefuls
to win an entry in the finals by placing in
the top two in the consolation finals tomorrow. |
| The best American combination in the 5-year old
division was 2007 Pan American individual gold
medallist Christopher Hickey aboard the American
bred Cabana
Boy (by Contucci x Bordeaux). The combination placed
16th with 7.42. Cabana Boy, who is owned by Hilltop
Farm, was not at his best today. The contact with
the bit was very unsteady and the horse was never
through and loose in the back. He moved in two
pieces with the hind legs not tracking up well
enough. The highlight of the test, however, was
the posting trot moment when the horse chewed the
bit with long reins. Cabana Boy stretched into
the contact and showed more self-carriage. |
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A delightful pair was the Australian Grand Prix
rider Maree Tomkinson on the bay Oldenburg mare
Diamantina. Bred by Quadriga Pferdehaltung, Diamantina
is by Diamond Hit out of the Grand Prix mare Cosmopolitan
(by Campari M). Tomkinson presented her in a good
rhythm, but the mare was sometimes tight in the
neck and could have moved with more power from
behind. The walk was good but could have been more
over the back and the canter showed an active hind
leg, but could have been jumped more uphill. Small
things which will be sorted out in the future for
sure. |
| Another interesting breeding product is the Andalusian
stallion Jerez. Bred by BG Domecq in co-operation
with Ullrich Kasselmann from Germany, Jerez is
one of the first internationally competed PRE cross
breeds. Sired by Duque IX and out of a Florestan
dam, Jerez is a strange mix with an Andalusian
front part (neck, knee action) and warmblood hindquarters
(which lacked power and engagement unfortunately). |
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Three top quality horses in the 5-year old division
did not have their day: Vivaldo, Chatel's Shurana
and China Town's Dream. All three of them have
extraordinary gaits but show pressure crawled
under their skin and the riders could not keep
the lid on the cooker.
Expected to be the strongest Dutch candidate
here in Verden, Vivaldo (Polansky x Montecristo)
showed phenomenal gaits but was out of control.
Resistance, tension.. not his day. May he redeem
himself tomorrow in the consolation finals. |
| Pity that Chatel's Shurana did not live up to
the expectations as one of Denmark's top horses.
This cool Danish warmblood mare by Don Schufro
x Rawage
Quintus became extremely bold in the hand and was
spooky round the ring. The horse showed an unbelievably
talented trot with a fantastic hind leg, but tension
messed up the walk and there were mistakes in the
rein back and transition to canter. What a pity. |
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More sadness round the ring when the Belgian
warmblood mare China Town's Dream was eliminated.
Upon entering the ring under Vicky Smits, this
black Pavarotti van de Helle x Furioso mare had
seen ghosts near the judges' box and tensed up
completely. Panic crept over her body and by the
time the canter work came round her fleeing instinct
was set in motion. Too much resistance, but what
a pity because this mare can move! The picture
says it all. |
