2007 World Cup Qualifier

Isabell Werth and Warum Nicht Win CDI-W Frankfurt

December 17, 2007

In this third qualifier of the Western European League Isabell Werth and Warum Nicht FRH repeated their win of the first qualifier of the season in Odense. However due to a reglement change Isabell Werth didn’t receive World Cup™ standing points. She as the title defender is automatically qualified for the Final and should not take away standing points from those still trying to qualify. It didn’t bother Isabell. She loves to show and ride for her home crowd and her Freestyle test was marked by fabulous trot work. Stephen Clarke, the chairman of the judges, said: “Isabell is a very clever rider and today fortunately she was much better than in the Grand Prix in which a lot of distractions caused a lot of mistakes. Today the extensions and half passes were absolute highlights”.

Runner up Swiss Silvia Iklé partnering Salieri now received the World Cup™ standing points for the winner. Silvia Iklé rode her wonderful tango-Freestyle that already brought her a lot. “Both me and Salieri feel very confident and happy with the music, we love to perform this Freestyle test”, Silvia Iklé smiled. Highlight of course were the piaffe and passage. Some minor mistakes in the one tempi changes and the limitations in the extended walk prevented her from a higher score. Silvia Iklé has not made up her mind yet for the World Cup™ Season but hopes to be in Amsterdam and see what the standings might bring her from that point, as obviously the year 2008 brings the Olympic challenge which marks the season.

Chairman Stephen Clarke also liked the test of Laurens van Lieren and Hexagon’s Ollright very much. “To me they did a super test! The extensions, the relaxation, it all was there. The confidence-level between the two has improved enormously since the last time I saw the pair. It was a pleasure to watch and his well-timed Queen-music emphasized it all.”
Laurens van Lieren was very happy with the reward today. “I was very proud on Haxogon’s Ollright being perfectly with me. I feel things are getting into the right place now”, he said. His next World Cup™ qualifier will now be Mechelen short after Christmas.

All dressage competitors could feel in Frankfurt the atmosphere of friendliness, great hospitality and personal engagement of organisers like Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff who personally received them all at her Schafhof. As the Young Riders for their World Cup™ Final and the seniors for their qualifier together experienced the price giving ceremonies in the Frankfurter Festhallen in Germany, the atmosphere rose to the extremes. The winners of the qualifier of the seniors and the prize winners of the World Cup™ Final Young Riders together did their lap of honour in canter, trot and even passage. Dressage chair Mariette Withages concluded: “For me hardly any difference could be seen in the quality of passage of the Young Riders and the seniors. It was great and so nice for our coming riders to feel so welcome. To me the proof that we should continue this formula”.

Photo copyrighted: K-H. Frieler

Back to the World Cup Index