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2009 CDI Stuttgart
Photo Report - 2009 CDI Stuttgart
November 25, 2009
 Eurodressage correspondant Barbara Schnell was on the scene at the 2009 CDI Stuttgart to take photos of Laura Bechtolsheimer and Edward Gal winning the big tour.
It was Barbara's first time to photograph Totilas in the flesh. She was stunned by the mass hysteria after his ride, but she added that "he's a wonderful horse which is uphill the way we want to see it. His greatest weakness is the extended trot, where there's not enough lengthening of the frame and not enough engagement from behind, and of course there are other small mistakes as well. But the horse is only 9-years old!"
According to Schnell, the paradoxical issue that surrounds Gal and Totilas is not the comnbination -- "finally, a pair that looks as if they're having fun together," she said -- but the judges who throw all these record scores at them. In the words of Edward Gal: "It's not my fault if they judge him like that." Barbara believes that the judges are not doing these two a favour by turning such a blind eye on their weak spots, because there is still room for improvement. "But even as it is, they're a joy to watch," she concluded.
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The crowds love Totilas and Gal |
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 The CDI Stuttgart is called "Indoor Aachen", and they are right: Stuttgart is an awesome show; the organization is wonderful, and the fact that the warm-up arena is a big, well lighted ring with thousands of seats makes it even more interesting. It was very cool that Edward Gal agreed to come -- in the beginning, he didn't seem quite sure what to expect, but he was welcomed by enthusiastic crowds that even applauded during his tests. Ugly pictures were refreshingly rare and the sport was interesting, even though this year it was a showcase for many newcomers -- Anabel Balkenhol's freestyle is wonderful, even if her horse was tired, and every heart went out to Dablino, who is a sensitive soul and had never seen such an arena before, so his nerves gave out in the GPS.
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Anabel Balkenhol. Left on Rubins Royal, above on Dablino |
Likewise, Tinne Vilhelmson and Favourit, who still tends to lose his confidence and concentration after the slightest mistake but they are a pleasure to watch.
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Christoph Koschel's Donnperignon is a great horse, and it should be fun to keep watching these two.
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Koschel on Fantomas |
Koschel on Donnperignon |
Not sure what to say about Laura Bechtolsheimer, except keep up the good work!
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The Bechtolsheimer family: Ursula, Wilfried and Laura
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A superb performance from Belgian Jeroen Devroe on his 9-year old Apollo van het Vijverhof (by Welt Hit II). They finished second in the kur with 73.9% |
Swiss Marcela Krinke-Susmelj on Corint |
Catherine Haddad entering the ring |
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Carola Koppelmann on Insterburg |
Insterburg TSF (by Hohenstein x Giorgio Armani)
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Koppelmann on Le Bo (by Lauries Crusador xx) |
Victoria Max-Theurer on Eichendorff |
Ulla Salzgeber on Wakana |
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Ellen Schulten Baumer: left on Donatha S, above on River of Joy |
Hendrik Lochthowe on Rubin Royal (by Rohdiamant x Grundstein II) |
Monica Theodorescu on Whisper (by Welt Hit I) |
Nathalie Zu Saeyn-Wittgenstein and Digby (by Donnerhall) |
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Sabine Becker with Lamarc WRT
Oh ow! Watch out for another tongue scandal!!
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Related Links
Scores 2009 CDI Stuttgart
Sprehe Defeats Favourite Engelen in 2009 Piaff Forderpreis Finals
Videos from 2005 CDI Stuttgart
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