Dinja van Liere from The Netherlands rides Hermes N.O.P. during the FEI Dressage Nations Cup in Rotterdam NED on 20 June 2024 - Copyright © FEI/Leanjo de Koster
The window for definite team spots will close 8 July
Rotterdam is together with Aachen (1-7 July) the two final big events where the countries are able to do a final test of their long listed combinations for the Olympics.
A few combinations are already officially short listed, such as Germany´s TSF Dalera BB with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and America´s Suppenkasper with Steffen Peters.
The Dutch team getting ready for Paris
Today´s big team winners were the 🇳🇱Dutch team with top combination Hermes and Dinja van Liere which has been “out of the game” since a super strong 2022/2023 season where they had to withdraw from the World Cup final in Omaha back in April 2023. They were back at the scene end of March this year in Aachen and today they showed their serious card for the Olympics with a top winner performance.
Nice halt, good diagonal balanced with nice power, supple well balanced half passes, best for left, good halt bit tense rein back, good diagonal, super into springy active passage, easy into piaffe AT THE spot active and flow out to active 100% regular passage, good relaxation and over track for extended walk, super collected walk, could be a bit sharper for passage at M, SUPER 2ND PIAFFE active at the spot, smooth transitions, nice into canter, nice 2 times, good extended canter, error change, count error zigzag, super 1 times, good 1st pirouette, super 2nd on the hind legs, nice into trot, good diagonal small lack of balance, sharp back to collected trot, super nice passage, easy in and out, active piaffe, super final, super halt.
Glock´s Total US & Edward Gal - Short neck bit long frame halt, expressive diagonal, huge crossing for both half passes, super halt with rein back, power diagonal tiny short neck, super into big passage, tiny tension into big piaffe with rhythm and balance good out into passage, extended walk need bit more search for the hand, good collected walk, super into passage, tiny unbalance before turn, active piaffe, bit high hind legs, tense before and into canter, good 2 times, bit conservative extended canter, good zigzag, good 1 times but tiny short hind, super 1st pirouette sit balance in top for both, nice into trot, power diagonal, big passage in front, easy into piaffe tiny forward better under the body, good passage, bit open halt.
Indian Rock & Emmelie Scholtens - Good halt, good diagonal, nice uphill crossing and reach half pass right, lack bit go left, good halt with super rein back, good diagonal, nice back bit tense passage, bit few piaffe steps forward trend, good passage, good relaxation for extended walk with over track, nice collected walk, good into passage, good piaffe bit unbalanced tiny forward, good transitions, good into canter, ok 2 times, nice uphill extended canter with freedom,bit tense change, good zigzag, nice control and balance, error begin 1 times and very fight hind jumps, good sit and control 1st pirouette, lost balance 2nd pirouette, good into trot, good diagonal, good passage, small lost of impuls into piaffe, good piaffe, good out nice passage, bit open hind halt.
After today the Dutch team look like Hermes and Dinja van Liere, Edward Gal and Glock´s Total US and Emmelie Scholtens with Indian Rock and with a sharp eye on Glock´s Toto jr. with Hans Peter Minderhoud.
🇩🇰Denmark getting ready
Today Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Vayron were back in the arena showing even better and more security with top qualities. Today´s only hiccup was from Daniel himself not being quite sharp enough counting for the zigzag which of course was super annoying, as he told H2R after his test. A costly rider mistake but at the same time a lot to like with go and flow and where Daniel is now able to make Vayron both smaller and quicker when asking. During the performance Daniel tells that he now feel that Vayron is much more confidente, but at the same time if he feels a tiny bit insecure “I´m able to just make a tiny adjustment ex by the contact or with my foot and he is quickly by me again,” Daniel tells.
Saturday Daniel will ride his freestyle together with Vayron, as he for the last two shows has done the Special tour with good results. “I look very much forward to ride our freestyle as my music theme is Pearl Habour and I´m using some of the same lines as I rode when I successfully competed Blue Hors Zack., it just brings me so many nice memories,” says Daniel. (Editor notes: it is of course important to be prepared if Vayron and Daniel hopefully are gonna show the freestyle again Sunday 4 August).
Nice halt, supple good power diagonal, uphill good flow half pass right, super left, super halt with rein back, power diagonal open balanced, super back to passage, good passage, easy into piaffe, super steps, smooth out to supple big passage, good relaxation and good over track for extended walk, super collected walk, bit tense into passage, super passage, easy into good piaffe steps active, easy out, super passage, super into canter, super 2 times full diagonal, power expressive diagonal, super change, counting error first zigzag, well balanced, super 1 times, super both pirouettes with huge improvement balance and sit, nice into trot, power expressive diagonal, big passage, nice into piaffe, easy out, super final halt.
With team fellows Nanna Merrald with Blue Hors Don Olymbrio, Lone Bang Zindorff with Thranegaardens Rostov and Carina Cassøe Krüth with Heiline´s Danciera they finish 2nd in today´s Nations Cup.
Both Nanna and Lone with very good performances. Nanna with two minor issues and Lone showing an error free performance.
positive wibes
French combination Gotilas de Feuillard and Corentin Pottier keep up their solid work, always in balance, clear tact, good frame, nice contact and accurate. Today with Personal Best placed as no 5 with 73,674%.
Both Flambeau and Flynn with fit, supple and powerful performances where the young ladies Larissa and Flore just ride their chances with success. Both placed as no 8 and no 10.
British Becky Moody with Jägerbomb ones again shows a powerful, well balanced with super frame and contact. They look like the clear reserve combination for the British team.
Wendy de Fontaine and Isabell Werth did not show up for the madatory German Championships lately due to a minor injury. Today the were back showing top qualities. Never underestimate Frau Werth she is right now back for the Olympics together with Dalera and Franziskus from H2R point of view.
Bad day or downward shape curve
The time schedule is getting tight for the Olympics which also means that current long listed combinations has to show their qualities in order to stay at the list or climbing up the list.
For Danish Carina Cassøe Krüth with Heiline´s Danciera 2024 does not look like their 2nd participation at the Olympics. Their shape curve has unfortunately not been positive and today with their lowest ever performance percentage wise. From the side line it looks like a difficult task to keep the mare motivated for the job and therefore more technical issues creeping into the performance today. The judging team today agreed about 67,674%.
Ashley Holzer with Hansel has since very nice Grand Prix performance in Hagen been added for the American long list. Unfortunately Hansel was back at his former very tense mode today and they unfortunately look like they are off the list as quickly as they were added.
Long time partnership Dante Weltino OLD and Therese Nilshagen did not look as if they were on form for today´s performance. Hopefully they will be able to show again in order to bring themselves back into the spotlight for the team.
Here you find the detailed results.