Entries for s’Hertogenbosch 9 - 12 March

Final qualifier leg for 2022/2023 World Cup qualification takes place in Den Bosch.

It will be the second qualifier event for Glamourdale and Lottie, as they already won London World Cup qualifier mid December 2022.

Bronze winner from last year at World Championships Hermes and Dinja van Liere are also ready, like Isabell Werth with Emilio, Benjamin Werndl with Famoso OLD, Hans Peter Minderhoud with Glock´s Dream Boy and Kirsten Brouwer with Foundation are among the top combinations for this final leg.

CDI1-CDI3-CDI-W entries

Dream Royal repeat win of sporttest, this year in München-Riem

Dream Royal - DSP Champion stallion 2022 - photo: Gestüt Sprehe

2022 DSP Champion Dream Royal by Don Royal-Quadroneur-Rubin Royal repeated last years 2-days sporttest with another victory.

2022 he was scoring a total of 9,29. A very natural supple stallion which has developed nicely and with today´s score of 8,82 he ones again showed his qualities.

Gonna be very exciting to see his first foals this year.

Michala Damm-Frydenberg klar til international CDI3* Grand Prix debut i Lier

Michala Damm-Fydenberg - privat foto

International Grand Prix debut

Når det internationale stævne i belgiske Lier starter i næste uge, er der kun to danske ekvipager med i CDI3* turen, nemlig international Grand Prix debutant Michala Damm-Frydenberg med den 13-årige vallak Laissez-Faire E e. Blue Hors Leredo / Rambo, avlet og ejet af Stutteri Empex samt Karoline Louise Skøt med Midtgaards Zamir som har redet et enkelt internationalt stævne sidste år i Flyinge.

Michala fik “Lasse” ind i tilridning som 3 års, og som 6 års lavede avlerne og Michala en aftale om fremtidig uddannelse, som lige nu bringer dem til international Grand Prix debut.

Begge ekvipager trænes til dagligt af Vivi Vang-Lauridsen, og da hestene er vant til at køre sammen, fik Michala og Karoline sat kryds i kalenderen til Lier stævnet, hvor de drager afsted mod imorgen.

Michala har sine heste stående på Heslegård, men har i ca 8 år haft samarbejde med Christian Vang-Lauridsen, med et lille afbræk, men Michala starter sin dag hos Christian og Vivi hvor hun rider 4 heste, heriblandt 13-årige Thyfon Holmklit e. Tailormade Temptation / De Noir, avlet Trine Udklit Sørensen, hvor parret fornylig vandt deres 2. Grand Prix start. En af de heste hos Vivi og Christian som Michala sammen med Vivi har uddannet hele vejen.

Michala har jo tidligere redet bl.a. både UVM og Falsterbo, og nu klar til international Grand Prix debut i belgiske Lier.

Danmark er repræsenteret i stort tal til stævnet i alle kategorier, og Pony, Junior, Ungrytter og U24 klasserne starter allerede onsdag, og med senior er i weekenden.

Hele stævnet kan følges via livestream på ClipMyHorse.

Senior

U25

Ungrytter

Junior

Pony

Cassøe Krüth and Danciera make it a double in Gothenburg

Carina Cassøe Krüth and the fabulous mare Heiline’s Danciera posted their second victory of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League season in Gothenburg, Sweden today.

The dynamic duo who helped clinch team gold for Denmark on home soil at last summer’s ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning kicked off with top spot at the opening round in Aarhus, Vilhelmsborg last October where Danish riders were completely dominant. Their winning score that day was 85.925, and all five judges were in full agreement when putting them top of the class. 

Today it was just the same but their score was even higher, a lovely performance earning them a mark of 86.855 to leave them well ahead of Germany’s Isabell Werth and DSP Qantaz in second and compatriots Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zack in third.

“I’m so very, very pleased with Danciera, she was super again today - she just seems to get better and better!”, Cassøe Krüth said this evening.

Penultimate round

Just 10 horse-and-rider combinations lined out in this penultimate round of the 11-leg series, and it was Sweden’s Johanna Due Boje who was leading the way at the halfway break after a really fun ride on the 15-year-old Mazy Klovenhoj who danced in perfect harmony to their Irish-themed musical score. 

“Today I felt I had this perfect balance of good tension and excitement and that she was with me all the way”, said the 33-year-old athlete who runs a small family farm with just nine horses in the south of Sweden. Her score of 74.760 was blown away when Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zack rocketed into the lead with a mark of 81.385 when fourth-last to go however. 

Zack belied his 19 years with some lovely work, although mistakes hampered his score potential. Skodborg Merrald blamed herself for them. 

“We had much better piaffe than yesterday but there were huge expensive mistakes. He cantered in the half-pass, and there were also mistakes in the two-tempis, but he was great and I’m happy! It wasn’t the atmosphere in the arena, it was because I wasn’t sharp enough”, said the rider who, with this great stallion, was also on that historic Danish winning side last summer.

Those mistakes left her vulnerable and, next into the ring, she was quickly demoted to runner-up spot by five-time FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion Werth who, however, also encountered a few blips along the way to putting 82.775 on the board. 

“We are not in the same shape as we were in Basel (SUI, at round 7 last month), there were a few things I have to sort out and I was so stupid with the last one-tempis because I really disturbed his rhythm - I don’t know why but it was completely my fault!”, insisted the lady whose name has long been synonymous with this sport. “The rest was good but you could feel he was on fire in the last piaffe although he was really trying. I really enjoyed it but I have some fine tuning to do before the Final!” she pointed out.

Super mare

And then came Cassøe Krüth with her super mare and her boyband music. From the moment they set off the pair looked relaxed, confident and completely in control. Yesterday they topped the Grand Prix line-up with a personal-best score of 78.217, and the Danish star said she was “pretty sure” today’s 86.855 was a Freestyle personal-best too.

The 12-year-old mare’s cool attitude under fire is one of her real strengths.

"She just takes it all in, there was a lot of noise when we were coming in because Isabell’s score was being announced but she didn’t mind the excitement at all!"

Carina Cassøe Krüth (DEN)

she pointed out this evening. Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Annabelle 110 were last to go, and putting 80.540 on the board they slotted into fourth ahead of Due Boje.

Today’s result leaves Cassøe Krüth on the brink of qualification for the much-anticipated FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2023 Final which will take place in Omaha, USA in early April. But, despite the temptation, the Danish rider has decided she won’t go. 

“It’s not in my plan so we need to stick to the plans we make and not try to do everything”, she said. “The mare is progressing all the time and I’m so happy with her so I’m a bit sad I’m not going to Omaha, but that’s how it is sometimes. I only have one horse, so I have to take care of her so we have her for many years”, she added.

In her sights

Werth however has Omaha clearly in her sights. She plans to do the last Western European League qualifier at s’Hertogenbosch (NED) with Emilio in two weeks’ time. 

“First I planned to bring him here and then go with Qantaz to Den Bosch but then I changed the plan because I thought it would be better to have more space between the last competition and the flight to Omaha. I plan to go with Qantaz to Omaha so now he will get a rest for a few weeks and then we will prepare, and I will learn from my mistakes to do better next time!”, she said this evening. 

With wins in Lyon (FRA) and Basel (SUI), the longtime legend in the sport continues to head the Western European League table.

She loves Gothenburg Horse Show where she has competed many times and where she won one of her three-in-a-row titles with the great mare Weihegold FRH in 2019. She was full of praise for the inclusion of pony competitions in the show programme again this year. “All countries should learn from this, they have a really great basic pony sport in Sweden and it’s super for the kids and they are the future - when they have a positive feeling about our sport they can help to get involved and grow it, and that is what we need right now”, she pointed out.

Run of form

Meanwhile Skodborg Merrald, who has enjoyed a great run of form this winter season including victory at last weekend’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ leg in Neumunster, Germany, had to settle for third today but, ahead of the Final is feeling pleased, and it’s no wonder..…    

“I’m very proud and happy to now have three horses qualified - Blue Hors Zepter, Blue Hors Zack and Blue Hors St. Schufro!”, she said this evening. Lying third on the Western European League table she is in a very comfortable situation. But with one final throw of the dice there is still a chance for others to make the cut, so all eyes now turn to ’s-Hertogenbosch on 11 March.
 
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result 

Standings 

FDNC 2023: Germany Secures Three-Peat in Season Opener

As the 2023 FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series commenced Friday in Wellington (USA), Germany found themselves in a familiar position. For the third consecutive year at the venue, the German squad was on top of the podium, getting the better of a rallying home nation.

The four-person team of Frederic Wandres (Harrods 3), Michael Klimke (Harmony's Sanrino RHP), Felicitas Hendricks (Drombusch 2) and Anna-Cristina Abbelen (San Donnerhall) extended Germany's winning streak at the Global Dressage Festival with a point tally of 437.844. 

A personal best from 20-year-old Christian Simonson (Son of a Lady) in the Intermediate I (72.706%) helped the U.S. secure the silver medal (427.285), while Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (Devanto) clinched the bronze for Sweden (414.498) with her Grand Prix Special test (70.830%).

Teams consisted of a combination of Big Tour and Small Tour pairs, with scores from the CDIO3* Grand Prix and CDIO3* Grand Prix Special (Big Tour) and CDIO3* Prix St. Georges and CDIO3* Intermediate I (Small Tour) tests combined to produce the results. Scores from the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special received a 1.5% bonus to account for a higher degree of difficulty.

A last-minute horse change for Wandres proved to be a winning formula. He and the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Harrods 3 won the CDIO3* Prix St. Georges (74.853%) to kick off the competition. It was only the horse's fourth international start and first Nations Cup appearance.

"We can make plans, but sometimes things turn out differently. The situation switched a little bit with the horse I preferred to bring here. So, I took Harrods, who is already one step further in his education. He's already done a National Grand Prix, but I did the step back for the German team...In the end, we were all lucky winners."

Frederic Wandres (GER)

After carrying an overnight lead into Friday, personal best scores from Hendricks and Klimke in the Grand Prix Special would cement their team's victory. Hendricks finished second in the Special (72.234%), with Abbelen third (71.915%) and Klimke fourth (71.255%).

"I love the Grand Prix Special," Hendricks said. "It suits [Drombusch 2] really well with the passage and then the extended trot parts, and they were obviously our highlights today. I'm proud of our team." 

Germany was the only team to have all of its riders score above 70 percent in every test. 

"This Nations Cup here is for sure something special," Wandres said. "The atmosphere and the team spirit between the teams is the best of the Nations Cups I have been to."

Germany now leads the series with 10 points, followed by the United States (8 points) and Sweden (7 points). The FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ resumes at Compiègne (FRA), 6-7 May.

Full results.

Carina and Danse takes the World Cup Grand Prix in Gothenburg with overall top qualities

From first step to final halt

It was pure power pleasure to follow Heiline´s Danciera and Carina Carina Cassøe today live from Gothenburg. Both determined, focused and motivated when entering the centerline. It not all about accuracy, but when everything comes together the accuracy becomes the ising on the cake. Today Carina and Danse showed a very strong high quality test, nice regularity for the piaffe tours which sometimes were shown a bit unbalanced, and it looks as if the exact right tempo for the piaffe makes the balance and great side picture.

Today´s judge at M Swedish Magnus Ringmark rewarded Danse and Carina with a clear 10 for the short extended trot at the diagonal before transition to passage at V. A look bit more into the details the extended walk was only rewarded with  8.5 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 8.5 🤔.

Accuracy pure for the two halts we were able to watch at live stream became the overall picture of the performance today from Danse and Carina, and it definitely looked like a 80% test like Magnus Ringmark saw them. Final score 78,217%.

It´s all about enjoying the moment - Carina today during the national anthem - photo @Clipmyhorse

Quote from Carina earlier this week at H2R:

Enjoy every moment

“There´s always a lot of talking about when you have a top horse, you have to be careful about not bringing the horse for to many shows, but my philosophy is that it is definitely not at the events you risk your horse, it´s in your daily work, and we must remember to enjoy our top horses, because you never know when the journey ends. I really enjoy every moment and can´t wait to enter the centerline again this weekend with Danse,” says Carina.

19 year old Blue Hors Zack and Nanna again with top placement

Nanna and Zack were shining again today, at the beginning of the passage tours Zack looked a bit stallion like as he was not fully in front of Nanna´s aides, but as the they progress their test Zack clearly let Nanna guide him even though he is the Professor. Judge at H German Peter Holler was unfortunately the only one from the judging team with a well deserved 9 for last pirouette right. Final score 76,674%.

Quantaz and Werth

Placed as no 3 with 75,913%. For all the halts Quantaz were showing a bit of tensions, the extended walk tour was very weak (short and not correct clear beat) but still scoring  6.5 - 6.5  - 6.5  - 6.5 - 7 . Today with error for the one times.

Here below you can watch the entire Grand Prix test.


Depth Defines FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ Opener as Competition Commences in Wellington (USA)

All eyes will be on Wellington this week as the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2023 series kicks off on Thursday, 23 February at the Global Dressage Festival with six teams—double the number that lined-up a year ago.

Wellington will commence a season of six legs across as many nations, from February through July. A series champion will be crowned at Falsterbo (SWE)—a fitting finale, given Sweden is the defending series champion. 

Sweden has claimed the series title in four of the last six seasons and will begin its 2023 quest with a three-person squad consisting of Caroline Darcourt (Lord Django), Christina Devine (Slaebaekgaard’s Santino) and veteran anchor Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (Devanto), under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Louise Nathhorst.

The home team, led by Chef d’Equipe George Williams, will feature Anna Marek (Duvel), 20-year-old Christian Simonson (Son of a Lady), Charlotte Jorst (Zhaplin Langholt) and Susan Dutta (Don Design DC). Dutta is the lone Big Tour rider on the team; she and Don Design DC are fresh off a CDI3* Grand Prix Special victory in Wellington in January. The anchor pair also represented the U.S. in FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ competitions at both Wellington and Compiegne (FRA) last season.

Argentina, Australia, Canada and Germany have also fielded teams, and the German squad should not be discounted, having won this event last year. Frederic Wandres (Harrods 3) anchors the group, which also includes Anna-Christina Abbelen (Sam Donnerhall), Felicitas Hendricks (Drombusch 2) and Michael Klimke (Harmony’s Sanrino RHP). Both Klimke and Wandres were on last year’s winning team; Klimke and the now-14-year-old Oldenburg stallion Harmony’s Sanrino RHP won the Grand Prix for their team in Wellington a year ago.

Team medals are decided after the Grand Prix (or Prix St. Georges for Small Tour combinations) and the Grand Prix Special (or Intermediate I) tests, with awards decided Friday, 24 February.

Wellington’s opening leg will be followed by the CDIO5* in Compiegne (FRA), 4-7 May. June will feature CDIO3* competition in Budapest (HUN) and Rotterdam’s (NED) CDIO4* before a pair of CDIO5* events conclude the season in July at Aachen (GER) and Falsterbo. 

Further details about the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series can be found here. 

Danish Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline´s Danciera ready for World Cup Gothenburg

Ready for Gothenburg

Successful Danish team World Champion combination Heiline´s Danciera and Carina Cassøe Krüth are ready for their 2nd World Cup qualifier this year. They already won the opening leg of the Western European League at Vilhelmsborg back in October 2022, and they are now ready for this weekends Gothenburg leg.

Usually CDI5* in Herning is top priority for Carina and Danse, and this year their schedule also includes Gothenburg for the first time ever. Carina did Neumünster last year with Danse, and as she tells she would love to go to Gothenburg, as she heard from her collegues that this event is a must on your bucket list.

For Carina it also fits perfectly with Gothenburg right before Herning with the possibility to give Danse a few rest days after Gothenburg and still be in top shape for Herning. After Herning the schedule allows Carina to give Danse a nice break from competitions before the outdoor season starts.

Enjoy every moment

“There´s always a lot of talking about when you have a top horse, you have to be careful about not bringing the horse for to many shows, but my philosophy is that it is definitely not at the events you risk your horse, it´s in your daily work, and we must remember to enjoy our top horses, because you never know when the journey ends. I really enjoy every moment and can´t wait to enter the centerline again this weekend with Danse,” says Carina.

Winner performance from Vilhelmsborg:

Michael Søgaard long time trainer of Danish Nanna Merrald with some reflextion about Nanna and Zepter partnership

Nanna Skodborg Merrald (DEN) riding Blue Hors Zepter - winners of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/23 - Neumünster (GER) - Photo credit: © FEI/www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Stefan Lafrentz

2 x World Class and 2 x routine makes the “Golden Cross”

The perfect match between a horse and rider is often a “ones in a lifetime” experience, of course Worlds best riders are able to produce the horses, but the perfect match is just something very special.

When watching the now 15-year old gelding Blue Hors Zepter by Blue Hors Zack / Wolkentanz II and 29 year old Danish rider Nanna Merrald, they pretty much look like the “ones in a liftetime” combination.

Blue Hors Zepter has always been a World Class horse, and he has the routine at this top level, combined with a World Class rider like Nanna bringing all her experience into their fairly new relationship makes them the “Golden Cross”.

Trainer Michael Søgaard at Nanna and Zepters side before entering the arena

The eyes on the ground

Nanna Merrald´s long time trainer Michael Søgaard was as usual again this weekend the eyes on the ground in Neumünster.

“From my point of view the target for Nanna and Zepter from the first day I was teaching them, was to be able to performe an error free test. Of course I´ve also been following Blue Hors Zepter during his already glorious career with both Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Patrik Kittel. The challenge for all riders when you do international Grand Prix is at first point to be able to performe and error free test, and from there you can start to adjust things, and hopefully still being able to keep things together without errors.”

“With Blue Hors Zepter it is not just a question about being placed or not placed, I see Zepter with his qualities and abilities in the very top of the field, when Nanna is able to show him without errors. I know Nanna, as we´ve been working together for many years now, and she has the skills and so far she has also been listening to my advices 😉, but at the same time I know she is very keen to show more from inside “the box” of Blue Hors Zepter. We both know there are more things to refine for the future.”

“The concept for the warm up for Nanna and Zepter is clear, to make him supple, no exercises just checking the aides and a single piaffe / passage tour before entering. When you see Zepter at the warm up it is far from a power warm up, but it is graceful, safe and nice, so far we just continue this concept,” tells a very satisfied trainer Michael Søgaard.

“Friday it´s World Cup time in Gothenburg, this time Nanna brings Blue Hors Zack for their 2nd qualifier, but so far I haven´t heard if she wants me to join,” tells Michael with a big smile 😁.

Skodborg Merrald and Zepter reign supreme in Neumünster

The knowledgeable crowd in the Holstenhalle in Neumünster, Germany showed their appreciation today when Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and the fabulous Blue Hors Zepter reigned supreme at the ninth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League.

The 15-year-old gelding, previously competed by both Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen, has quickly established a strong relationship with Skodborg Merrald since she took up the reins just a few short months ago. “He’s simply wonderful!”, she said today after pinning Germany’s Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus FRH into runner-up spot while The Netherlands’ Kirsten Brouwer slotted into third with Foundation.

These same horse-and-rider combinations filled the top three places in yesterday’s Grand Prix but today’s margins were wider, with Skodborg Merrald posting an impressive 86.060 for victory while Klimke’s 83.550 left her well clear of Brouwer who scored 81.375.

Eyecatchers

Eyecatchers in the first half of the competition were Germany’s Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock and the attractive light chestnut 11-year-old mare Florine OLD who produced the most pleasing passage on their way to putting a mark of 77.225 on the board. However they were immediately overtaken by the penultimate partnership before the break, Finland’s Emma Kanerva and Greek Air whose score of 78.540 led the way when the action resumed.

With five of the 15 starters left to go, Klimke then charged out in front with the fabulous Franziskus who was a winner for the multi-talented German horsewoman on home ground at the third leg of the series in Stuttgart last November. Expressive extended trot, extraordinary extended canter and lovely tempi changes were all rolled out before their regal one-handed ride up the final centreline that saw them awarded 83.550, and the lead, to the delight of the spectators. 

But Skodborg Merrald and Zepter were not going to be outdone.

Kindred spirit

The Danish athlete who, partnering Zepter’s sire Blue Hors Zack, was a member of last year’s gold-medal-winning team at the ECCO FEI World Championships has found another kindred spirit in Zack’s son. Zepter’s self-carriage, confidence and self-belief ensure a consistency in his work, and his piaffe/passage and pirouettes all reflect that.

Scoring 86.060 they rocketed into pole position and couldn’t be ousted despite great efforts from Brouwer who would slot into third and her Dutch compatriot Marieke van der Putten with the charming gelding son of the great Totilas, Torveslettens Titanium RS2 who slotted into fourth on a score of 80.580.

Skodborg Merrald feels she is still in the early stages of developing her partnership with Blue Hors Zepter, and she’s very excited about that. 

"He just really wants to do his very very best but I still have the feeling there is so much more I can do with him! Now he is performing without any big mistakes but I can improve the quality of a lot of things and that makes me even more hungry!"

Nanna Skodborg Merrald (DEN)

And she is delighted that Zepter has accepted her as his new rider. “It’s important for me that he feels comfortable with me because then in the end I can ask for even more from him”, she explained. 

She loves his character too. “He is a little bit like a big puppy, so sweet in the stable! Also when he is in the ring he knows that he has to do the job and he’s fighting until the end, he never gives up and that’s what makes him really, really special. When he has the trust in you then he is really fighting for you!”, she said.

Well set

With 69 points, and currently in third place, on the Western European League leaderboard she looks well set for a ticket to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Omaha (USA) in April, and she’s spoiled for choice about which horse she should take there. She will compete with Blue Hors Zack at the penultimate qualifier in Gothenburg, Sweden next weekend before making her decision. 

Klimke lies second on the league table and having competed in five legs of the series said today that perhaps she has done enough in the lead-up to the Final. “I thought I might do Den Bosch (’s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands where the last qualifier will take place in three weeks’ time) but we will see. We have done five good rounds and if it is not necessary then we will take a break”, she pointed out.

Kirsten Brouwer will definitely compete in ’s-Hertogenbosch “because it’s my home town, so it’s special” she said today. She was delighted with Foundation’s third-place finish. “It’s only our third World Cup to compete in, and I’m super proud of him. In a World Cup you compete against the best so it’s special, and it’s even more special to get a great result!”

And she was full of praise for her horse. “I love everything about him, he’s beautiful, he’s a stallion - he may get tense in the prizegiving but he knows when to focus and that’s a great quality about him”, she said. 

Next weekend’s penultimate qualifier in Gothenburg promises more great sport as the battle for those coveted tickets for Omaha comes to a boiling point, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result 

Standings

VIDEO of the entire class - Incredible performance from the new pair Blue Hors Zepter and Danish Nanna Merrald

Nothing can stop Nanna

“Mrs wonder young lady in the saddle” that´s what she is the 29 year old Danish rider Nanna Merrald. Proving ones again today that she can do it.

Top movitated and attentive 15 year old Blue Hors Zepter, with an outstanding performance, no technical issues only two minor things, going in to the one times Zepter jumps one time parallel hind before she start the series and the final transition from canter to trot at M where he becomes a bit stocked - rest was pretty much spotless.

It was only their 2nd ever Grand Prix together and scoring 77,130% just makes their journey to something very special.

Enjoy their performance here below - move the time line to 3.00.00. Daniel and Zippo M.I. is right before Nanna and Zepter.

From the start list Ingrid Klimke with Franziskus looked like a very strong German card, but today they had an error for the two times and the walk tour was somewhat limited.

Placed 3 Dutch super combination Foundation with Kirsten Brouwer. Unfortunately it looked a bit like Foundation pulled up the tongue, and for some moments during today´s test he showed a bit open mouth. Said that Kirsten and Foundation shows a lovely partnership. Kirsten is able to ask all the way and Foundation is responding positively every time. Beautiful half passes, super passage and active piaffe of the ground. All the way with freedom in and uphill open position. (Pretty impressive that Kirsten is able to keep him engaged all the way from behind without loosing the power). No doubt Danish judge at E Susanne Baarup had them at the correct placement as 2nd after Nanna and Zepter.

Danish Daniel Bachmann showed Zippo M.I. with a strong performance. It was the first time Zippo ever seen an arena like Holsten Halle in Neumünster, and he stayed with Daniel all the time and they showed an error free test, only with some tensions for the piaffe tours where Zippo looked a stocked in the ground hind and does not really let go over the back. Today´s highlight was both pirouettes with super sit and very nice balance also the trot extensions has developed nicely.

Tomorrow is World Cup Grand Prix freestyle starting at 10 am - LIVE at Clipmyhorse/FEI.tv - available for Premum members.

Top 10 from today´s World Cup Grand Prix

VIDEO - Busy Tuesday at Daniel Bachmann Andersen

Vayron and Daniel Bachmann Andersen training with Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein - photo: H2R

Inspirational day

What´s going on out there on an ordinary grey February day?

Tuesday morning H2R was heading towards Jutland to visit Daniel Bachmann Andersen, just to see and feel what´s going on, at his home arena on an ordinary winter day.

I was definitely a busy day as Daniel´s trainer Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein has been teaching from the very first in the morning, and they´ve still got four more horses to do before mid day.

The eyes from the ground

You clearly get the impression of their professional relationship, as it is not like a usual trainer/student lesson, but more like “I have the feeling when I do so, it could be a bit more” tells Daniels, and then Nathalie and Daniel pick up this part for their training session. And as Daniel tells, “there´s no need to ride all exercises for Nathalie, partly because she knows the horses quite well, and knows my plan with each horse, but also that I want to benefit from her eyes on the ground for more of my horses when she is here. Of course we do go more into details with ex. Zippo M.I. and Vayron as I bring both of them for Neumünster this weekend.”

Neumünster this weekend

“Vayron still need more experience at the bigger shows and for Neumünster this weekend he will do the national Grand Prix Tour, while I will bring Zippo M.I. for the World Cup.

Both horses develops very nicely now, and as they both very talented it is of course always fun to bring them for the bigger events.” (Zippo did his first international back in May 2022 and Vayron still only has done two internationals)."

Teaching the pro´s

Nathalie tell that she for both Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Daniel Bachmann Andersen is the eyes from the ground and really enjoy the sparring about their training. “I´m definitely not gonna learn them riding, but my job is to help with the details, and maybe give them some other tools to solve a specific problem in the daily training. For me it´s not about one way speak, but very much about knowing each other, and where I can ask them for more, in order to reach not only today´s goal for the training, but for sure also the long term goals” says Nathalie.

Blue Hors "Special Advisor" Jens Meyer with some thoughts about the future from KWPN licensing

Jens Meyer and Martin Klavsen - photo: Blue Hors

Jens Meyer has since 2020 been a part of Blue Hors team in terms of special advisor for among others scouting foals, young horses and young stallions.

PART OF ARTICLE AT HORSE MAGAZINE

One of those foreign sets of eyes belonged to Jens Meyer, although my friend has undergone a sea change since first I met him thirty years ago. Then he was, like his father before him, a loyal Hanoverian breeder, and he went on to establish a powerful stable of top Hanoverian stallions. Like horse breeding itself, Jens has become universal, he advice is sought by breeders and breed societies around the world, and he is contracted to Blue Hors as a special advisor, and roving buyer looking for exciting stallion prospects irrespective of geography and studbook…

What were his impressions of this year’s KWPN show, and this year he had a personal interest, bringing three Glamourdales from Blue Hors to the testing, one out of a full-sister to Kjento.

“I come with another view, for me, it is interesting to see what each stallion is capable of doing, and try to build a bridge from the licensing, to the horse under saddle, and then to the foals. The foal business now is completely different, we don’t have the farmers any more, now it is big studs with really specialised persons who produce foals that they can sell. For me I am very proud, I bought three Glamourdales, three years ago. One is licensed in Westfalia, and one here, so you have the right taste three years ago. What we need for the new generation, that Blue Hors can produce stallions for the breeders to use.”

“What is good here for me is that if the horse is not licensed, he can come again in eight weeks and be tested under saddle. For a commission, they must judge what they see here, but in the end we want a riding horse, and we must look for the construction that works under saddle.  We have seen it in the past where we have had stallions that do not have nice conformation, they were performance test winners, but they get no chance to make no foals, and the stallion must make foals to succeed.

What did you like about the Glamourdales?

“Okay he is the World champion, but what is important for me is that the progeny are really sportive horses. I like how he is able to do this. When he was a young one, it was really interesting to see with this huge canter, could he make it small, and he is able to do it.  With the Hanoverians, we need canter, and if you have a huge canter that can be made small, that it very good, but there are not so many who can do this, that makes Glamourdale very interesting.”

What did you think of the Le Formidables?

“I will wait, I am surprised, he made a medium test, and I am surprised with what he produced on phenotype, and now good foals, I like them. We’ll see what they do under saddle. Right now I am not going out looking for a Le Formidable, but if they can show under saddle, then I am looking. We need stallions that produce phenotype, and for this he makes good, he gives longer legs, a good front leg, and we’ll see what the horse is able to do. Interesting horse.”

We haven’t seen the Toto Jrs yet…

“Tomorrow we’ll know more. He makes not such shiny foals, but the brain is really super, it looks like they will be really sportif horses.”

Why don’t they use any B line in this country?

“I think when we have the right one, it will come, but every country has their own lines, their own ideas in the construction of the horse, but I think in the future the B line will come. When we think now the influence of Vivaldi is very big, especially in Hanover, this is twenty years ago here, so sometimes it needs time to move a line.”

“It is interesting to see that this licensing system works. Last weekend in Amsterdam in the World Cup Grand Prix we had four licensed stallions competing and one – Hermes – won.”

Here you can read the full article at Horse Magazine.

Note: When reading the article the part about Valverde now being ridden by Daniel Bachmann Andersen is not correct.

Anna, Anne-Marie og Jane slutter Le Mans af med flere flotte præstationer

Jane og Desperada placeret som nr. 2 og Anna og Everian L vinder af dagens Intermediaire I kür - privat foto.

Intermediaire I kür og Grand Prix Special med både sejr og 2. plads til Danmark

Lige før middag i dag var Anna Kasprzak med Everian L og Jane Serup Jensen med Desperada klar til at ride Intermediaire I kür.

Anna og Everian L lagde ud med en meget stræk tur. De havde rystet gårsdagens knap så skarpe tur af sig og viste en flot og powerfuld tur uden tekniske udfordringer. Masser kvalitet under vejs. Anna som jo er super rutineret, også i kür, havde lavet en god kür med musik der understøttede koreografien rigtig fint. Sejren var i hus med 76,375% og enigt dommerpanel. Dermed sikrede Anna igen, at franske Le Mans kunne nyde den danske nationalmelodi endnu engang i den her weekend.

Jane og Desperada var også klar til kür, og igen i dag det var deres fælles debut. Jane kommer lidt presset fra start, da det ser ud til at timingen for inden var en smule knap, desværre springer Desperada i galop i den første travers til højre, men Jane fanger hurtigt traven igen og kommer flot videre. Derfra en flot tur med god power og overblik. En virkelig flot debut weekend for ekvipagen, og Le Mans viser endnu engang. at det er det perfekte danskerstævne.

I Grand Prix Specialen var der endnu en dansker debut tur, nemlig med Scarlett og Anne-Marie Hosbond. Ingen af parterne havde nemlig prøvet kræfter med Grand Prix Special tidligere, men det lignede langt fra en debut tur. Anne-Marie rider selvsikkert hele turen, og det giver også ro for Scarlett som bare udføre opgaven øvelse efter øvelse. Set fra sidelinien er ekvipagens store force at Anne-Marie både kan og får lov til at bede om mere hvor det er nødvendigt - et utrolig vigtig “redskab” til fremtiden. Selvom timingen naturligvis ikke sidder helt i skabet i piaffeturene, så er kvaliteten der, og frem for alt bevare ekvipagen overblikket sammen. Det var en rigtig flot debut som lover godt for fremtiden. Parret slutter som toer med 70,149% og et enigt dommerpanel.

Addict de Massa og Anna Kasprzak var klar igen i dag. Rutineret får Anna vist en rigtig solid tur uden tekniske fejl, alene med nogle mindre ting under vejs, men generelt et afspændt og harmonisk billede. Parret slutter med 72,872% og deres 2. sejr i Le Mans.

Dagens flotte dansker top i Grand Prix Special her med træner Allan Hansen - privat foto.

You still have the chance to buy your next top horse from Van Olst Sales - Online auction is running now

Online auction - “The young ones 2023”

Check out the collection as you can still secure your future super star a Van Olst Sales auction. The auction is running now and will end tomorrow at 8 pm.

You can check out the entire collection here and also sign up for online bidding. Any question about the horses you can of course contact Van Olst team anytime.

The horses were shown Thursday evening at the live presentation, and all gave a very nice impression, and showed very nice qualities.

Currently the bids comes from all over the world among other The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Canada.

No 5 🌟and no 10 🌟are on H2R favorite list.

Did you pick your favorites from yesterday´s Helgstrand / Schockemöhle stallion show?

Sebastino PS by Secret / Vivaldi - photo: Schockemohle.com

Helgstrand / Schockemöhle stallion show Friday evening

A total of 31 dressage stallions and 11 jumping stallions the program was from 7 pm to 11 pm - 4 hours!

From following the entire evening 4 stallions stood out from breeding, type and movements. Additionally two stallion also went into H2R top list even though they don´t have the most attractive bloodlines - they definitely showed something extra too.

At the very TOP of H2R list is 🌟Sabastino PS🌟 by Secret / Vivaldi, presented by Heiko Klausing. This stallion brings it all. Supple movements, uphill, long legged, expressive, soft long front legs, supple from behind and with now 5 year he still look like a young stallion - this is a real breeding stallion.

Opoque keep on developing under rider Mette Sejbjerg Jensen. He is a very expressive mover and still with top basic gaits, trot, canter and WALK!

Stay Cool another Secret son, beautiful type, super supple from behind in a natural closed frame, lovely trot and canter, and not yet showing a big convincing walk (but still he has just started under saddle).

Viva Vegas by Viva Gold was shown by hand, but still he shows some natural suppleness and expression. Gonna be exciting to watch him under saddle.

Galaxico by Grand Galaxy Win is an expressive mover, uphill with good power from behind. Presented by Mette Sejbjerg Jensen.

About Me by AC/DC - maybe mostly a GREAT sport horse, but definitely interesting to see if he will inherit his outstanding balance and power from behind. .

H2R hot list:

  • Stay Cool by Secret / Don Darius - 2020

  • Galaxico by Grand Galaxy / Samarant - 2020

  • About Me by AC/DC / Estobar NRW - 2018

  • Sebastino PS by Secret / Vivaldi - 2018

  • Opoque by All at Once / Davino V.O.D - 2019

  • Viva Vegas by Viva Gold / Rock Forever - 2020

The stallion show is still not available to watch at the archive, but usually it will be online in a few days.

VIDEO - Jane Serup Jensen og Desperada vinder af deres internationale Intermediaire I debut i Le Mans

Jane Serup Jensen og Desperada vinder af dagens internationale Inter I i Le Mans - privat foto.

De danske ekvipager klar til andendagen i Le Mans

Formiddagen stod på Intermediaire I med de to succesfulde ekvipager fra gårsdagens Prix St. Georg, nemlig Jane Serup Jensen med Desperada og Anna Kasprzak med Everian L. De to danske ekvipager havde starttid lige efter hinanden i dag, med Jane og Desperada først.

Selvom det blot var parrets 2. start i Inter I (de debuterede fornyligt til landsstævnet i Esbjerg med 69,912%) så efterlod Jane kun få point under vejs i turen. Generelt rider Jane turen med dejligt overblik og Desperada ligner en rigtig kammerat derinde, som går hver øvelse efter rytterens anvisninger, og Jane får gjort hver enkelt øvelse færdig, også selvom der opstår et par mindre ting under vejs i dag. Specielt fint overblik da Desperada kommer lidt bagom hjælpen i den første pirouette, hvor Jane bare kommer videre, og får lavet den næste pirouette super flot og velbalanceret.

En super præstation og uanset hvad, er det bare ekstra flot, at komme som et helt ukendt “amatør” kort og tage sejren.

Jane fortæller efter dagens tur: “Jeg havde jo aldrig drømt om det her, men kom jeg herned med håbet om et par gode ture, og ikke mindst at samle noget international erfaring. Jeg var spændt på at komme ind i arenaen sammen med Desperada, men hun var bare den bedste kammerat som altid. Det har været en fantastisk rejse hertil sammen med Desperada, og jeg er naturligvis super taknemmelig for opbakningen fra Anne-Marie og Allan (Både Anne-Marie Hosbond og Allan Hansen har været med på sidelinien som trænere på rejsen). En helt igennem særlig oplevelse ,som jeg er utrolig glad og stolt over,” siger Jane.

Imorgen er parret klar til deres første kür tur nogensinde. Jane har fået lavet en kür hvor Louise Tandrup har lavet musikken til.

Placeret som nr. 4 i dag er Anna og Everian som viser en god trav tur i god balance, den samlede skridt er knap hel samlet mens den frie skridt er super god, med stor overtrædning hvor Everian længer rammen og tager kontakten rigtig fint. Super galoptur bortset fra to fejl i dag som koster. Der indløber fejl i 3´er serien, ligesom balancen mistes ud af galop pirouetten til højre.

Se resultatlisten her.

Danskerne indtager igen i år det internationale stævne i Le Mans

Jane Serup Jensen, Anna Kasprzak og Anne Marie Hosbond med dagens “høst” - privat foto.

De danske deltagere i Le Mans satte aftryk på alle klasserne i dag

Prix St. Georg

Anna Kasprzak havde taget sin nu 8-årige DV vallak Everian L e. Everdale / Hochadel, avlet af Karsten Bundgaard med i den internationale lille-tur for første gang. Parret leverede en flot tur med god power, måske knap med fuld risiko i travturen, men hele vejen i god balance, god kvalitet i skridten selvom begge pirouetter bliver knapt centreret nok, super flot galop tur med gode halv pirouetter og super flotte gennemsprungne serier med store changementer. Parret vinder Prix St. Georg klassen med 71,500%.

Ny på den internationale scene var Jane Serup Jensen med hoppen Desperada. Parret har gennem det seneste år høstet mange placeringer på landsniveau, og har stille og roligt samlet både erfaring og forbedret deres ture. Parret var derfor også klar til at afprøve den internationale scene, og det gjorde de med maner. Jane og Desperada er en super harmonisk ekvipage, og Jane får vist en rigtig flot tur nærmest uden noget at pege fingre af, kun en enkelt spænding i overgangen fra skridt til galop. Super flot galoptur, og parret slutter på podiet med en 3. plads med 70,647%.

Grand Prix

I Grand Prix klassen var Anna Kasprzak klar med Varmblod/Lusitaner vallakken Addict de Massa. Parret debuterede på den internationale scene tilbage i 2019, og havde de deres bedste og mest konstante sæson sidste år. Addict er jo den type hest som bare vil for meget, men det ligner bestemt at Anna har fundet den gyldne middelvej, som her faktisk er ensbetydende med “less is more”. Det giver sig meget tydelig udtryk i piaffe og passage turene, hvor det hele er tydeligt mere afspændt og naturlig aktiv, hvor Addict tidligere ofte lignede en der ikke vidste hvor han skulle sætte hoven næste gang. Ekvipagen leverede en solid tur med kun nogle små uoverensstemmelser, men uden tekniske fejl og med en vinder score på 73,065%.

International Grand Prix debut ekvipage var idag Scarlett og Anne Marie Hosbond. Parret har været super flittige i lille tur og debuterede også på lille-turs niveauet internationalt sidste år. I oktober debuterede de sammen i Grand Prix og vandt fornylig Grand Prix i Esbjerg. I dag tog de sammen et stort skridt ind på den internationale Grand Prix scene med en rigtig flot tur. Scarlett går med dejlig takt og sving, og har ikke nogen øvelsesmæssige svagheder. Et par mindre overensstemmelser men ingen tekniske fejl, desværre misforstår Scarlett lidt den sidste piaffe som bliver dyrt. Ekvipagen slutter flot deres første internationale Grand Prix med en 6. plads og 70,217%.

Inter B

Den danskavlet hoppe 9-årige Tophøjs Zackira e. Blue Hors Zack / Sorento, avlet af Stutteri Tophøj og redet af Anders Dahl. En skøn hoppe med dejlig udtryk. Inter B programmet er virkelig en tur hvor flowet udebliver, da der er rigtig mange overgange og skift under vejs. Zackira viser super kvalitet i passage, men som naturligt stadig mangler noget rutine, ligesom også piaffen er der, dog endnu ikke i en helt balanceret udgave. Under vejs lidt spændinger, super højdepunkt var dagens pirouetter, som så legende let ud. Parret slutter deres internationale debut med en 3. plads og 68,612%.

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