VIDEO - Årets første egnethedstest med de fantastiske faciliteter på Stutteri Ask

Drømmer om fremtidens dressur

Eftermiddagens egnethedstest blev afholdt i de smukke og udsøgte faciliteter på Stutteri Ask i Martofte på Fyn. Indtil nu et mekka for springhestene, men i løbet af 2024 rykker også en mindre del af Blue Hors ind på det smukke anlæg.

For flere dressurfolk var det også første besøg på Stutteri Ask, og på tilskuerpladserne var drømmene allerede store. Internationale dressurstævner, mesterskaber og championatsfinaler, det er virkelig et anlæg som kan rumme ALT hvad hjertet begærer, med en placering midt i landet, som er overkommelig afstand for alle, og som bringer minderne tilbage til DM-tiden på Broholm.

Årets første egnethedstest i region 3

Dagens dommerteam bestod af Mette Svare Ehlers, Vicky Nortvig og Rune Willum. Opgaven set fra sidelinien blev heller ikke med de store komplikationer, da alle hestene generelt blev præsenteret i god dagsform, i balance for største parten og pånær et par enkelte var de alle udstyret med 3 taktrene gangarter.

Der havde været plads til et par enkelte 9-taller mere under vejs, bl.a. dagens vinder som godt kunne have scoret et rent 9-tal i ridelighed uden det havde været for meget, lige som Anne Troensegaards Saffron lignede et klart 9-tal i både galop og ridelighed set fra sidelinien. En enkelt hest Ferdinand DWB blev belønnet med et 9-tal i skridten, som desværre ikke så helt balanceret ud i alle momenter. Men ellers stor ros til dommerteamet for gode bedømmelser, og ikke mindst den gode kommentering fra Mette Svare Ehlers efter hver ekvipage.

Når man sådan en eftermiddag naturligt også kigger afstamninger, har de fleste jo altid en mening om en bestemt afstamning, og nogle gange bliver man heldigvis super positivt overrasket. Dagens positive overraskelse stod Anne Marie Hosbond for sammen med hoppen Fransine DWB e. Franklin / Fürstenball, som hun viste i flot form, med 3 gode gangarter, og sidst men ikke mindst med en afspændthed, naturlighed og blødhed i kroppen i alle tre gangarter som vi desværre ikke ser så ofte hos Franklin afkommene, men kombinationen her med Fürstenball har bestemt givet noget tæt på det optimale resultat.

En eftermiddag som bestemt giver håb for fremtidens unge DV dressurheste, og med blikket rettet lidt længere frem end Unghestechampionatet, også en god håndfuld attraktive emner i forhold til UVM.

Placerede ekvipager:

More Nürnberger Burg-Pokal combinations testing the form today at Agravis Cup, Oldenburg

7 yr old stallion Lord Europe with Leonie Richter winner of S* today in Oldenburg

It was kind of “general test” for the up-coming Nürnberger Burg-Pokal final taking place in December in Frankfurt, as today´s top 5 are all qualified for thd finals and combination placed 6 are reserves for the final.

Lord Europe and Leonie Richter is for sure a lovely combination, super supple and expressive trot tour, the walk is good but could show a bit more suppleness, the collected canter itself is not always shown in a clear three beat, but the quality of the series is very nice including straightness and uphill tendency. Only one minor issues for today´s test was slightly missing the impulsion into the 2nd canter half pirouette.

Placed 2nd Beata Stremler with For Magic Equesta FRH with lightness and correctness all the way without any technical issues. Only tiny thing was entering halt with the hind quaters bit to the right on the line. Lovely power from behind in the trot, light contact with steady foaming mouth, good supple active walk tour, good quaity of the canter and with nice balanced half pirouettes and good serie. For the day a surplus in H2R opinion.

Today with the final (7-9 year old horses) starting 13.30 - Preis des Fördervereins des Oldenburger Verbandes, as Prix St. Georg Special.

Placed combinations:

THE FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP: THE WHOLE FRENCH TEAM IN LONGINES EQUITA LYON’S RING

PRESS RELEASE

French dressage hasn’t been in such good shape for a long time. This summer, France managed to qualify two members of its team in the Grand Prix Freestyle and four in the Grand Prix Special at the FEI European Championships: a first in the history of France’s dressage riders at this level of competition! A few weeks earlier, the French team won the Nations Cup in Rotterdam. Its members will now be competing in the World Cup leg at Longines Equita Lyon on 2 and 3 November.

French dressage is riding high! There is unprecedented enthusiasm for the discipline, due to the good results achieved this summer by four amazing riders, led by a selector and Chef d’Équipe who has made his group believe in themselves again. ‘Our French riders are just as good as the rest! They had to realise that,’ explains Jean Morel, national coach and Chef d’Équipe of the French dressage team, and his partner Laurent Gallice, National Technical Adviser, as they talk about the four riders, Morgan Barbançon, Pauline Basquin, Alexandre Ayache and Arnaud Serre, who are due to compete in the FEI Dressage World Cup leg at Longines Equita, Concours Hippique International. on 1 November. ‘The response from the public has been incredible. The riders received a lot of compliments at the end of the European Championships. It was the first time they had received so many! The biggest German media took an interest in Pauline, the Dutch media interviewed Morgan, and they all asked us about this transformation in French dressage. They can't comprehend that in just one year we've achieved what we have today, with the same combinations. I've always told them that it's the result of the work of these riders, who we've been able to motivate and who needed to become confident.’

IMPRESSIVE FOREIGN COMPETITION

The discipline’s stars perform very well in the big ring in Lyon, the judges' scores are on the rise, and the French riders will have their work cut out against Denmark's Nanna Skodborg Merrald, currently number 3 in the FEI World Rankings, Germany’s Isabell Werth and Frederic Wandres, respectively World number 5 and 8, Sweden’s Patrik Kittel, World number seven, the Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra, World number fifteen, and Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis, World number twenty- four. The foreign riders have also pulled out all the stops in terms of their horses. Judge for yourself: the second-best horse in the world currently, the chestnut stallion, Blue Hors ST. Schufro ridden by Nanna Skodborg Merrald, Bluetooth OLD, the seventh combination in the world rankings with Frederic Wandres, and Emilio 107, Isabell Werth's loyal partner, will all be competing. ‘For the FEI World Cup, riders have carte blanche, provided they comply with the sporting guidelines issued for the Olympic Games [...]. The advice in this case will be not to take any risks,’ says Jean Morel, ‘and to show how the horses have progressed. My role as Chef d’Équipe is, among other things, to promote the French combinations, particularly to the judges, so that they take a positive interest in them. I think we're succeeding in this challenge: the riding we present is a new kind of riding, very fluid, very light, in the style that the judges want to see. Now our horses are in self-carriage and their muscles are working harmoniously. We like it and that's why our French riders are becoming more and more important in world equestrian circles. However, I'll say it again: for the winter season, we’re currently advising our riders not to 'step on the gas' just yet: we'll do that when the horses are fully ready for it.’

In order to showcase dressage to as many people as possible, Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International’s organisers have decided to open the FEI World CupTM leg in Lyon to all the visitors. On Thursday 2 and Friday 3 November, spectators who have ‘exhibition’ entrance tickets will discover the best dressage riders in the world, during performances worthy of the greatest specialists. On Thursday, the doors of the exhibition will open at 8 am to let spectators be comfortably seated in the stands at 8.30 am.

THE FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP LEG IN LYON’S COMPETITIONS

  • The FEI Dressage World CupTM Grand Prix presented by CRE-ARA: on Thursday 2 November, at 8.30 am

  • The FEI Dressage World CupTM Grand Prix Freestyle presented by FFE - Generali: on Friday 3 November, at 4 pm

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HANN stallion licensing comes up from 2-4 November

59 young stallions ready for HANN licensing

H2R picked four young stallions showing top qualities. All four stallions with stallion look, supple movers, active of the ground with natural push from behind making themselves bigger for every single step.

Here you find the entire collection for the licensing.

Catalog online for upcoming OLD stallion pre-selection 15 - 17 November

145 young dressage stallions ready for OLD pre-selection

Both Dynamic Dream and For Romance I are represented with 8 sons, while Viva Gold and So Perfect has 7 sons for this pre-selection.

The main licensing takes place 18 - 21 January in Ankum due to extensive renovations at the auction hall in Vechta.

The 2024 Stallion Licensing will be divided into two parts: The emphasis will be on show jumping stallions from Thursday to Friday, January 18th to 19th, followed by the stallion market. From Saturday to Sunday, January 20th to 21st, dressage-oriented candidates will take the stage and further be auctioned. Due to logistical reasons, it will not be possible to organize a stallion gala as part of the 2024 licensing event.

Schedule for pre-selection:

Wednesday 15 November

  • 09.00 - catalog 1 - 17

  • 12.30 - 13.15 - lunch break

  • from 13.15 - catalog 18 - 37

Thursday 16 November

  • 09.00 - catalog 38 - 66

  • 12.30 - 13.15 lunch break

  • from 13.15 - catalog 67 - 99

Friday 17 November

  • 09.00 - catalog 100 - 121

  • 12.30 - 13.15 lunch break

  • from 13.15 - catalog 122 - 145 + late entries

Here you find the entire catalog

FEI PRESS RELEASE - Kittel is king at opening leg in Herning

Sweden’s Patrik Kittel concluded an exceptional week of success with victory in today’s first leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2023/2024 Western European League series in Herning, Denmark.

The 47-year-old three-time Olympian has long been master of the art when it comes to Freestyle performances, and with the 11-year-old gelding Touchdown he pinned an army of Danes into the minor placings.

On an emotional afternoon for rider Nanna Skodborg Merrald and the entire Blue Hors team, it was Blue Hors Zack who slotted into runner-up spot for the host nation ahead of compatriot Lone Bang Zindorff and Thranegaardens Rostov in third. Fourth and fifth places also went to Denmark with Andreas Helgstrand (Queenparks Wendy) pipping Anna Zibrandtsen (Quel Filou) while Germany’s Felicitas Hendricks (Drombusch OLD) slotted into sixth

“It’s difficult to put in words what a cool experience it was today!”, Kittel said. “The last time I won (a qualifier) was in 2017 and I think that was the last time I was really emotional when they played the national anthem!

“I knew all the (Danish) girls and Andreas would be really fighting to get up there and I tried to put that all behind me and go in and my horse just went unbelievably. I have to say that the lap of honour - with Scandic I’d be holding on for dear life - but Touchdown is so cool so you are high-fiving the entire audience! It’s an amazing feeling and the people in Boxen arena are so supportive, it’s great sport and it’s a great atmosphere to be in!”, he pointed out.

Pole position

All six judges - Per W. Nielsen (DEN), Peter Storr (GBR), Mariette Sanders-Van Gansenwinkel (NED), Susanne Baarup (DEN), Hans Christian Matthiesen (DEN) and Henning Lehrman (GER) - put Kittel in pole position for a soft and fluent test that earned a score of 84.065. 

Skodborg Merrald’s 82.820 gave her the edge over Bang Zindorff whose mark of 81.760 was a personal-best however.

Skodborg Merrald admitted that she was fighting back the tears when the audience greeted herself and the 19-year-old Zack with such enthusiasm before they started. “It was bit emotional in the beginning when the audience welcomed me really nicely, clapping a lot. I felt the tears a bit there and I said to myself come on now, you have to pull yourself together and do your best! I think he really did his very best and I did as well today!”, she said.

Yesterday the pair had to settle for eighth place in the Grand Prix due to multiple mistakes. Today however they were mistake-free. “He was much more powerful, much more with me the whole way around. I was so, so proud, it was the best possible way for me to finish with him!”, she said of the horse that last year helped to make Danish Dressage history when part of the gold medal winning team at the FEI World Championship at this same venue.

Warm-up

Bang Zindorff’s warm-up wasn’t the way she wanted because her coach and fellow-competitor, Helgstrand, went two horses ahead of her. “Normally he helps in the warm-up so I had to use my husband! But he did a really good job and then Andreas came out and helped me for about five minutes. My goal was no mistakes and I succeeded so it was fantastic!”, she said.

Kittel talked about his plan for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ series. 

“I’m very lucky at the moment to have so many good horses, four top top horses in my stables so one can rest and one can go and it’s a luxury that I’m very well aware of”, he explained.

“I will do Lyon (FRA) and Stuttgart (GER) with two different horses and I will take a decision about the Final when the day comes but first you have to qualify. But the World Cup series is so good. It starts in Herning with an amazing show and Stuttgart, Lyon they are all mega shows so whether you aim for the Final or not it’s great just to compete. I just take one show at a time and enjoy it!”, he said.

Four wins

He lined out in four classes at Herning and won all four, including the 3* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special with Gallerias Bohemian, the 13-year-old gelding that carried Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and to individual silver and bronze at the FEI European Championships in 2021.

He talked about the pressure of taking on such a successful horse from another top rider.

“Everyone has very high expectations and it’s not so easy. People are very quick to judge you, and Cathrine did such an amazing job with this horse. But even with the most well-educated horse you have to become a partner, and that takes time. I’ve only ridden him for 2.5 months and I need time to get to know him. Horses are not machines and neither are we, and we have to connect with them.

“Here in Boxen it was a risk taking him. I know the Danish audience have seen him with Cathrine and i wanted to do good and do the horse justice and Cathrine too. Here was the first time we did two fault-free tests together and that’s a lot of fun!”, he said.

Top ride

Kittel also competed Skodborg Merrald’s latest top ride, Blue Hors Zepter, in the past and he talked about what happens when horses move between top riders.

“I adored that horse and Nanna adored that horse. People think we are grumpy with each other when a horse changes (to another rider) but if the horse does well with another rider it actually gives me confidence that I did a good job with that horse! She rides it and does an amazing job, better than I did, but I’m happy with that! The horse has developed and bloomed….it’s part of the business and part of the game to do that, and it makes us riders happy to see the horse is performing well with someone else”, he insisted.

Today it was all about Touchdown however, and taking that top spot in Herning on the road to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2024 Final which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next April.

Next stop in the Western European League qualifying series is Lyon (FRA) in two weeks time where another win for Kittel would bring him very close to an early-season qualification spot.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…… 

FULL RESULTS

Scandinavian podium at the opening leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup Herning

Scandinavian podium at the opening leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup Herning

Patrik Kittel (SWE) riding Touchdown secured the first win at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League in Herning (DEN) today ahead of four Danish riders.

Patrik Kittel with Touchdown. Photo: Ridehesten.com/Kristine Ulsø Olsen

Press release

“I cannot remember when I last won four classes in a weekend,” said Patrik Kittel. He clinched the victory in the FEI Dressage World Cup Freestyle presented by ECCO in Herning (DEN) riding the brilliant Touchdown by Quaterback to victory with 84,065% in the opening leg of the World Cup-series in the Western European league.

Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald had an emotional weekend, as she decided to ride her Olympic Partner Blue Hors Zack by Harmony’s Rousseau for the very last time in international sport. The 19-year-old breeding stallion, made some mistakes in the FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix on Saturday, but in the Freestyle Zack was focused and Nanna was very pleased with her Freestyle –shown partly to the tune: Time to Say Goodbye. They earned 82,82% from the judges Susanne Baarup (DEN), Hans-Christian Mattiesen (DEN), Henning Lehrmann (GER), Mariette Sanders-van Gansewinkel (NED) and Peter Storr (GBR). Coming into second place.

Going in as last rider in the impressive Jyske Bank Boxen, Lone Bang Zindorff (DEN) focused on riding a flawless test, and after her final salute, it was mission accomplished.  With her 13-year-old mare Thranegaardens Rostov by Romanov she mowed from a 5th placed in the World Cup Grand Prix to a podium place, when she placed herself in front of her trainer, Andreas Helgstrand riding the 9-year-old Danish Warmblood mare Queenparks Wendy by Sezuan into fourth place with 81,160%

“I have to say, the lap of honour, having Touchdown being so cool, I could high-five the audience and it’s an amazing feeling. The people in Boxen are so supportive – it’s great sport and it’s just a great atmosphere to be in”, said Patrik Kittel at the press conference.

You have the possibility to watch the press conference here below ⬇️

About FEI Dressage World Cup

Four leagues (the Western European League - WEL, the Central European League - CEL, the North American League - NAL, and the Pacific League -PAL.) makes this series truly global and provide athletes from all around the world with an opportunity to qualify for the Final which will be taking place in Riyadh in April 2024.

In Western Europe, the level of Dressage is huge, and the world’s best riders will attend this World Cup League again this year. The series will take us to 11 different venues in Western Europe this season. The series opened in Herning (DEN). 

Nanna Skodborg Merrald med Blue Hors Zack. Photo: Ridehesten.com/Kristine Ulsø Olsen

Lone Bang Zindorff med Thranegaardens Rostov. Photo: Ridehesten.com/Kristine Ulsø Olsen

Maria Caetano and 11 yr old Lusitano stallion Horizonte winner of CDI3 Grand Prix in Madrid today with 73,891%

More than 5.5% ahead of no 2

The lusitano stallion Horizonte brings the full Iberian package for the Grand Prix sport and aditionally passage, piaffe, transitions and pirouettes are of very high qualities.

Caetano and Horizonte made their international debut back in February and won their last competition end of September in Lissabon with 70,152%.

Good flow and expression, no technical issues but still room for improvement, as ex into entering halt is with two trot steps, bit unbalanced into canter from passage, series are bit swinging and final transition to trot lacking more flow.

Here you find all start and results. The entire event is available to watch LIVE at Clipmyhorse.

Videointerview med international OL dressurdommer Susanne Baarup

International 5* dommer Susanne Baarup - foto: H2R

OL dommer for 2. gang

International dommer Susanne Baarup sad også med som dommer til weekendens championatsfinaler på Blue Hors, og den kommende weekend er hun igen klar til at dømme World Cup i Herning.

Det var selvfølgelig med stor glæde og stolthed at Susanne i sidste uge fik den officielle meddelelse om at hun nu for 2. gang kan kalde sig OL dommer (var dommer til OL i Rio 2016), idet hun også udpeget til at være en del af dommerteamet til næste sommers OL i Paris.

Hele dommerteamet til OL er:

  • Raphael Saleh (FRA) - president of the ground jury

  • Henning Lehrmann (GER)

  • Isobel Wessels (GBR)

  • Mariette Sanders (NED)

  • Magnus Ringmark (SWE)

  • Michael Osinski (USA)

  • Susanne Baarup (DEN)

VIDEO - The future of Danish top Dressage was also shown this week at Blue Hors

Vividus QRE & Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour winner of YH GP at Blue Hors

Young Horse Grand Prix successfully introduced in Denmark this weekend

The future of Danish Dressage was gathered at beautiful Blue Hors this weekend for the national young horse championships and the premier of young horse Grand Prix tour for 8-10 year old horses towards the big sport. (A new series like we know from Germany’s Louisdor Preis).

For both the top riders but also upcoming riders this is a great chance to bring either the young horse into Grand Prix level or both yourself and your horse into this level, it also gives a pretty nice picture of what´s coming next for the big sport from a young age.

A young age at Grand Prix level

The Danish team World Champions from 2022 in Herning were all four ready with young talented horses this weekend at Blue Hors.

From H2R point of view the most important part of this young horse Grand Prix is that the horses are presented as the young horses they actually are at this very demanding level. When watching from the long side you really get every single exercise how the horses are able to performe. The lightness in the contact, the clarity and quality of the paces, the control and suppleness and not least how sharp they are to the riders aides. All these elements are clearly reflected in the entire performance and also by the scoring.

From following these youngsters at a few previous nationals shows and even the development from Friday to Sunday how they all grow into the job, and as also Cathrine stated after her ride Sunday: “Today he reminded me about a true Grand Prix horse”.

Judge at C Sunday was Danish international 3* judge Christine Prip. “I think it is a really good initiative with young horses GP as part of a gentle transition for the young horses who comes out and work at GP level, where we as judges are also careful that they are young horses and the focus is on the good development and tendency in the work, and of courses with a little more tolerance for “beauty flaws” that obviously are rooted in a lack of routine. It was a great pleasure to see the well-trained young horses being guided around in the best possible way and the level was also very high. It was also really nice to see several of our Grand Prix riders (Cathrine, Nanna and Carina) in action in the young horse classes where really good and correct young horse riding was demonstrated - so the entire educational path was demonstrated in the best possible way over the weekend,” says Christine.

Enjoy the winner performance from 8 year old Vividus QRE & Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour here below⬇️

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