15 Feb Harmony and Internationality: Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD win the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix in Neumünster
(Neumünster) Victory in the FEI Dressage World CupTM Grand Prix, Prize of Madeleine Winter-Schulze & Familie Schwiebert, Helenenhof went to a pair from Norway that had already attracted attention at the Olympic Games in Paris and the FEI Dressage World CupTM qualifiers in London and Basel. Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD won the CDI-W FEI Grand Prix with the top score of 75.739 percent. There were several 9.0s in the protocol, even a 10.0 for the one tempi changes. “Total Hope was a bit hot at first when I rode in and people were clapping, but of course he knows that from stallion shows. That also means he doesn’t get spooked so easily. However, he then quickly realised that it was serious here and the test flowed on particularly well. I’m really happy with my horse today,” Freese summarised her ride and added: ’It gets easier and easier from test to test and Total Hope is having more and more fun with it, today I had a really nice feeling and great consistency throughout.”
Blue Hors Zepter returns to Neumünster
It was the first start for Nanna Skodborg Merrald (DEN) and Blue Hors Zepter after the opening leg of the FEI Dressage World CupTM season in Herning, Denmark, in October and the longer competition break almost made the impressive son of Zack seem a little ring rusty at first. However, the experienced championship pair looked more confident with every movement and piaffed to 74.761 percent, second place. “I try to enter the FEI Dressage World CupTM season with different horses, because I’m lucky enough to have a few good ones in the stable. As the show approaches, I feel each horse and see who is in the best shape and that’s why I chose Zepter here. He felt great at home and I’m really happy to have him here in Neumünster,” explained the Danish Olympian. “Overall, I had a good feeling in the test, even though he wasn’t always concentrating on me. As a result, we had mistakes in the one tempi changes and little things here and there.” The pair were already successful in the World Cup qualifier in Neumünster two years ago.
Raphael Netz best German
The best German pair in third place were Raphael Netz and his Great Escape Camelot, who were able to benefit from their first Holstenhalle experience last year. The judges awarded 73.217 percent for the performance, which scored particularly well in the trot halfpass and the final centreline. The 26-year-old, who is riding his second FEI Dressage World CupTM season, was very pleased with the result: “Although the venue is not so easy and the audience is almost sitting inside the arena, Camelot was completely with me and focussed 100 percent on me, which of course suggests that he remembers the arena and realised: ‘We’ve been here before, it was fun last time too’. Of course, that was also the reason why we wanted to come here again.”
Many nations and harmonious rides
President of the ground jury, Katrina Wüst emphasised the internationality: “We had a total of seven nations competing here, five of which were among the top five. That totally speaks for Neumünster and distinguishes the show. We have an incredibly packed audience, we have the experts here from the Schleswig-Holstein breeding region, which in addition to the fantastic show organisation, really enhances the atmosphere. Neumünster doesn’t have the biggest arena, but it is the most crowded one.” Foreign judge Carlos Lopes (POR), who was judging at the VR CLASSICS Neumünster for the first time, was also impressed: “It was a pleasant surprise for me. I was impressed by the spectators and the atmosphere here, but above all by the quality of the riding and the horses we saw today.” Among the knowledgeable audience were organiser Ullrich Kasselmann and long-time competition sponsors Madeleine Winter-Schulz and Rainer Schwiebert from Helenenhof, who watched the sport with great interest. Rainer Schwiebert spoke for all three when he praised the harmonious rides: “That was advertising for the sport!”
The best 15 pairs will meet again on Sunday at 10.00 am. They will then compete in the FEI Dressage World CupTM Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by VR Bank zwischen den Meeren, for important points for the FEI Dressage World CupTM Final in Basel (SUI) in April. Limited tickets for the VR CLASSICS are still available through the following channels: via the ticket hotline 04321-755421, by email to tickets@vr-classics.de or online at RESERVIX (vr-classics.reservix.de). A sufficient number of standing tickets for the event hall (Hall 1) are available online and at the box office. General admission tickets for the exhibition and the children’s area in Halls 4, 5 and the foyers are also available online and at the box office. For more information, please visit our website, vr-classics.de.
Photo (c) Stefan Lafrentz