Competition is underway at Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials in Germany, with Australians in action on day one of the dressage for the CCI4*S Meßmer Trophy.
Hannah Klep and her own 16-year-old Australian-bred gelding Tulara Chicouve (by Chico’s Boy out of Moschino, by Vancouver II) are the highest placed Australian combination, setting a score of 35.3 for eleventh in the interim rankings.
Isabel English and the first of her two rides, 11-year-old Australian-bred gelding Cil Dara Dallas (by Diarado out of Koyuna Blue Pearl, by Koyuna Quarterback), received a mark of 37.1 for seventeenth place. Cil Dara Dallas is owned by Sarah English, Sofia von Moltke, and Jenny and John Curtis.
A further four Australian combinations will complete their dressage tests in the second half of the draw on Friday. With the event likely to prove influential in terms of Australian team selection for the upcoming FEI World Championships in Aachen, riders are no doubt hoping to put their best performances in over the coming days.
Olympic champion Julia Krajewski has taken the lead riding the twelve-year-old gelding Tullabeg Platinum, scoring 27.2. New Zealand’s Lissington Samantha on Delarado is currently in second place (29.2) and Cosby Green of the USA on Highly Suspicious is in third (31).
In ideal conditions, the international competitors performed to a high standard and treated the spectators to an exciting start to the event in Luhmühlen.
Julia Krajewski was very pleased with her horse: “I’m really chuffed with him. We’re gradually improving our points. It doesn’t come naturally to him, but he’s really trying his best and was very good today. I feel very comfortable and happy here as there’s always a great crowd. Usually, my horses go well in the Luhmühlen arena – it’s big but they somehow feel safe, maybe due to the decorations. In the end, if the rider feels well, the horse usually goes well.
“I’m really looking forward to the cross-country. As always, it’s quite twisty and I think the time will be a very deciding factor, but the questions all seem very clear, I think it’s a good four-star course and I hope my horses are up to it. The ground looks good, too. It’s still being watered because the sandy ground can take a lot of water.”
New Zealander Samantha Lissington, currently in second place, has been working towards breaking the “magic 30” for a long time: “Delarado is a very reliable horse who consistently performs well and I’m very happy with our result as I’ve chipped away at the 30-point barrier for a long time now. I’m really looking forward to the cross-country course. The questions are spread out all along the course and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. The questions are clear, but I think it will be difficult to stay within the time limit.”
Friday’s dressage will see a further four Australian combinations in action in the CCI4*S:
Grace Kay and Bluefields For Cello (9am local time, 5pm AEST)
Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos (9.14am local time, 5.14pm AEST)
Kevin McNab and Faro Imp (11.18am local time, 7.18pm AEST)
Isabel English and Cil Dara Bombay S (11.32am local time, 7.32pm AEST)
Hallie Coon and Kapriccio take the overnight lead in the CCI5*L
Following the first day of dressage, American rider Hallie Coon and her Holsteiner gelding Kapriccio hold the overnight CCI5*L lead on a score of 27.8 penalties. New Zealand’s Tim Price and Happy Boy currently sit in second place (31.7), while Great Britain’s Stephen Heal and Hagonda are third (33.6).
Coon and Kapriccio delivered a harmonious and expressive test, earning the highest score of the day. The American rider was delighted with her horse’s performance: “He’s just the best horse I could possibly have underneath me. He’s the type of horse that if you hold his hand and make sure he’s comfortable, he’ll give you his heart on a plate. It’s a really lovely feeling and I wouldn’t want to be on any other horse.”
Looking ahead to cross-country day, she added: “I haven’t seen the whole course yet as I was so focused on this first phase, but it looks like a big, bold, galloping track. The conditions are perfect, the ground is lovely, so Luhmühlen has done a very, very good job preparing. I’m excited to get on with the rest of it. The general consensus is that there is a lot to do out there. It’s not going to be a dressage show. It’s not one thing in particular, but cumulatively there is a lot to do, and I think it’s going to make for a really good competition.”
Tim Price and Happy Boy are currently in second place: “He tried really hard. We had two mistakes in the medium trot, which was a real surprise because he normally has a very good trot. I don’t know, he was almost over-concentrating. He’s a real trier and always wants to do the right thing, and I was really pleased with everything else.”
Price expects a challenging cross-country test ahead: “It’s a tough cross-country course and he can be a bit naughty sometimes, but hopefully I’ve got a good plan and we can do a good job.”
Britain’s Stephen Heal and Hagonda currently sit third. For the mare, this marks only her second CCI5*L appearance. “I’m very pleased with her. This is only her second five-star event and she has never competed in an arena with this kind of atmosphere before. I was delighted with how focused she stayed and how rideable she was throughout the test. I’m really looking forward to the cross-country. I think the course should suit her well and we’ll do our best.”
Germany’s Katharina Meyer was quite emotional after her test: “Just being able to ride here in front of this crowd was an honour. I was there when Aspen was born and spent the entire night with him in his stable. To come here and complete this test together is incredibly emotional.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s cross country, Meyer remains optimistic: “Of course, it’s a five-star competition. The course is long and demanding, with one question following the next. You have to stay focused all the way to the finish, but I believe the track suits him.”
The sole Australian combination in the CCI5*L field, Bill Levett and Tom Tom R, passed the first horse inspection but later withdrew prior to the dressage.
View the CCI5*L results and start times here.
Source: Turniergesellschaft Luhmühlen press release, edited by Equestrian Life
