The Grand Prix Special at the FEI World Championships in Aachen promises to be a tremendously exciting affair. There are some exceptional horses among the 30 qualified combinations, and with the pressure of the team competition now behind them, the riders can focus entirely on chasing individual glory.
Henri Ruoste and Tiffanys Diamond
Tenth in the draw will be Finland’s Henri Ruoste and the beautiful 14-year-old mare Tiffanys Diamond. A few mistakes crept into their Grand Prix, but this is a very pretty, elastic horse and a genuine worker. She will certainly be one of the interesting horses to watch.
Therese Nilshagen and Navarro
Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen and Navarro will be 12th to go. This black 10-year-old stallion by Negro was very well ridden in the Grand Prix. Therese always presents her horses beautifully, and there is still plenty of room for improvement as this relatively young combination gains further experience.
Simone Pearce and Will Marq
Lucky number 13 belongs to Australia’s Simone Pearce and Will Marq, the 10-year-old stallion owned by Martin Fuchs. Will Marq certainly enjoyed the atmosphere and the vast arena during the Grand Prix, producing an impressive and virtually mistake-free test.
The Grand Prix Special should suit this combination particularly well, with its emphasis on extended trot, passage and Will Marq’s naturally uphill canter. It is a big day for Australian dressage, and it will be wonderful to see Simone and Will Marq competing on the individual stage.
The judges rewarded many aspects of their Grand Prix, and fingers crossed they can improve their position sufficiently to qualify among the top 18 for the Freestyle. That would be a tremendous achievement.
- Simone Pearce and Will Marq (Rio Marq x Lanciano): 7.02pm AEST (11.02am local time)
Patrik Kittel and Touchdown
Patrik Kittel had a most unfortunate Grand Prix with Touchdown. The horse stumbled badly in the extended trot, leaving everyone wondering whether he had pulled a shoe. Several further mistakes followed, which was most unusual for such an experienced rider.
Patrik places enormous pressure upon himself, his team and everyone around him at a Championship. With that first test now out of the way, however, he will undoubtedly be looking towards a strong performance in the Special and a place in the Freestyle. The extended trot work should particularly suit this powerful son of Quaterback.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb will also be looking to make amends after several costly mistakes in the Grand Prix. The opening halt was never truly established, there was a break and a trip in the extended trot, and Jagerbomb trotted out of a canter pirouette.
Despite those errors, the judges still recognised the tremendous quality within the test. With a rest day to recover and the pressure of the team competition now removed, Becky can throw everything at the Special. Jagerbomb may well be one of the combinations capable of making the greatest improvement.
Dinja van Liere and Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P.
A horse who particularly caught my eye was the nine-year-old black stallion Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P., ridden for the Netherlands by Dinja van Liere. By Zonik out of a Negro mare, he is absolutely stunning, both inside and out, and appears to have the most wonderful nature.
At only nine years of age, he is quite incredible and has become one of my personal favourites of the Championship. There is no obvious weakness in his paces or in any of the Grand Prix movements. He still has time to become stronger and more confident, but he is unquestionably a horse for the future. Keep him near the top of your list.
Raphael Netz and Great Escape Camelot
Germany’s Raphael Netz rides the 15-year-old Johnson gelding Great Escape Camelot. Raphael spoke extremely well at the team press conference and admitted that there had been some nerves involved in his Grand Prix performance.
Now that his first World Championship test is behind him — and with a team gold medal already around his neck — he is looking forward to the individual competitions. This is a beautiful horse with expressive paces, and Raphael is an exceptionally harmonious rider.
Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD
Also representing Germany, Frederic Wandres rides Bluetooth OLD, a very tall 16-year-old gelding by Bordeaux. He has wonderfully rhythmical paces and truly fills the eye. The passage is expressive, the walk is big and the canter pirouettes have enormous presence. The extended trot and passage sequences in the Special should suit him particularly well.
Marieke van der Putten and Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P.
Marieke van der Putten and Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P. are another fascinating Dutch combination. Zantana is a beautiful black mare by Zonik and is hugely expressive. She is a little lighter in frame than many of the other horses, but what a wonderful horse she is.
Carl Hester and Fame
You also cannot overlook Carl Hester and Fame. Although Fame can occasionally become a little short in the frame, which perhaps prevents the combination from achieving the enormous marks of some rivals, Carl’s presentation of the test is absolute perfection.
He never misses a corner, a preparation or the presentation of a movement. The angles, flexion and bend are always beautifully established, and there is rarely a mistake or a moment of crookedness. His ring craft is quite extraordinary.
Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD
Norway’s Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD were among the final combinations to compete in the Grand Prix and produced a relatively mistake-free test. There could perhaps be a little more engagement and sitting in the trot work, while the walk could flow more freely, but this is another combination capable of collecting significant marks.
Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Flash Gordon 37
Flash Gordon 37, ridden for Denmark by Daniel Bachmann Andersen, is a powerful chestnut gelding by Fürst Romancier. Many people felt this combination could have received higher marks in the Grand Prix. Flash Gordon has incredibly powerful and exuberant paces and, as with so many of Daniel’s horses, he attacks every movement with great commitment.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle
It will be particularly interesting to compare Daniel and Flash Gordon with Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, who follow them in the draw. They were both part of Denmark’s bronze-medal-winning team, yet they represent two very different styles of horse.
The extended trot and passage sequences should be a real highlight for Cathrine, while the one-tempi changes down the centreline will demonstrate the combination’s straightness. Mount St John Freestyle is a drop-dead beautiful mare who produced a stunning Grand Prix to win the class on 82.376%.
There is no doubt that Cathrine will bring the same composure, positivity and extraordinary understanding of the Special. Following the marks throughout her test will be enormously exciting.
Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus
Next will be Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus, another wonderful son of Zonik. This elegant 10-year-old black stallion is incredibly light on his feet. A little tension may have crept into Justin’s Grand Prix presentation, yet it remained an exceptional performance and was rewarded with 80.885%.
It is the ease, balance and apparent effortlessness with which Zonik Plus performs every movement that really opens your eyes. He is an extraordinary horse with a truly exciting future.
Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine
Third from last will be Germany’s Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine, a 12-year-old black mare by Sezuan. It goes without saying that they will be crowd favourites, and Isabell already has another World Championship team gold medal around her neck.
She will be determined to make amends for the few mistakes in the Grand Prix. Extended trot may not be Wendy’s strongest movement, but she remains solid and balanced, and the transitions from extended trot into passage will certainly demonstrate the quality of Isabell’s riding.
There should be big marks throughout the canter work. The stumbling point in the Grand Prix was the one-tempi changes, and the Special asks for 15 one-tempis across the diagonal followed later by nine down the centreline between the pirouettes.
Fingers crossed this will be corrected. If everything goes according to plan and Isabell produces a clean test, the marks will fly.
Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale
Second last will be Lottie Fry and Glamourdale for Great Britain. Their Grand Prix was truly beautiful and probably as expressive and impressive as this horse could produce, apart from several minor mistakes that proved costly.
If Lottie can deliver a clean Special, Glamourdale will shine in the extended trot, the transitions and those fantastic one-tempi changes — particularly when travelling directly towards the judges with his front legs seemingly reaching his ears.
And, of course, watch for the extended canter, a movement for which this spectacular stallion has previously earned perfect 10s.
Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH
Last — but certainly not least — will be Germany’s Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH, a 14-year-old chestnut gelding by Destano. This horse was exceptional in the Grand Prix. The fluency, elasticity and feeling of ease throughout every pace, combined with his incredible power, were something to behold.
Action starts 4.30pm AEST
The Grand Prix Special is going to be something very special indeed.
The riders now have their noses firmly to the grindstone. The nerves and pressure associated with performing for their teams have gone, and the focus has shifted entirely to the individual medals.
It will be fascinating to see which riders go all-out in search of the biggest marks and which choose to play a little more safely to avoid mistakes. The winner may well be the combination prepared to take the greatest risk — and then successfully pull it off.
If you are a betting person, selecting the winner would be extraordinarily difficult. That uncertainty is exactly what makes this Grand Prix Special at the FEI World Championships in Aachen so exciting.
It is going to be massive.
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