The German pony team riders have confirmed their grip on the number one position in the pony nations' cup at the 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele. Two German dressage dames dominated the team championship test held on Friday afternoon 21 May 2010 at Zilveren Spoor in Moorsele, Belgium.
With a 1st, 2nd, and 7th place in the team competition the German pony team earned the nations' cup gold medal, following by The Netherlands and Belgium. Head contributor to this gold medal was German European Championship team rider Bianca Nowag on the drop dead gorgeous bay stallion Der Feine Lord (by Dressman x Folklore).
Reiner Bockholt's stallion showed incredible self carriage and careful execution of the movements. The stallion does not have the poll as highest points, but his neck is broken at the third vertebra (Falschen Knick). However, he does stay nicely at the vertical. His collected walk is limited but in the extended walk he had good overtrack even though he was bit rushed. The canterwork was the highlight of the test with a superb simple change in the serpentine. The combination scored 74,630% and was the deserved winner.
In the summer of 2009 Katharina Weychert won the individual brronze at the 2009 European Championships in Moorsele, almost a year later she was back at the top with her palomino gelding Golden Derano C. Her pony is super experienced his mileage shows in the ring. The walk is rhytmical, his canter well balanced, and she stays light in the hand. Their ride was faultfree and earned them 72,037% to finish second.
Dutch Dana van Lierop, who won kur bronze at the 2009 European Championships, now finished third in the team test with 71.481%. Her playful gelding Equestricons Lord Champion (by Le Champion) is a handful in the warm up (and award ceremony) with his frisky behaviour but the talented Van Lierop is definitely able to curb his enthusiasm in the show ring. On the contrary even, the 14-year old Dutch girl was constantly giving leg aids as the pony lacked forwardness.
The trot work was fluent, especially in the traversal movements, but the pony could show more engagement from behind in the trot extensions. In the rein back the pony resisted by tossing his head up. The extended walk was good. In canter Lord Champion had a good, clear rhythm in the simple changes and much ground cover in the extensions.
Swedish Marina Mattson was no longer aboard her 2009 ride Champagner, but saddled Johanna Aspnas' B Capriole, a delightful liver chestnut pony. The 7-year old Swedish bred stallion (by Cippyn Red Crusader) could have placed even higher than her fourth spot with 70.370%.
Though the stallion has more suspension in him than seen in the arena, it were the lightness in the hand, excellent self carriage and meticulous precious in each movement that made the combination earn high points.
Dutch Justine Mudde and her light chestnut Wonderboy (by Dressman) finished fifth with 68.796%. In trot the pony was a bit hurried through the movements at the expense of his self-carriage. The canter work was of much better quality. Belgian Charlotte Defalque acquired the Belgian Riding Pony Epiascer from Polish junior Ania Jedrzejczyk and the combination has been blossoming this 2010 show season. Charlotte rides with much feeling and she is able to keep the lid on the cooker of this temperamental dark bay gelding. The pair received 68.519% from the judges.
German Grete Linnemann has her hands full with the gorgeous palomino stallion White Gold B. Often riding him round, deep and tight in the warm up to keep control, Linnemann obviously struggled to have a steady contact with the bit in the ring and the pony ground his teeth. The stallion was not always pure in the rhythm, especially on the right lead. There was a loss of the 4-beat rhythm in the collected walk before the pirouettes but the extended walk was good. The serpentine with counter canter and a simple change was good, but in the extended canter Linnenmann lost control and had to pull the reins to make White Gold collect. The pair got a generous 67,222% to slot in seventh.
More photo impressions from the pony team test below
Related Links
Scores 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele
Theile and Mattson Win on the First Day at the 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele
Barbançon and Mommen Neck to Neck at the 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele