Anky van Grunsven gave a display of her trademark Queen of the Freestyle when she rode Painted Black to victory in the World Dressage Masters Grand Prix Kür for her fifth WDM CDI5* title in two years of the richest lineup of competitions on the globe.
Competing in the inaugural WDM at the Falsterbo Horse Show and her first time at this summer beach resort, Anky and the 13-year-old stallion posted a score of 82.40 per cent. The freestyle had total prize money of €60,000 with first place earning €16,000.
Germany's Ulla Salzgeber and the 10-year-old mare Wakana showed none of the spookiness from shows earlier this year and placed second on 75.90 per cent with Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven and Favourit awarded 75.40 per cent. They were the hometown favourites of the enthusiastic Swedish crowd that numbered 3,000 paid spectators and many hundreds more who crowded every available place around the arena in sunny weather with temperatures above 27° C.
Painted Black suffered a minor injury earlier this year and Falsterbo was his first competition back, but winning the Grand Prix on Thursday showed the stallion was fully recovered.
Although Anky will not compete on the Dutch team at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in September, she was accorded star treatment by the crowds who filled the dressage stadium from the practice day Wednesday, the Grand Prix Thursday, the Special Friday and the Freestyle Saturday. Competition from the CSI5* jumping including the Meydan Nations Cup that was going on in an adjacent arena appeared to have no impact on the crowds.
Anky, who came to Falsterbo as she usually does with her husband, Dutch coach Sjef Janssen, and their two children, was "very happy" with Painted Black despite a small error which she blamed on herself.
Other riders heaped praise on the WDM Falsterbo competition -- Ulla Salzgeber described it as a "little championship with fantastic atmosphere that makes the riders grow and the horses grow when they come into the arena," while Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven said after her first WDM it was "fantastic" and hoped to participate more in the future.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson, whose family company was instrumental in bringing WDM to Falsterbo, said that this year was a "pilot" program that had worked "really, really well" and would like to help bring the event back to Falsterbo next year.
The final WDM event of 2010 will be at Hickstead July 28-Aug. 1, which will feature the world's top horse and rider combinations -- Moorlands Totilas ridden by Edward Gal and Jerich Parzival ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen.
Jonny Hilberath & Amüsant win Grand Prix Special
Germany's Jonny Hilberath notched their first victory Saturday by winning the Grand Prix Special as part of the World Dressage Masters.
Jonny and the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Elisabeth Max-Theurer and competed once internationally by her daughter, Victoria, almost two years ago scored 69.292 per cent despite mistakes in both the one- and two-tempi changes. The Netherlands' Christa Laarakkers and Ovation finished second with 67.250 per cent and hometown favorite Charlotte Haid Bondergaard on Lydianus was third on 66.292 per cent.
For Jonny and Amüsant's first WDM, and the first time the Falsterbo Horse Show has included the prestigious CDI5* in its competition schedule the win earned them €9,500 while Christa, who competed at WDM in Palm Beach earlier this year, earned €7,000 and Charlotte €5,500.
Anky & Painted Black Win First Falsterbo World Dressage Masters Grand Prix
On Thursday Anky van Grunsven rode a newly recovered Painted Black to victory in the Grand Prix at the Falsterbo Horse Show.
Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven, one of Sweden's most popular dressage stars, gave the big crowd that turned out to support the event good cause to applaud even more enthusiastically than they did for all the riders when she and the 11-year-old Favourit turned in a performance that placed them second.
Anky and the 13-year-old stallion Painted Black was the unanimous choice by the judges for first place in the Grand Prix with a score of 75.234 per cent with Tinne and Favourit posting marks of 71.957 per cent. Germany's Anja Plönzke and Le Mont d'Or, competing in their fourth WDM event so far this year--Palm Beach in the USA, Munich, Germany and Cannes, France in addition to Falsterbo--was third on 68.723 per cent.
After the Falsterbo Horse Show which is also hosting a Meydan FEI Nations Cup, the final WDM even of the year will be at Hickstead, England, which will feature the world's top horse and rider combinations -- Totilas ridden by Edward Gal and Jerich Parzival ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen.
Anky said after the victory in Thursday's Grand Prix that she was happy with the ride as Painted Black was "very focused on me" in his first competition since a small injury sidelined the stallion. Salinero, her 2008 Olympic gold medal mount, is also recovering from an injury to his withers that she thinks may have occurred by Salinero rolling in his stall.
Being able to train in the competition arena on Wednesday night before a big crowd helped Painted Black become used to the stadium, she said.
Tinne's mount, Favourit, is owned by Antonia Ax:son Johnson whose Axel Johnson Gruppen is the main sponsor that worked to bring WDM to Sweden.
"WDM is a brilliant idea," said the five-time Olympian who has been working with Antonia Ax:son Johnson on her equestrian program for the past 10 years.
""It's very important for the sport and really good for the riders."
Related Links
Scores 2010 CDI Falsterbo
Falsterbo Horse Show to Become Fifth World Dressage Masters Competition
