Germany's Ulla Salzgeber and her reliable chestnut Herzruf’s Erbe won the fifth leg of the World Cup Dressage series in the festive surroundings of the Frankfurter Festhalle in Frankfurt on Sunday 19 December 2010. The victory was even more remarkable as Salzgeber had not been able to practice her Freestyle in a full size 20x60 m arena before the competition.
The German dressage star is in the middle of moving training facilities in order to have more fields surrounding her stable and training centre, so she was delighted with her freestyle result. German riders covered the top three places and five of the top six slots on home turf. Denmark's Princess Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein prevented them from achieving a total white-wash by slotting in fourth.
“All the German team colleagues of the WEG were competing here, so I am very proud of this win,” said Salzgeber after a very well-concentrated test in which the trot-work was a particular highlight. Her "Boney M" musical score was made for her former dressage super-star Rusty, with whom Salzgeber won the 2001 and 2002 World Cup Finals in Aarhus and 's Hertogenbosch, but she ended up never using this music for him. The German rider felt it is also fitted Herzruf’s Erbe.
TOO ENTHUSIASTICALLY
Isabell Werth was runner up with her young EL Santo NRW who was a little too enthusiastic in the freestyle, but with a big smile on her face the rider blamed herself for that. Yesterday this partnership just missed the Grand Prix win by the smallest margin of 0.17%. Werth would not be the fighter she is had she not allowed herself to take some risks in the Kur, which she did! She blamed herself for having asked too much from her 9-year old El Santo. She asked for the two tempi changes too energetically and lost control as El Santo spooked, which he also did the second time at the same spot. Werth rode her difficult 2007 European Championship Kur for Satchmo, which is made with the wonderful soprano voice of Montserrat.
Both ladies, Salzgeber and Werth, now share the lead in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Standings after five legs and have their sights on competing in the World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany next April. Salzgeber will travel to the sixth qualifier in Mechelen next week where she will ride her other chestnut, Wakana. She plans to compete Herzruf’s Erbe, whose nickname is Herzi, at the Final. Meanwhile Werth plans to show Warum Nicht in the new year at the qualifier in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, while Satchmo will come in action in Neumünster. She intends to take Satchmo to Leipzig.
OPEN
To the judges the performances of the top five competitors were close. Ground Jury President, Dr Dietrich Plewa, said: “Not only from the technical part, also from the artistic side the first five competitors were close. Any mistake immediately resulted in a lower score which was to the advantage of the other.”
Christoph Koschel's Donnperignon, who surprised with his fluency and talent at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, made a nice start in his trot-work and a mistake in the one-tempi changes was well-corrected. They finished fifth. Matthias Rath had a well choreographed Freestyle to Tchaikowsky music. Their mark of 76.550 was good for third place. Germany's Koschel and Rath have no plans to compete in the World Cup Final. They both intend to concentrate on the outdoor season, working towards the 2011 European Championships and the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
PROVISIONAL RANKING
America's Catherine Haddad is lying third in the provisional ranking behind joint-leaders Werth and Salzgeber, going into the next leg at Mechelen, Belgium next week. Great Britain's Richard Davison is in fourth spot ahead of The Netherlands' Adelinde Cornelissen. Dutchman Edward Gal does not appear on the World Cup standings as the defending champion is already pre-qualified for next year's World Cup Final having fulfilled his only obligation of competing at two qualifying events in the current season.
Facts and Figures:
This was the second win for Ulla Salzgeber in the 2010/2011 World Cup Dressage series. She also was the winner at Kaposvar in the Central European League earlier in the season and was runner-up behind Isabell Werth in Lyon.
Five further qualifiers will be staged before the final takes place in Leipzig, Germany from 27 April to 1 May 2011
Six nations competed including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and Switzerland
The Ground Jury for today’s competition consisted of : E - Dr.V. Truppa (ITA) H - G. Fouarge (NED) C - Dr.D. Plewa (GER) M - Dr.E. Eisenhardt (GER) B - S. Clarke (GBR)
Due to the poor weather conditions which included snow and fog in Frankfurt, competitors had to limit their speed to 30 miles an hour to drive home after the competition. Some judges were obliged to remain in Frankfurt and the airport was closed. Italy's Vincenzo Truppa was able to travel back by train but British Stephen Clarke got stranded.
The ‘Golden Reitabzeichen”, a gold plated medal which is earned in Germany after ten wins at the highest level, was rewarded to Denmark's Princess Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein during the Grand Prix prize-giving ceremonies and to 17 year old German Sanneke Rothenberger after the World Cup Final for Young Riders.
Quotes:
Ulla Salzgeber: “After my win in Kaposvar in the Central European League and the runner-up position in Lyon I’m quite happy with my placement here. I love competing in the World Cup™ and the final is my goal.”
Dutch judge Ghislain Fouarge: “Not only the top field, also the middle group were close to each other. I have enjoyed watching Helen Langehanenberg. I think she is a very elegant rider and she makes dressage riding look very easy. It was a harmonious presentation.”
Photos © Barbara Schnell
Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage - Standings after Round 5 at Frankfurt (GER):
- 1. Isabell Werth GER - 57
- 2. Ulla Salzgeber GER - 57
- 3. Catherine Haddad USA - 54
- 4. Richard Davison GBR - 44
- 5. Adelinde Cornelissen - 43
- 6. Helen Langehanenberg GER - 36
- 7. Christa Laarakkers NED - 33
- 8. Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein DEN - 30
- 9. Nina Hoffmann SWE - 29
- 9. Sune Hansen DEN - 29
- 11. Matthias Alexander Rath GER - 28
- 12. Aat Van Essen NED - 26
- 12. Hans Peter Minderhoud NED - 26
- 14. Ulrike Prunthaller AUT - 24
- 15. Anna Ross-Davies GBR - 23
- 15. Patrik Kittel SWE - 23
- 15. Mikaela Lindh FIN - 23
- 18. Heike Kemmer GER - 21
- 18. Sylvia Zimmer GER - 21
- 20. Anky Van Grunsven NED - 17
- 20. Laura Bechtolsheimer GBR - 17
- 20. Peter Gmoser AUT - 17
- 20. Sabine Becker GER - 17
Western European League Calendar 2010/2011:
- 1 Odense (DEN), 21-24 October
- 2 Lyon (FRA), 27 October - 1 November
- 3 Stockholm (SWE), 26-28 November
- 4 London Olympia (GBR), 14-15 December
- 5 Frankfurt (GER), 15-19 December
- 6 Mechelen (BEL), 26-30 December
- 7 Amsterdam (NED), 20-23 January
- 8 Neumünster (GER), 17-20 February
- 9 Göteborg (SWE), 24-27 February
- 10 's-Hertogenbosch (NED), 24-27 March
- FINAL Leipzig (GER), 27 April - 1 May
FEI press release, edited by Eurodressage for publication
Related Links
Scores 2010 CDI-W Frankfurt
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2010-2011 World Cup Season