Swedish young rider Sara Henrietta Bergstrom Kallstrom teached the pros and amateurs a lesson in small tour riding during the first week of competition at the 2011 Sunshine Tour CDI in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, 3 - 6 March 2011. The 21-year old, who chose to ride in the senior ranks in Vejer, aced the CDI Prix St Georges and Intermediaire I on her mind blowing horse Diezel.
Bergstrom Kallstrom truly wielded to power by putting down three superb rides on her 10-year old Swedish warmblood gelding (by De Niro). The pair kicked started their string of success by winning the national Prix St Georges with 68,474% and then continued to top the leader board in the CDI Prix St Georges with 71.632% and the CDI Intermediaire I with 71.711%.
The ease with which Diezel steams through the arena is astonishing. This power house horse has suspension that lasts forever in the extended trot. He executes huge flying changes, sits well in the pirouettes and the contact is at all times text book: soft and light. Diezel could slightly stay a bit more uphill in some movements but the silhouette is still appealing.
While Bergstrom Kallstrom made a huge power statement with her three victories, the blond Swede did feel German Sylvia Zimmer breathing down her neck. Gut Scheurenhof's head rider Zimmer saddled the 10-year old Hanoverian gelding Broadway (by Beluga x Wolkentanz I) and was second in the Prix St Georges with 70.763% and second in the Inter I with 71.158%. Coached at the show by Rudolf Zeilinger, Zimmer rode the black Broadway with much routine and smoothness as her horse faced little challenged from the small tour movements.
German Christian Brühe made his show debut with his new horse Roble AR, which was previously competed by Spanish José Alejandro Alcaide Roda. The 8-year bay Hanoverian (by Ravallo out of Dorina) was the Spanish reserve young horse champion as a 6-year old in 2009. Brühe is an enterpreneur by profession, running the multinational Uniplan which assists in the live communication of major corporations at trade fairs and events. Brühe's ambitions extend the business world and he has set his mind on dressage riding and achieve the highest possible. With Roble AR he certainly has a rising star. The bay is such a super nice mover. He has wonderful cadence in trot, a ground covering walk and an uphill canter. The contact with the bit was too heavy and constricting the horse in his freedom, which resulted in some mistakes in the four tempi's in the Prix St Georges. Nonetheless, the pair scored 67.211% in the Prix St Georges to finish third and 67.105% in the Intermediaire I to rank fourth.
Jose Antonio Garcia Mena received the ride on the 8-year old Hanoverian stallion Don Diego (by Don Frederico out of Wie Platine (by Wolkenstein II x Matcho AA)) from Spanish owner Juan Matute, who is now based in Wellington, Florida. Garcia Mena rode the slightly phlegmatic but powerfully moving black to a fourth place in the Prix St Georges (66.658%) and a third place in the Intermediaire I (67.105%). The trot work was lovely with solid half passes, good balance in the voltes and beautiful extensions. The horse needs to develop more strength and self carriage in canter, especially in the flying changes. In the PSG, there were mistakes in the tempi's every four strides and the horse had to be straighter in the three's. Nevertheless the general image was a very sympathetic one and it was charming to see Garcia Mena pat his horse at the end of the ride before even saluting to the judges.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed
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