Austrian Victoria Max-Theurer and her 12-year old Hanoverian mare Blind Date (by Breitling W x Donnerhall) dominated a strong field of 30 riders winning the Grand Prix for Special on the first day of competition at the 2014 CDI Fritzens hosted at Klaus and Evelyn Haim-Swarovski's Schindlhof in the Swiss alps.
Max-Theurer and her chestnut mare scored 74.500% to place ahead of American shooting star Laura Graves on Verdades. The CDI Fritzens is an important World Equestrian Games selection trial for American and Australian dressage riders.
"I didn't expect to be in front straight away with this strong competition," Max-Theurer admitted. "It's quite a difficult arena. it's beautifully decorated and the horses have a lot to look at, but Beate (aka Blind Date) was super focused and was unphased by it all. We produced a clean round and I'm truly happy with our performance."
Graves Keeps her Scores in Europe
Four members of the Short List for the 2014 World Equestrian Games U.S. Dressage Team ( Laura Graves, Shelly Francis, and Caroline Roffman, and Lisa Wilcox) secured strong results for the United States in the Grand Prix for the Special to qualify to contest Sunday’s Grand Prix Special,
“It was a great day for American Dressage here at the beautiful Fritzens CDI4*,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover.
Leading the way for the Americans on Friday, were 2014 U.S. Reserve Champions, Graves and Verdades. The 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood earned a mark of 73.380% to finish second.
Francis (Loxahatchee, Fla.) was the final U.S. entry of the day with Patricia Stempl’s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Doktor. The pair scored 70.460% to finish in fifth place on Friday. Roffman (Wellington, Fla.) her own Her Highness O were the first U.S. combination down the centerline on Friday afternoon, scoring 68.940% to finish the Grand Prix in 11th place. Fellow short list member Lisa Wilcox (Loxahatchee, Fla.) also contested the Grand Prix for the Special with Betty Wells' 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Denzello scoring 67.660% to earn a 16th finish.
Hanna Leads Australian Nomination Series
Australian dressage riders had to produce big results in the Grand Prix in a bid to secure one of four team positions for the 2014 WEG. The Australian standout performance of the day came from four-time Olympian Mary Hanna and her London Olympic mount Sancette with the pair achieving a personal best Grand Prix score of 70.420%.
“I was so pleased with Sancette. He is really starting to be very consolidated in his work, thanks to my brilliant trainer Patrik Kittel who has really helped me get more steadiness and a better connection, and Sancette has responded so well to his system of training.”
An additional four Australian combinations were in action on Friday, including Kristy Oatley and Ronan (by Riccione) who also recorded a new personal best in the Grand Prix after judges awarded the pair’s test 69.300%. In one of the biggest moments of her competitive career, 27 year old Brianna Burgess also had the additional pressure of being the first rider to go in the field of 31 and she and her mount La Scala produced a pleasing test that received a score of 68.820.
London Olympian and 2010 WEG representative Lyndal Oatley and her mount Sandro Boy were just behind Burgess on the scoreboard, receiving 68.420. In their first competition since arriving in Europe in May, Maree Tomkinson and Diamantina received a score of 67.400.
Hanna said the Camaraderie within the Australian camp was strong. “Of course every one of the riders here is trying their hearts out to make the team, but tonight when we all got together for dinner there was a great feeling amongst everyone," said Mary. "We all suffer the same hardships, the ups and downs of dressage, which at the end of the day brings us together. I think it was a great result for Australia, and every rider put in a very good performance.”
Australian riders will now head to Deauville France in three weeks’ time for the second and final nomination event. Following the second round a ranking list will be created by averaging the results for each combination from the Grand Prix class of each nomination event. The top 4 ranked combinations from this ranking list will be selected to compete as part of Australia’s WEG team.
Information, photos and videos at www.schindlhof.at or www.facebook.com/Schindlhof
Photos © Max Schreiner
Related Links
Scores 2014 CDI Fritzens
Victoria Max-Theurer Reaches for Swarovski Trophy at 2014 CDI Fritzens
20th Manfred Swarovski Memorial Dressage Show CDI4* at the Schindlhof in Fritzens (AUT) 4 - 6 July 2014