Balkenhol and Dablino Win 2015 CDI Hamburg Grand Prix

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2015 CDI Hamburg

Anabel Balkenhol (GER), Inessa Merkulova (RUS) and Morgan Barbancon-Mestre (ESP) are the three finalists for the 57th German Dressage Derby on Sunday 17 May 2015. Balkenhol had double the reason to be happy since her top Grand Prix mount, Dablino FRH, won the Grand Prix at the 2015 CDI 4* in Hamburg.

The sensitive 15-year old Hanoverian (by De Niro x Wanderbusch II) scored 74.880% to win the well attended Grand Prix which featured thirty-seven combinations. Balkenhol also finished sixth on her new Grand Prix rider, Rockefellers Cinderella (by Rubin Royal x Newcastle), which she will also ride in the derby with horse change on Sunday.

"Dablino was a bit hot, but then concentrated well on his work," said Balkenhol. "I'm most happy about Rockefellers Cinderella who did such a good job."

Russian Inessa Merkulova has begun her outdoor season campaign with much success, posting a personal best score in the Grand Prix of 74.100 % to finish second. Her 11-year old Trakehner (by Egeus out of Derbi) will also be her choice of ride for the horse change finals as well as the kur to music.

Inessa Merkulova on Mister X "It's very exciting," Inessa Merkulova commented.

It was the first start in Hamburg for Spanish number one Grand Prix rider Morgan Barbanç on Mestre and she immediately qualified for the Derby finals with horse change by finishing in the top three. Barbançon will be counting on her 13-year old Donnerhall mare Vitana V.

The judging panel in Hamburg was quite an experienced one with Roudier (5*), Umbach (4*), Fouarge (5*), R. Richenhagen (3*) and Plewa (5*) on board. The judging of Russian Marina Aframeeva seriously raised some eye brows, though, with her scores being 64.5%, 72.8%, 71.0%, 66.7% and 62.7%. The judges on the long side were consistently lower, which can be normal as the side view may be far different from the frontal view. However the overall difference was too great to be acceptable. Lower down the ranking, more discrepancies of 5% + were to be noted (Louise Lokken 65.300 - 70.500%), Wolfgang Schade (63.300% - 70.400%), Kristian von Krusenstierna (64.00% - 69.200%), and Silvia Rizzo (61.600% - 66.600%) to list a few.