Kristina Sprehe and the Hanoverian licensed stallion Desperados FRH (by De Niro x Wolkenstein II) won the 5* Grand Prix Kur to Music at the 2015 CDI Munich on Sunday 17 May 2015 scoring 83.275%. Their Freestyle had power, elegance, expression and was technically strong.
Kristina said afterwards, “I really liked the part with the pirouettes, they went really well.” The combination also received very high notes for the artistic part. The choreography was really nice and the music fitted the horse. All judges but one, Leif Törnblad at H, had the combination in first place.
Törnblad gave second placed Steffen Peters (USA) and Legolas (by Laomedon x Florestan II) the highest score. Steffen and his Westfalian gelding got things going for the public with the music that had some funny elements. The public cheered loudly after their Freestyle. Legolas’ passage and piaffe are impressive as well as their half passes and extended exercises. “I think this was my best Freestyle ever with Legolas,” Steffen said. Steffen has two Freestyles and in Munich he used the same one as in Las Vegas. The total score for these entertainers was 80.350%.
Third place went to Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB (by Gribaldi). The combination is in good form. In April they won bronze at the World Cup Final in Las Vegas and today their Freestyle was impressive again. Unee BB is a very expressive and powerful horse. She included a special message in her Freestyle’s music: one was by Martin Luther King 'I have a dream' at the beginning of the test and later on a more personal message about Respect for All Living Creatures. They scored 79.950%.
Patrik Kittel had a few little mistakes in the extended trot and extended canter, but like always Scandic’s passage and piaffe as well as his transitions were excellent and the whole Freestyle showed control. Because of the little mistakes Patrik ended up in fourth place with 78.250%.
Tthis result was good enough for Patrik to win the "Best of 4 Competition". Patrik had a lead of 10% over the second placed rider, Patrick van der Meer. As the overall winner Patrik Kittel received a bonus of € 25,000.
Holland’s Patrick van der Meer and his elegant, light footed Uzzo finished in fifth place with 77.325% followed by Ulla Salzgeber and Herzruf’s Erbe in sixth with 74.700%. Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K and Germany’s Jenny Lang and Loverboy took seventh and eighth place.
Isabell Werth Wins Saturday's Grand Prix Special
All combinations in the Grand Prix Special on Saturday 16 May 2015 showed much better performances than in the Grand Prix. The sun was shining in Munich and the ambiance was perfect, whereas the day before many horses seemed to get a bit spooky by the weather with rain pouring down.
In the Grand Prix Special Isabell Werth had Don Johnson back on track. They performed a controlled, energetic and expressive test. The half passes were smooth and covering, the pirouettes were very good and the passage and piaffe powerful. All the judges placed Isabell and her 13-year old Hanoverian gelding by Don Frederico in first place with 74.902%.
"It was Don Johnson’s first time out this season and he was as frisky as a young horse," Werth said about her Grand Prix test.
Italy’s Valentina Truppa also had some trouble controlling Eremo del Castegno’s energy in the Grand Prix and made a string of mistakes. Coming from Italy the horse was used to 30 degrees Celsius and the difference in temperature had its influence on the horse. In the Special Valentina was able to control the 14-year-old Italian-bred gelding by Rohdiamant although they still had some little mistakes due to the horse’s tension. They showed good pirouettes and passage and a very good extended walk which earned them 71.686% and second place.
Germany’s Carola Koppelmann, who runs her own stable at DOKR in Warendorf, performed a dynamic, forward and balanced test with Deveraux B, a 13-year-old Westphalian gelding by Dimension. The horse has a nice passage and piaffe. Unfortunately they had some mistakes which dropped them to third place with 70.569%.
Australia’s Briana Burgess, who trains with Patrik Kittel in Germany, was happy with her test. The combination showed some good passage and piaffe, well performed flying changes and good pirouettes. Briana intends to stay in Germany, she does not really miss Australia. “I like to train with Patrik, he understands horses,” said Briana. She scored 69.549% and finished in fourth place.
Inna Logutenkova (Ukraine) had her comeback in Munich with Don Gregorius after he recovered from a colic operation. Inna is hoping to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. She was very happy to be in Munich again, “I really like Munich, it is beautiful and the German public knows about dressage.” Don Gregorius and Inna showed a really relaxed and expressive test and scored 69.255%..
Text by WDM - Photos © LL-foto
Related Links
Scores: 2015 CDI Munich
Sprehe and Desperados On Top at the 2015 CDI Munich