Isabell Werth wielded the axe of power at the gorgeous 4* international dressage competition at Jasper and Arlette Kohl's Gestut Peterhof in Perl-Borg, Germany, on 11 - 13 September 2015. Werth won all four Grand Prix classes and raked in a huge purse of money on the weekend. Aboard routinier Don Johnson she won the freestyle tour and with her Grand Prix debutant Emilio she swept the Special tour.
With her 2015 European Championship ride, 14-year old Hanoverian gelding Don Johnson (by Don Frederico x Warkant), Werth won the Grand Prix for Kur with 77.240% but had German U25 rider Sönke Rothenberger right on her heels with his very young 8-year old Dutch bred Cosmo (by Van Gogh x Landjonker). Rothenberger scored 77.140% and showed incredible team potential just one year before the 2016 Rio Olympics. Patrik Kittel and the Oatley family's 9-year old Delauney (by Dr Doolittle x Feinbrand) were third with 73.600%.
In the Kur to Music the top three ranking was identical with Werth in first place on 81.750%, Rothenberger second with 78.850% and Kittel third with 76.550%.
Werth turned heads in the Special tour aboard her brand new Grand Prix horse Emilio, a 9-year old Westfalian gelding by Ehrenpreis out of the same damline as Bella Rose (dam sire Cacir AA). Werth and Emilio won the Grand Prix with 75.440% and the Special with 76.745%. In the Grand Prix Werth edged out former German team pair Fabienne Lutkemeier and D'Agostino (74.580%) and in the Special she fended off Hubertus Schmidt on Imperio (75.412%).
"Unbelievable, it's madness and he was so relaxed, just super," were the words that came out of Werth's mouth after her Special victory on Emilio. "The way Emilio completed these two tests with a few or no mistakes, always very focused and at his first international show. This was only his second Special ever. I never expected it. It was a great weekend."
Photo courtesy Peterhof
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