2016 Horses & Dreams Catches Up: Danish Atmosphere at Cucina Cornelia Poletto

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2016 CDI Hagen

Horses & Dreams meets Denmark will start in about one week – now Organizer Ullrich Kasselmann travelled to the media city of Hamburg to present his host country Denmark to the media representatives at Cucina Cornelia Poletto. Poletto, active dressage rider herself, and Kasselmann enjoy a long-standing friendship.

Denmark is host country – and the guests came from Denmark, too. Anna Kasprzak, top Danish dressage rider on the world rankings and born near Hagen in Greven in North Rhine-Westphalia, is looking forward to Horses & Dreams. Kasprzak will compete with two horses in the CDI4*-tests in the Almased dressage stadium. Her championship-experienced Donnperignon, called Pepe, will start in the freestyle, and the 12-year-old Honnerups Driver in the Special. “Both horses are completely different,” explains the 26-year-old rider. “Pepe is always calm and always completely focused and concentrated – Driver is more nervous, he still lacks some routine.”Even though Driver is still a bit „green“, it is Kasprzak’s goal to qualify both horses for Rio.

“Pepe was super fit at the World Cup-Final in Goteburg, and he looks as gorgeous as never before,” Kasprzak happily said. Two years ago, she was not quite sure about a possible participation of the meanwhile 17-year old Finish gelding in Rio. Considering his fantastic general condition, there seems to be nothing that will jeopardize their trip to Rio. By the way - „Smørrebrød“ is a typical Danish specialty for Kasprzak and will of course also be available at Horses & Dreams.

The second athlete at Horses & Dreams is a German Champion, he perfectly matches this year’s host country as there are two hearts beating in his chest. Denis Nielsen is half Danish and programmed to succeed in the saddle of DSP Cashmoaker. The duo already finished second at the 2015 Championships. “Cashmoaker is in pretty good form – I definitively have great expectations to win something,” the rider of Gestüt Sprehe sets his goal. “Cashmoaker obviously loves Hagen, that’s what he showed me last year,” said Nielsen who describes the stallion as ambitious fighter.

Nielsen will also show up in the dressage arena in Hagen to cross the fingers for his girlfriend Victoria Michalke. “I prefer to continue in the show jumping arena and concentrate on what my skills are,” Nielsen smiles. Almost like back then with football – he was not good enough for professional sport, however, it works even better for him in the show jumping saddle.

Kasprzak and Nielsen have two completely different training methods. Kasprzak is trained via video and headset by Andreas Helgstrand who lives in the North of Denmark. Nielsen could hardly imagine something comparable, as at least he needed someone to place the obstacles. His trainer Tjark Nagel trains him approx. three times a week at Gestüt Sprehe. Kasprzak only sees her trainer at tournaments – at least live.

For Ulli Kasselmann, stagnation means regression as he explained in Hamburg several times. This becomes obvious when looking at the indoor riding arena he still plans to complete for the tournament. “We will always go on in Hagen – for the next decades,” Kasselmann said and is happy to present a new multi-functional location for future international challenges.

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Tickets for Horses & Dreams and the Charity Concert of the Big Band of the German armed forces Bundeswehr are available with www.horses-and-dreams.de or with ADticket online www.adticket.de, with the ticket hotline: Tel. ++49 (0)180 - 60 50 400 (€ 0.20 /call incl. VAT for fixed network calls, max. € 0.60 / call for cell phone calls) and with all ADticket-booking offices.

VIP Hospitality at Horses & Dreams Meets Denmark 2016

For more information, visit www.horses-and-dreams.de