Anabel Balkenhol and her Trakehner licensed stallion Heuberger were the winners of the national Intermediaire II class, the warm-up round for the Louisdor Cup qualifier for German Developing Grand Prix horses, held at the 2016 CDI Hagen on Friday morning 22 april 2016. The stallion scored 73.342% for victory and edged out Kathleen Keller on San Royal, who was second with 72.158%.
“Herr Berger” simply feels comfortable in Hagen at the Teutoburg Forest. But who is „Herr Berger“? It’s the nickname of Anabel Balkenhol’s top futurity prospect, announced with the name “Heuberger” in the Almased Dressage Stadium. The Imperio-son won the qualifier for the Louisdor-Prize at Horses & Dreams meets Denmark. Second place went to Kathleen Keller with the 9-year-old San Royal (by San Remo x Grand Royal). Third finished Victoria Michalke with the 10-year-old Stedinger-daughter Novia (by Stedinger x Alabaster).
The now 9-year-old Trakehner stallion had won the opening competition for the Nuremberg Cup at 2015 Horses & Dreams meets Australia and had led the second division on the lap of honour in the qualifier. “I think the Louisdor-Prize is a valuable follow-up of the Nuremberg Cup,” explained Anabel Balkenhol. “The set-up is perfectly designed to match the training level of young dressage horses. If I image Heuberger would have to start in a normal Grand Prix-test already now, that would certainly be a bit too much.” It was simply horse-appropriate to provide maturing Grand Prix-horses the opportunity to carefully grow into the premier league of dressage.
And what are the specialties of Herr Berger? “He has three super basic gaits and he easily and simply learns. Besides, I love his piaffe-passage-performance, it’s very expressive. And he is very concentrated in the dressage ring, he loves to present his skills and has no problems at all with such an amazing atmosphere as here in Hagen,” Balkenhol enthusiastically added – in short: A potential successor to her top horse Dablino with whom Balkenhol wants to participate in the Grand Prix Special-tour.
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2016 CDI Hagen