Frederic Wandres got a fair consolation after all. After having to hand over his bronze medal on Sir Skyfall after the prize giving ceremony at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships because of a calculation mistake, the rider now took sweet revenge at the 2017 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf by winning the 6-year old Finals on Fior.
Fior Fights for Gold
Wandres and Fior placed 12th at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships, but in their own country Germany at the national young horse championships, they were the number one. The gorgeous Oldenburg stallion by Furstenball x Sandro was sold to Gestut Ammerland for 350,000 euro at the 2015 PSI Auction after he had won bronze at the 2015 Bundeschampionate under Borja Carrascosa, aPSI rider at the time, but the horse is still listed as owned by Hof Kasselmann.
In the preliminary round, Wandres and Fior won group 2 with an 8.70 score, the second highest of the day behind Anne-Kathrin Pohlmeier on Flambeay (by Furstenball x Wolkentanz). In the finals, however, Fior reigned supreme and impressed judges Fuss Lehrmann and Nivelle with his gaits and rideability. The horse showed strong cadence and harmony with exceptional trot half passes. The stallion got 9.5 for trot, 8.5 for walk and canter, 8.5 for submission and 9.5 for general impression to take out first place and the title on an 8.9 total score.
Wandres told Eurodressage that him being stripped off a medal in Ermelo was fuel to his fire to do well in Warendorf. "The moment they took away the medal from me, I have to say I was really disappointed," Frederic admitted. "It was not because I became fourth, which is still really really good, but what made me sad was the way the organizer handled the mistake. The morning after I woke up and left all worries behind and took it as motivation for take the medal back in Warendorf."
With that drive Wandres focused on doing his best on Fior and it paid off.
"When Fior arrived in Warendorf in Tuesday, I already felt after a short training that we are in a very good condition. I just had to keep him happy now and bring it into the arena," said Wandres. "After the first test on Wednesday I got the same mark as in the first test in Ermelo. I felt really happy and thought 'ok maybe I can reach something'. Fior felt super in the Final. I had the feeling he wanted to shine and present himself. For me it's the first victory in Warendorf and that was something I never dared to dream of."
Forbes Strikes Silver
The reserve title went to the now independently working Spanish rider Borja Carrascosa on Joanne Vaughan's Hanoverian stallion Forbes (by Fidertanz x Rohdiamant). Vaughan acquired Forbes as a 3-year old at the 2014 PSI auction for 320,000 euro. The 2017 Bundeschampionate were also a revenge-quest for Carrascosa who was refused Spanish team selection for the 2017 World Young Horse Championships based on his CDI scores, because the rider refused to travel from Germany to the Spanish team selection trial in Segovia.
In Warendorf, Forbes had a bit of a diesel start with a 10th place (7.8) in the preliminary round. He then won the consolation finals with 8.3 and got to ride to compete in the Finals, in which he placed second with 8.7. In the Finals test the judges rewarded the horse for his rideability and harmony as well as the outstanding walk. He got 8.5 for trot, 9 for walk, 8 for canter, and 9 for submission and general impression.
"We had a really good week in Warendorf and we are very happy with the results," Carrascosa told Eurodressage. "I had really good feeling with Forbes everyday getting better and better with every test. After our first test and being out of the Final our goal was to be in the top 3 (in the consolation class) to have the chance to pass on to the Final. Actually on the first day we thought that Forbes was good enough to be in the Final. To win the small final then was a big motivation to go for it in the Final."
After getting rejected for the Spanish team in Ermelo, Carrascosa had set up a clear action plan for the Bundeschampionate together with his coach Jan Bemelmans.
"We had a good talk about all that happened with Forbes and made a good plan for the coming days. It worked out very well and the training was right to the point. Forbes was really good on the first and second day and superb on the last day. This silver medal means a lot for us because after they did not select us for Ermelo we proved that Forbes has the quality to be there. I'm happy that we did not travel the horse 3.500km for the qualifier in Spain. He did not have the stress and performed super well at the BuCha. Now it is pretty clear that not selecting Forbes for Ermelo was a mistake from the Spanish Federation."
Brianna is Bronze
Kira Wulferding scored the bronze medal on Wolfgang Strizke's Westfalian mare Brianna (by Bvlgari x Rohdiamant). The pair was fourth in group 2 of the premiminary round (8.10) and climbed to third place in the finals with 8.6 ahead of Pohlmeier and Flambeau (8.5). Brianna stood out with her elasticity. There was a break into canter in the right half pass but the flying changes went well. Judge Dietrich Plewa called the mare "small but wow". They rewarded her with 8.5 for walk, trot and canter, 8.5 for submission and 9 for general impression.
"I'm unbelievably happy that Brianna and I won bronze," said Kira Wulferding, who has been riding the mare for 1,5 years. "From day to day, Brianna got more used to the atmosphere and in the Finals she was totally focused on me. She gave me a very nice and secure feeling in the saddle."
Photos © LL-foto
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2017 Bundeschampionate