Freshman Victory for Henri Ruoste's Roccabar in 2018 CDI Aachen Grand Prix for Kur

Shows

2018 CDI Aachen

Finnish Henri Ruoste premiered his own 13-year old Hanoverian gelding Roccabar in the Grand Prix for Kur at the 2018 CDI Aachen on Tuesday 17 April 2018. The former Finnish team rider and his freshman to FEI level competition won straight away with 71.413%. They topped the board in a class with 22 combinations from 11 different nations!

Roccabar is bred by Ute Meyer and is by Riedinger (by Rubinstein) out of a Compliment x Glorieux dam. The horse has done four local shows at A- and L-level under Rosemarie Kemper before selling to Ruoste, who trained him to Grand Prix level.

The very athletic Roccabar is quite long in the back and seems very sensitive to ride, but Ruoste got the most out of his horse and meticulously steered him through the Grand Prix test. In the trot half passes the hindquarters trailed a bit, but in passage the horse generated much suspension and he showed a very scopey piaffe with good sit and much lift in the forehand. He still tends to get wide behind for balance. In the canter work all the movements were there, with big uphill changes and good collection in the pirouettes, but the straightness in the body was not always ideal. In the extended walk the horse did not sufficiently stretch the neck and could not achieve more overtrack than one hoof. Throughout the test the horse was too tight in the neck, but Roccabar obediently listened to his rider. Ruoste certainly showed to have trained yet another lovely horse up to Grand Prix level.

The panel of judges, consisting of Holler, Dichmann, Verbeek, Alonso and Wust, rewarded the test with 71.413%. The marks ranged between 70.4 and 72.3%.

German Britta Rasche-Merkt and her 15-year old Lusitano stallion Xerez (by Nordeste x Quimera) have found their groove at international competitions this year. Scoring a personal best mark at the CDI Lier in March, the sympathetic duo now bagged a second place on 70.130%. The dark bay Lusitano stallion showed off his innate talent for collection in piaffe and passage, but gets a bit short and hurried in the trot extensions.

Russian Tatyana Kosterina and the German owned 11-year old Hanoverian mare Diavolessa VA (by Don Frederico x Londonderry) are one of Russia's most consistently scoring pairs in the past year. The black mare is an elegant mover with a nice silhouette in piaffe and passage and uphill tempi changes, but she still leans on the forehand in piaffe and overall the self carriage needs to improve so the bridle contact gets softer.

Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction Allowed - Contact us if you are interested in obtaining photos for websites, social media and prints!

Henri Ruoste and Roccabar

Henri Ruoste on the 13-year old Hanoverian Roccabar

Henri Ruoste on Roccabar and show host Renate Dahmen posing for a victory photo from photographer Holger Schupp

Tatyana Kosterina and Diavolessa

Former Under 25 rider Denise Nekeman has made the transition to the senior division on Boston. The black stallion is a pocket rocket with lots of engagement, but could be more up in the poll and the canter work was ridden hastily

Sascha Schulz on Dragao. This Lusitano stallion, who is approved for Oldenburg breeding, has an outstanding piaffe and good overtrack in the extended walk (despite a not so clear rhythm). Today Dragao was inconsistent in the bridle contact, not truly stretching into the contact

Seth Boschman was visibly pleased with his sixth place on Bono. The passage had lovely suspension and the pirouettes were good but the OO Seven x Jazz offspring is still small in piaffe.

Japanese Kazuki Sado has found a real match in Barolo (by Breitling x Hitchcock). The horse has beenbeautifully trained to Grand Prix level by Charlotte Dujardin and its impeccable schooling pays off: The horse is an ideal ride for Sado, who visually makes a lovely combination with this 12-year old chestnut Hanoverian.

Japenese Akane Kuroki is trained by Imke Schellekens-Bartels in The Netherlands, just like Kazuki Sado. Here Akane is chatting with Imke's husband Joep Schellekens

This Asian delegation is all smiles in Aachen

Belgian Grand Prix rider David Engelen

Straight from the 2018 World Cup Finals in Paris, Yvonne Losos de Muniz competed her second GP horse Aquamarijn in Aachen

Jill de Ridder on Dallas (by Don Diamond x Damon Hill). The trot extensions and tempi changes were a highlight, but the piaffe is still insecure

Victoria Michalke warming up Dance On (by Dream of Heidelberg x Welt As)

Andrea Timpe and her experienced, 15-year old Oldenburg gelding Don Darwin (by Don Schufro x Warkant)

Timpe's groom cuddling with Don Darwin

Jean-Rene Luijmes and Aswin (by Sandreo x Jazz) are at their fourth show in two months time. They have also shown at Lier, Dortmund and Nieuw en St. Joosland.

Tosca Visser-van der Meulen pats Asther de Jeu

Adelinde Cornelissen on her home bred Zephyr. The athletic bay executes beautiful half passes and tempi changes, but was very restless with his tongue and dislikes the piaffe in which he crosses in front. The Jazz offspring was very spooky in the arena which was quite a challenge for his rider

Fabienne Lutkemeier and Fiero (by Furst Heinrich x Diabolo). The piaffe still lacked impulsion, but the pirouettes were nice and small

Carla Aeberhard on Delioh von Buchmatt. This Swiss pair is coached by Gareth Hughes

Nicole Wego on Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein's Whitley (by Don Schufro x Lauries Crusador xx)

Katrien Verreet on the Belgian warmblood stallion Galliani Biolley (by Sir Donnerhall x Lanciano)

Jiochanna-Androniki Kordatzaki

German born Gabriele Kiefer, now riding for Cyprus, aboard Watson (by Obelisk x Transvaal), who is bred by Bert Rutten, a Grand Prix trainer and chair of the KWPN Stallion Licensing Committee