The short Grand Prix, in which the twelve top is qualified for the freestyle, was won by Arjen Teeuwissen and Gestion Goliath T. Two weeks ago the pair already won the Grand Prix and the freestyle at the CDI Frankfurt in Germany.
In Mechelen, Belgium, however, their test wasn't as waterproof as it should have been. Teeuwissen entered the ring with a highly tensed and strong Goliath who lost marks on what should have pointed him up: the piaffe and passage. The dark bay KWPN gelding lost impulsion in the passage and tact in the piaffe. However, the Zebulon son excelled in his extended trot and walk, which was stridden more forwardsly than at the CDI-W Amsterdam. With 73.46% he received 3 points more than Coby van Baalen who ended up with 73.32%.
Van Baalen showed her number one horse Olympic Ferro this time, a mount with whom she matches up far better than with Ramazotti. Ferro (Ulft x Farn) remains to be a star horse in the piaffe and passage but the stallion clearly has difficulties with the zig zag half pass which hardly showed suspension. One canter pirouette was slightly too big but the wonderful tempi's every two strides made up for that flaw.
Heike Kemmer placed third with the Oldenburger gelding Albano (by Argentinus). Kemmer's bold bay keeps up with the top thanks to the highly balanced passage-piaffe and a good trot. The canter though seemed to be a problem. The flying changes tend to be short and flat and the front legs flip from one side to the other while changing. Still, Kemmer has a good horse in her Albano and her performance was surely more than decent.
German A-frame team member Jurgen Wirths came in fourth with his Hannoverian Souveran W. The Salut gelding reaches far over in the trot zig zag and made a lovely transition from extended trot to passage. The piaffe needed to contain more collection and the tempi's every single stride were slightly too short.Wirth received 71.41% from the international panel of judges.
A fifth place went to the Dutch prima donna Anky van Grunsven who saddled her second horse Gestion TCN Partout for the third time this winter season. Partout can not top to the quality of Bonfire but that doesn't mean that the Trakehner approved stallion is unable to show highlights. The tempi's were well jumped and Partout showed nice collection. Points were missed in the piaffe and passage, movements which should make him gain marks. Slightly against the bit, Partout lost his cadans in the piaffe. In the extended trot Partout's hindquarters covered a second track and his canter pirouettes were too big. Van Grunsven ended up with 71.12%
Outsider Hubertus Schmidt impresses with Ruben R
It has been a while since a Uniform get bloomed and dominated the international dressage scene. On Sunday evening 26th December 1999 the Dutch Anky van Grunsven presented her conjointly owned mount Gestion Junior STV for the first time at an international dressage competition. Since the 1997 Pavo Cup finals, the highly impressive Junior STV developed into a well muscled prospect who easily dominated the FEI Prix St. Georges test at the 1999 Flanders Christmas Horse Show in Mechelen, Belgium. Van Grunsven presented the dapple grey approved stallion with much flair and rode to a 70.93 percentage. Second placed in the PSG test was German outsider Hubertus Schmidt, who seems to be "braiding" a string of international successes this year. With the lovely chestnut gelding Ruben R, Schmidt holds a big moving potential in hands. Ruben R, a Westphalian Royal Angelo descendant, excels in his lateral movements which show great shoulder freedom, impulsion and reach. 68.74% was his score. Schmidt's student, Willem Jan Schotte, ranked third with Goubergh's Kasper, a KWPN gelding by Facet. Best placed Belgian combination was former Belgian Young Dressage Horse Champion Remy Martin who gathered 64.37% under rider and owner Stefan van Ingelgem.
Images copyrighted Dirk Caremans