The last day of the World Dressage Masters in Munich was more than a success. It was epic. In a field of eight world class riders the Italian Valentina Truppa scored a first place on amazing 84.250% aboard her eleven year old Eremo del Castegno. They rocked the arena, and the audience couldn't help but burst into spontaneous applause during their ride.
With one-handed series of flying changes, a piaffe and passage tour in absolute perfection and with a show-factor that was hard to beat, Valentina charmed not only the judges, but the entire audience to a victory. Close after, on the score of 84.050% landed number two Isabell Werth with her El Santo. To the tunes of David Bowie they showed what real extensions should look like and literary exploded of power to get standing ovations from the crowds that flocked around the arena to see the mighty duo. The third place was taken by Austrian star Victoria Max-Theurer and her Augustin OLD, to the scores of 81.050%.
Italy's dressage queen performed an absolute top-program and scored the amazing 84.250%. "This was my personal record in a Kür, despite some mistakes, so there is still margin for improvement," Truppa told Eurodressage. "I never expected the public to clap so much during the actual test – in Stuttgart they clapped once after the line of one-handed one-tempis, but here they clapped three times, after the changes, after my extended canter and after the final piaffe pirouette and counter-pirouette. I didn’t find it distracting at all – maybe because the music is so loud anyway, so it didn't feel anywhere as intrusive as clapping during a normal test, when there is total silence, would do. I was a little worried Eremo might get scared and jump out of the arena, but he was very very good and did not mind the clapping at all. He probably thought it was part of the music! I absolutely loved it, and by the end I had a big smile on my face! It almost made me laugh. It’s just fantastic to have this kind of response from the public."
Truppa received several 10s on her score sheets, her first being on Friday in the Grand Prix. "It was also especially satisfying to get quite a lot of tens for the piaffe and passage. We had been getting increasingly high scores for the piaffe, and finally during the Grand Prix on Friday we got our first 10s – quite a handful of them actually, including at least one from each judge – so it’s lovely to see that we’re finally getting these marks, as I do believe that, as Katrina (Wust) said, he probably has the best piaffe in the world right now."
In preparation of the London Olympics, Truppa will ride one more show with Eremo at Aachen. "Eremo will have a little rest now, and then we will do Aachen. I know that a lot of riders won’t take their first horses there, but I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and Eremo and I still have to try the Special, so I think Aachen will be a good test for us. With Chablis I will do Fritzens and then Lipica, so that, like last year, I can get started with my World Cup campaign quite early on. I will compete Chablis first in the World Cup tour, while Eremo will concentrate on Aachen and then London, and then I will finish the World Cup campaign with Eremo."
Judge at C Katrina Wüst couldn't praise the three top finishing rides enough. "Dressage is like football. If something goes wrong, you can always compensate that with something else. And that is really what we try to look for. We are not searching for the mistakes. We are looking at the total expression of the horse and rider, the attempts to compensate small mistakes with greater risk-taking and power in other movements. And what we saw today was three riders and horses that gave the maximum in everything, who compensated small mistakes with the highest power and perfection, and that truly performed with happiness and harmony".
Austrian Max-Theurer became the most successful dressage rider during the entire event at Pferd International. With a big smile, she thanked the organizers for the fantastic show: "It is always an honor to come here. This is a wonderful chance for us riders to compete on different levels, at an arena that has a perfect setting and a wonderful audience and that is always such a great success!"
Text WDM press release edited by Eurodressage
Photos © Selene Scarsi
Related Links
Scores 2012 CDI Munich
Richard Davison and Hiscox Artemis win WDM Grand Prix Special at 2012 CDI Munich
Werth and El Santo Win WDM Grand Prix at 2012 CDI Munich