Strutting it out amongst some of the best dressage bred horses in Germany, the 6-year old dressage horse class at the 2013 Bundeschampionate on 4 - 9 September 2013 was won by Beatrice Buchwald and Lord Carnaby, leaving Therese Nilshagen and Sean Connery in silver, and Lydia Camp with Sir Diamond in bronze medal position.
With a score of 9 for trot, canter and general submission, Beatrice and her Lord rose to a 9.5 for walk and general impression, to finish in the golden spot with a very tidy 9.2 point total.
"The highlight of the weekend was of course being named the National Champion but I find it particularly remarkable that the rather small dressage stable where I train half the time, Station Schult, this year has two Bundeschampions," 24-year old Beatrice told Eurodressage.
Lord Carnaby, a 6-year old Rhinelander licensed stallion (by Lord Loxley I x Rocket Star), has already gained much success at M-level and was a finalist three times before at the Bundeschampionate and twice at the World Young Horse Championships. Certainly lifting from her performance in Verden last August where the pair finished 11th after a 'disappointing' ride in which the horse became slow behind and constantly behind the vertical, Beatrice focused during the four weeks between Verden and Warendorf on bringing more consistency into her training. "Since we had shown, in my opinion, already in Verden that Lord has the quality, I was able to have a more relaxed ride in Warendorf," she explained.
Owned for over two years by the Austrian Hödl family Beatrice has been with the horse since he was three, recently training him alongside dressage great Isabel Werth, where she spends half her day, returning to Station Schult in the afternoons. "For a year I've been working as general partner at Isabell Werth's stable and I consider her to be not only great as a rider and trainer, but just a great person, one who it makes a lot of fun to work together and to learn from," she said.
With three intermediaire I horses currently in work, Beatrice hopes to compete in the Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals with Weihegold and gain more success with Lord Carnaby in the Castle Cup. "Of course I hope to sometime make the leap into the Grand Prix too," she admitted.
Silver winner for Sweden, Therese Nilshagen and her Hanoverian stallion Sean Connery (by Sir Donnerhall I x Rotspon) earned her best in the canter with a 9.5, finishing with a total of 8.6, just 0.1 ahead of bronze place getter, Lydia Camp.
"Sean Connery has just a great character and he always wants to do a good job for his rider," said 30 year-old Therese. "The highlight of the Bundeschampionate for us, was of course the final, as in the first test we had some small problems. In the final we were both concentrated and while the trot could have been better, the walk and canter weres really good!"
The Bundeschampionate silver has been the greatest accomplishment for the pair so far, Therese and Sean Connery have won many M-level tests for 6 year-old dressage horses but feels that the second in Warendorf was an amazing acheivement. "Sean Connery was qualified as a 3, 4, 5, and 6 year-old horse for the Bundeschampionate, which shows how great he is to teach. As a 3 year-old he won the bronze medal."
Trained by Johannes Augustin at her home base, the Lodbergen Dressage Performance Center, Therese will now grant Sean Connery a short break before preparing him for next year, when he will start at Prix St Georges level. "He already shows great talent," she added.
Very lucky to gain the position as head rider at the Lodbergen Dressage Performance Center last April, Therese is also granted the ride on the other talented stallions at the stable. "For example Dante Weltino and Follow Me and a few other really good ones that are coming along, and my plan for 2014 is to take the horses to “the next level”. I am really lucky to ride such talented horses," she confessed.
Really surprised over her Bronze medal achievement, Lydia Camp cherished the reactions from the public in the Finals on Saturday. She was really happy with the way her very own dark bay gelding Sir Diamond performed.
"He is a really sensitive horse and he has so much confidence in me. Every day it is a pleasure to ride him. He makes it all so much fun," said the 23 year-old Lydia. Sir Diamond (by Sir Donnerhall I x Rohdiamant) posted straight 8.5s across the board to finish up with an 8.5 total.
In love with the Bundeschampionate competition and the feeling in that special arena, Lydia feels the championships were more exciting than challenging. Camp faced her biggest challenge when she rode her pony Dulcia to the 2006 European Pony Champion's title in Saumur, France.
After completing her professional rider course in Aachen with Ton de Ridder, Lydia now trains at home with her parents and says they have a really good relationship and have very much the same line of thinking when it comes to training methods. "We work individually for every horse and not every day the same to ensure that the horse keeps enjoying it and working for you," she explained.
With a lot of young horses in work, Lydia has two of her own horses and an 8 year-old and a 9 year-old, which have both been successful in Prix St Georges and are on their way to Grand Prix. "Perhaps they are good enough for Under 25 level in 2014. Next year I also hope to start the Masters for professional rider and gain independence at home," she stated.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photos © LL-foto
Related Links
Scores 2013 Bundeschampionate
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2013 Bundeschampionate