Team Holland Takes Homeside Victory in Nations Cup at 2021 CDIO Rotterdam

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2021 CDIO Rotterdam

The Dutch dressage team took a homeside victory in the FEI Nations Cup leg at the 2021 CDIO Rotterdam. With only three teams entered for the Nations' Cup, Rotterdam was unable to boast its usual strong international field. However, Team orange certainly made it exciting as the show counted as their last Olympic team selection trial.

Edward Gal, Hans Peter Minderhoud, Marlies van Baalen and Dinja van Liere won team gold in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup. German rider Isabel Werth won the individual title in the Grand Prix Freestyle and helped her German team to win silver. The Belgian team came in third place.

Werth Wins Twice

The Grand Prix was ridden on Thursday and the Special & Freestyle on Saturday 3 July 2021.

Isabell Werth dominated the Grand Prix aboard her 2017 European Champion Weihegold. Read the report here.

In the Grand Prix Special on Saturday Hans Peter Minderhoud and Dream Boy (by Vivaldi x Ferro) took first place with 78.894%, followed by Dinja van Liere who showed nerves of steel after dealing with the deception that she will not be eligible to be Dutch Olympic team selected on Hermes because the an administrative error, that took place in the FEI registration of the ownership of the horse three years ago in 2018, had not been rectified before the Olympic ownership deadline of 15 January 2021.

Minderhoud: “My horse felt really good, and I’m very happy with him, and that’s a great feeling with the Olympics in Tokyo just three weeks away.” The Dutch rider had high praise for the organizers of the event. “The arena is fantastic. Even though the public couldn’t be here, there’s still a super atmosphere. That’s amazing to feel after such a long time not competing. It’s good for the horses, too. You can feel they get the right kind of excitment because of it.”

German rider Isabel Werth and her mare Weihegold were the last to start in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Their many years experience shone through in a wonderful test. Unfortunately for the German team, her score of 87.530% was not high enough to surpass the Dutch for the first place in the team ranking, but Werth was nevertheless pleased with her performance. “I was very happy with Weihegold today. She was very focused and is in good shape," Werth commented.

Home Victory

The Dutch team riders were thrilled with their win on home ground. For Marlies van Baalen, it was only the second time, she and her gelding Go Legend rode their freestyle test in an official event. They scored 77.695% for fourth place. “The first time was at the Dutch Championships, but he was a bit afraid in the arena there. Now, he was much more relaxed. There were some small mistakes, but in general I’m very happy with his performance and how he’s developing."

Edward Gal and Total US came in second place in the Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 84.280%. Gal this year returned to Rotterdam with the same freestyle music and simple floorplan he rode to with the legendary Totilas in 2009, then performing his test in the pouring rain. “For a moment I thought it was going to be the same this time around, but I’m glad it didn’t rain as much as back then.” He was satisfied with the way his horse, a son of Totilas, performed today. “It was his first time in such a big event with a lot of things that were new to him, but I’m very happy with the progress he has made in just one week here. It’s nice that it went like this just a couple of weeks before Tokyo.”

Dutch Olympic Team

Dutch team captain Alex van Silfhout now has one day remaining to announce his team for the Tokyo Olympics.

“There are still some things going on that need to be resolved, but tomorrow things will be clearer. One thing we already have is a super team. Everybody’s getting along so well together. And that’s what you need in a competition like the Olympics to be able to rise above yourself.”

Van Silfhout also said that it's up to Edward Gal to choose who he will ride in Tokyo: Total U.S or Toto Jr, although Van Silfhout prefers the 9-year old Total U.S. With Hermes ineligible for team selection it will be interesting to see if she will get a spot with her second ride Haute Couture, or if Marlies van Baalen will take that third spot on Go Legend.