Thomas Schiulze and the mare Forever Valentine scooped up the national title, champion sash and gold medal winning the 6-year old dressage horse finals at the 2021 Bundeschampionate on 14 August 2021.
No less than sixty combinations competed in the 6-year old division in Warendorf. The 10 highest scoring pairs (and those that tie with that score) from the preliminary test qualify directly for the finals. The three highest ranked combinations (including the ties) in the consolation finals are also eligible to move to the Finals.
This meant that 12 pairs from the preliminary round made it and 6 via the consolation finals. Borja Carrascosa and Frizzantino qualified for the final round but withdrew because the horse developed a cough during the show.
The Bicycle Wins
At the Bundeschampionate the pair was fourth in the preliminary round with 8.5 and repeated that score in the finals. It proved sufficient to win.
Judges Horst Eulich, Michael Hubrich and Nicole Nockermann rewarded the bay mare with 8.5 for walk and trot, 9 for canter, 8 for submission and 8.5 for general impression.
Forever Valentine is bred by the breeders' group ESG Heinrichmann-Pötter-Schulze and born at the yard of Georgia Schulze-Lefert's parents. As a foal she was nicknamed "Das Fahrrad" (the bicycle). The mare certainly wheeled herself to most prestigious title a young horse can win in Germany.
Sheldon Cooper Silver
The silver medal went to Carina Harnisch aboard her own German Sport Horse bred gelding Sheldon Cooper, who is named after the leading character of the American tv-series The Big Bang Theory. The chestnut gelding by Sezuan x Rosenstein scored 8.3 for silver.
When it matter, in the Finals, the horse improved its score to a final 8.3. points with 7 for walk, 9 for trot and canter, 8 for submission and 8.5 for general impression.
Carina Harnisch (née Lehanka) built her dressage career first competing on the German junior-young rider circuit with FBW Donnerknall in the early 2000s. Her grandfather Dieter Dorsch owned a stable, where her first coach Nadine Plaster was based. An amateur rider who works as business administrator for Würth, Carina Harnisch discovered Sheldon Cooper as a 3-year old, when he was first shown by Susanne Schulte-Beckhausen and Linda Casper. He sold to Carina and her husband Sebastian and she developed the horse herself.
Two for Bronze
Stefanie Wolf, who has taken over full control and management of Johann Hinnemann's stable Krusterhof, piloted Rhenania's Rhinelander mare Vanity Fair (by Vivaldi x Sandro Hit) to an 8.2 score. Bred by ZG Wencek, Vanity Fair scored 8.5 for walk and trot, 8 for canter, 7.5 for submission and 8.5 for general impression.
Vanity Fair was the champion of the 2018 Hanoverian Elite Mare Show in Verden, Germany and placed fourth at the 2019 Bundeschampionate under Carlos Caetano. Last year Caetano and Vanity Fair were only 27th in the preliminary round for 5-year olds at the Bundeschampionate and withdrew from riding the consolation finals.
In June 2021 Famous K qualified for the Bundeschampionate in Elmlohe under Anett Müller. Only in August Leonie Richter began campaigning the bay stallion, placing second at the qualifier in Verden.
Scarlett O'Hara Fifth
The top five was completed by Kira Wegmann on Winfried Albers' Westfalian mare Scarlett O'Hara (by Scuderia x Laurentianer).
The pair achieved the highest trot score of all in the finals, 9.5, but for walk the mare 'only' got 7. The judges further rewarded her with 9 for canter, 7.5 for submission and 8.5 for general impression. They placed fifth with 8.1. points.
Photos © LL-foto
Related Links
Scores: 2021 Bundeschampionate
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2021 Bundeschampionate