What a restart at the 26th edition of the Manfred & Hilde Swarovski Memorial Tournament after a two-year pandemic break. The 2022 CDI Fritzens returned in full swing with a world class starters' field competing on day one, Friday 8 July 2022.
German Olympian and current 2022 German WEG team candidate Dorothee Schneider scored a double victory.
Home victory for Haim-Swarovski Horse
German Olympic team champion Dorothee Schneider rode the Haim-Swarovski horse Dante's Hit OLD to victory in the St. Georg on Friday morning in the Small Tour at the 2022 CDI Fritzens on 8 July 2022.
The trainer of host Evelyn Haim-Swarovski scored 72.206 percent with the 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding. Second place went to the Austrian duo Stephanie Dearing and Auheims's Del Magico with 70.824 percent.
"That was a nice round, with which we can be very satisfied after the long break. Especially in the trot tour we were swinging very nicely. A step mistake even cost us the possible victory," analyzed the partner of Olympic rider and national champion Christian Schumach.
The 14-year-old gelding Del Magico was runner-up in the Young Horse World Championships in 2014 under the saddle of the Carinthian rider. Dearing: "Del Magico competed internationally in the Young Riders for two years with Chiara Pengg, the owner's daughter. Fortunately, he survived a colic two and a half years ago without any problems. Now it's a matter of slowly building him back up to the Grand Tour, and in September we want to compete at the National Championships. For such a restart there is no better tournament than the one at Schindlhof. There is no place that treats horses and riders more lovingly than here."
Double Victory for Schneider
"I am very proud of Roman (note: stable name of First Romance), he is a very special horse because he is just always fully on his game. It's nice to see his development because now he is getting calmer and calmer in the arena and is not so overzealous anymore," Dorothee Schneider explained in the winner's interview.
Speaking of development. Austria's current number 1 pair is developing almost explosively. Birkhof's Topas and Victoria Max-Theurer have been a pair since August 2021 and the two have been riding from top ranking to top ranking ever since. This time the top-class jury awarded 74.739 percent for a ride full of highlights.
"I'm really very pleased," Austria's four-time Olympian said happily. "We are now slowly on the way to being able to risk even more together. The connection between us is great, with every test we grow even better together."
Third and fourth place also went to Germany again: Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer lined up with Saphira Royal (72.369) ahead of under 25 European Champion Evelyn Eger on Westminster (71.043).
Photos © Max Schreiner
Related Links
Scores: 2022 CDI Fritzens
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2022 CDI Fritzens