Quinn G Wins 2023 Danish Warmblood Young Horse Championships for 5-Year Olds

Breeding

Danish Warmblood

Betina Jaeger and Quinn G became the winners of the Danish Warmblood Championship for 5-year olds held at the 2023 Danish Warmblood Stallion Licensing in Herning on 9 - 12 March 2023.

Three Rounds, Four Days

Annually the Danish warmblood hosts a championships for 5-year olds during the licensing in Herning, sponsored by Blue Hors stud. Only DWB bred and registered horses are allowed to participate.

The Championship consists of three rounds. Two in which the horses are presented by their own rider; in the first round in pairs of two and in the second round in pairs of three. The top 23 of the highest scoring horses after two rounds were test ridden by a guest judge rider.

This year Cathrine Dufour succeeded Daniel Bachmann Andersen as guest judge rider. As Denmark's number one Grand Prix rider, Dufour is certainly a crowd magnet and helps in the sales of box office tickets. However, some questioned whether it is not a conflict of interest that Dufour scores and ranks these horses while being on Andreas Helgstrand's payroll to sell horses since 2018.

An interesting observation this year is that of the Top 23 finishers, no less than 4 are sired by the German popular breeding stallion Secret (by Sezuan x St. Moritz) and four by Revolution (by Rocky Lee x Rouletto). Last year Revolution had 8 offspring in the top 20.

Quinn G Wins

Betina Jaeger and Helgstrand's chestnut mare Quinn G became the winner of the championship after leading the first rounds and scoring the highest under Dufour.

Under Jaeger the mare scored 9 for walk, 9.5 for trot and canter, and 10 for rideability and potential from judges Mats Eriksson, Isobel Wessels, and Susanne Baarup. Dufour awarded the athletic mare a double 10 for rideability and potential. Her total of 973 points made her win the Championship.

Quinn G is bred by Helene Geervliet at Stutteri Geervlient in Denmark. She is by Quaterhit x Fassbinder. Owned by the breeder, Quinn won bronze in the 4-year old finals of the 2022 Danish Young Horse Championships under Anders Sjobeck Hoeck. Just a few days after these nationals she sold to Danish youth team trainer Dennis Fisker, who recently resold her to Helgstrand Dressage.

Valerie B Runner-Up

Valerie B, the winner of the 4-year old division at the 2022 Danish young horse championships in October, now became the runner-up in the 5-year old "Blue Hors Championship" in Herning.

Under Anne-Mette Strandby the bay mare (by Revolution x Zack) scored 8.5 for walk, 9.5 for trot, canter and rideability and 10 for potential. Test rider Dufour rewarded the mare with 9 for rideability and 10 for potential. Her overall total was 948 point which ranked the pair second.

Valerie B is bred by Karin and Peer Guldbrandsen and is owned by Helgstrand Dressage.

Alkaline Bronze

Finnish Merita Hagren and the stallion Alkaline (by Secret x Zalmiak Firfod) captured the bronze in Herning.

The chestnut stallion was third in the first two rounds under Hagren, receiving 9 for walk, 8.5 for trot, 9 for canter, 8.5 for rideability and 9 for potential. Dufour kept the horse in third place after rewarding him with 9.5 for rideability and potential. The total score was 900 points.

Alkaline is bred by Anette Blangsted and owned by Helgstrand Dressage. This is the first show Alkaline has ever competed in.

Dufour in Words..

Ridehesten reported that Dufour told the audience, "I have purposely not followed too much (of the previous days of the Championship), because I would like to get on with a reasonably clean slate and just feel them from the saddle."

She continued, "the most important thing for me today is that the horses get a good experience, because one day we hope to see some of them compete at FEI level here in the Boxen arena. Of course, I try to evaluate each horse objectively, but I also evaluate based on what I like, and according to which horses in my world would make it to Grand Prix."

About winner Quinn G she said that "she presents herself in a very natural way and says "Come along." She is really nice in the hand and gives me a floating moment in the trot, with good activity from behind. She is incredibly lovely to sit on, and she is very attentive to her rider."

2023 DWB 5-year old Championship (top 23)

1. Betina Jæger - Quinn G (by Quaterhit X Fassbinder) - 973.000
2. Anne-mette Strandby - Valerie B (by Revolution X Blue Hors Zack) - 948.000
3. Merita Hagren - Alkaline (by Secret X Zalmiak Firfod) - 900.000
4. Anders S. Hoeck - Ravinas Sebastian (by Secret X De Niro) - 874.000
5. Anders S. Hoeck - Worres Distiny (by Valløs Dreaming Marong X Blue Hors Romanov) - 873.000
6. Anna Zibrandtsen - Remember Me (by Don Olymbrio X Sezuan) - 872.000
7. Jeppe Houmann Petersen - Bee-revolutionary (by Revolution X L'espoir) - 870.000
8. Mette Sejbjerg - Straight Horse Floriana (by Franklin X Blue Hors Zack) - 868.000
9. Silje Bakken - Lille Kærgårds Sisco (by Don Olymbrio X Stedinger) - 862.000
10. Moises Jover Azuar - Diaz Skovvang (by D'avie X De Noir) - 846.000
11. Sanne Henningsen - Franz W (by Franziskus X Milan) - 842.000
12. Jessica Lynn Thomas - Jj Spencer (by Secret X Deemster) - 839.000
13. Selina Vittighus Soelberg - Atterupgaards Dolly (by Ibiza X Caprimond) - 833.000
14. Silje Bakken - Grevens Sirius (by Secret X Johnson) - 830.000
15. Susanne Barnow - Sk Farnello (by Blue Hors Farrell X Akinos) - 827.000
16. Anders S. Hoeck - Søbakkehus Manila (by Blue Hors Fifty Cent X Wilkens) - 824.000
17. Merita Hagren - Atterupgaards Dakota (by Ibiza X Bon Bravour) - 822.000
18. Nadja Aaboe Sloth - Bonita Gersdorf (by Foundation X Leandro) - 818.000
19. Emma Ahlberg - Franka (by Franklin X Fürstenball) - 815.000
20. Heidi Brich Kristensen - Renomé (by Revolution X Sieger Hit) - 801.000
21. Lisette Berner - Kastaniegårdens Philina (by Revolution X Prince Thatch Xx) - 790.000
22. Ulrik Falbe Hansen - Zenon (by Blue Hors Zackerey X Blue Hors Don Romantic) - 789.000
23. Gustav Meinertz - Harrysmindes Esto (by Blue Hors Emilio X Blue Hors Zack) - 765.000

Complete scores here.