A change of horses has not ruled Swedish Grand Prix Jeanna Hogberg out of World Young Horse Championship medal contention as today she claimed a historic victory for Swedish warmblood horse breeding by winning the 6-year old preliminary test on BE Allex. Hogberg and her Swedish warmblood gelding edged out reigning World Champion Lynbjergs St. Paris by 0.2 points.
Touchstone
Usually the 6-year old division presents a less strong field than the 5-year old age group as the level is higher and it requires better training and riding of the horses. This year at the 2023 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo (NED) the 6-year old group is as strong a the 5-year old one and a score of minimum 82.80 points was required to make it into the finals directly.
The flying changes continued to be the touchstone and stumbling block of the 6-year olds. While many of the riders still ride the movements with the pedal to the mettal (in medium trot/canter), in principle collected trot and canter are required to be shown. What is also asked at this level is a clear differentiation between the medium and extended walk. Some succeeded at that.
Marathon
The second day of competition in Ermelo was straight away a marathon day, starting at 8h00 in the morning and finishing just past 21h00 at night. The main arena hosted the 6 and 7-year old preliminary test, while the green, more quiet B-arena was the stage for the 4-year and 5-year old consolation class. The longest break took 20 minutes so if you had to pee or were hungry, you'd better hurry up or you would miss great young horse action.
Grand Prix Readiness
What stood out the most about the winning horse was its Grand Prix readiness/talent. Jeanna Hogberg, who won the 2021 World Championships on Hesselhoj Down Town and got silver on the same horse in 2022, now brought Swedish warmblood gelding BE Allex (by Ampère x Dalwhinnie) to Ermelo. This horse is a familiar face in Ermelo as he already placed 8th in the 5-year old finals last year. This time he seems to be on a gold medal course. BE Allex is bred by Bo and Eva Pettersson and owned by a trio including the rider, Tina Hennix, and Tobias Hansson of Vastra Hoby.
The pair presented very establish M-level work and the balanced, expression and self carriage were so well developed that the gelding almost looked like a Grand Prix ready horse. The trot was cadenced, forward, expressive. There was no distinction between the medium and extended trot: both were full power and ground covering. The medium walk was big with good rhythm, in canter the horse showed proper self carriage with especially an outstanding second flying change. The small issues were in the transitions: the one from walk to canter and in the final one from canter to trot. They scored 8.96 points for the victory with an 8.8 for walk, 8.7 for trot, 9.2 for canter, 8.8 for submission and 9.3 for general impression.
“I am over the moon! The final on Sunday is always a challenge," said Jeanna after the prize giving ceremony. "That test contains more changes as well, but luckily those come easy to him. Last year, Be Allex placed eighth in the final, so this time my goal is to best that position, but a podium would be even better."
Runner-Up St. Paris
Bred by Bente Børjesson and owned by Ingrid and Poul Thøgersen in partnership with the rider and her life partner Jesper Bisgaard Nielsen, the elegant black mare St. Paris was warmed up indoors before heading to the competition ring. The sensitive and very light footed mare was soft and elastic in the contact and produced a very elegant, energetic trot tour, but a touch of tension was to be noticed throughout the ride. The nose could have been a fraction more out, even though Vallentin had a soft contact with the bit. Both the medium and extended walk and trot showed little differentiation and were huge in overtrack. The nose should have come out more when the mare was given the rein in canter. The trot half passes showed nice crossing. The second flying change was late and had a kick to the spur but the other changes were uphill.
The judges were forgiving in the submission with their 8.8 score, probably because the overall picture looked soft and graceful. The walk earned 8.5, the trot 9.3, the canter 8.8, and the general impression/perspective was 9.3. Good for a toral of 8.94 points and second place.
Mature Mauro
Mauro also showed strong growth and maturity. The trot was very obedient and consistent in the frame, albeit quite closed in the throatlatch. At times the hindlegs could be a bit quicker and there should be more flexion in the corners. The rein back was well executed. Dinja rode the extended walk with more activity than the medium so there was a distinction between the two. The extended canter could have shown more lengthening in the frame, but the changes were fluent and the end halt really nice.
They scored 8.5 for walk, 8.8 for trot, 8.5 for canter, 9.3 for submission and 9.0 for perspective to total 8.82 points for third place.
Zuperman and Fabajo
Former World Championship winner Beatrice Hoffrogge (on Victoria's Secret) was the first to go on Friday morning 8 AM and posted a high score that kept her high up in the ranking all day. Her stallion Zuperman, bred by Stefan Tietje, required a fair bit of support and riding from Hoffrogge, even though she made it look rather effortless. Her hands though were constantly busy keeping the stallion through, but his mouth was tense with the upper lip dropped. The long legged stallion has much reach in the frontleg, showed great crossing in the half passes, but hurried in the left shoulder in. He easily achieved overtrack in the trot lengthenings. None of the three halts were immobile, in canter the flying changes succeeded but especially the second one should have been straighter. The extended canter showed scope and power. He received 8.3 for walk, 8.5 for trot, 9.3 for canter, 8.6 for submission and 9 for perspective. This averaged 8.74 points.
Richter x 2
German Leonie Richter captured sixth and seventh place on two big stallions. Surprisingly it was the black Westfalian In My Mind (by Ibiza x Fidermark) who scored more than the chestnut Hanoverian and last year's silver medal winning Vitalos (by Vitalis x De Niro).
The first rotation of horses to go in the morning were all huge chestnut stallions, beasts of horses with massive gaits which made every normal sized horse look like a pony. Vitalos was one of them. Bred by Josef Bramlage and owned by Helgstrand & Schockemöhle, the handsome stallion showed very cadenced trot work, and kept a very secure rhythm in the lateral movements. The rein back had good diagonal steps. The first flying change was croup high, the second crooked but canter work had scope and ground cover. He scored 8.3 for walk, 9.3 for trot, 8.4 for canter 8.5 for submission and 8.8 for perspective to average 8.66 points and place 7th.
Big Chestnuts
One of the chestnut beasty stallions that I preferred was the 11th placed KWPN stallion My Vitality (by Vivaldi x D-Day - the full brother to breeding legend Vitalis), presented by Spaniard Eric Guardia Martinez. Owned by Norwegian Cathrine Rasmussen, this chestnut showed very expressive trot work that was forward with nice knee action and big trot extensions. On the right lead, however, the horse regularly tilted. The walk was good but did not have the greatest overstep. The canter was big, with uphill strides and the flying changes were impressive .He scored 8 for walk, 8.4 for trot, 8.5 for canter, 8.4 for submission and 8.6 for perspective to average 8.38 points. My Vitality is bred in The Netherlands by Willeke Bos (Stal 104)/
Dutch Delegation
This year KWPN breeding does not seem to be making a big impact at the World Championships but it ain't over until the fat lady sings.
Hans Peter Minderhoud was last to go today and landed 9th place on the very interesting KWPN stallion Massimo (by Toto Jr x Bretton Woods). Bred by M van Cortenberghe and owned by Glock HPC, the liver chestnut has a very elegant trot with incredible shoulder freedom. The trot appeared quite "produced" though with passagey steps in the corners and tilting in the left shoulder in. The right shoulder in was significantly better and the half pass right was lovely. The trot extensions did not show a quickening of the pace but were ground covering. The walk was lovely, but in canter the given of the rein was poor with the outside rein fixed and the inside just being lifted up without letting go of the contact. There was tension in the first flying change but the second went well. In canter Massimo keeps quite a straight hindleg, but he is very willing horse that worked hard for his rider. He scored 8.7 for walk and trot, 8.2 for canter and submission and 8.5 for general impression. With 8.46 points in total they placed 9th.
A Few Words
Anders Sjobeck Hoeck and the Danish warmblood stallion Hesselhoj Double Up (by Donkey Boy x Tailormade Lancelot) scored 8.26 points. The cure dark bay stallion is a modern looking horse with a quick hindleg but he stayed too round in the neck and frame. Would be nice to see him stretch a bit more into the contact.
Finnish Stella Hagelstam presented her late mom Heidi's home bred Finnish warmblood Hagel's Prince Nassak (by Pin Rock's Black Velvet x Fernet) and posted 8.24 points for 14th place. Such a lovely bay pocket rocket with a very cadenced trot, an ok walk that could march more and a very nice uphill canter.
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