My Toto Washed to Gold in 6-YO Finals at 2023 World Young Horse Championships

The KWPN bred My Toto became the winner of a very unique 6-year old finals which brought a rainy edition of the 2023 World Championships for young dressage horses in Ermelo (NED) to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon 6 August 2023. 

The first three days of competition in Ermelo saw short rain showers spoil the party, but overall the weather was nice albeit quite cool. On Sunday, however, it was miserable and grey and it only got worse in the afternoon. On top of that a major power outage on the entire show ground during the Grand Prix freestyle brought the afternoon programme to a delay, this in combination with a incessant downpour of rain.

The Kur riders were most affected by the outage as the entire scoring and sound system was down, but in the end  big generators were fired up and humming as the 6-year old finals began with a five-minute delay. 

Full Reset

Last year I titled my WCYH articles "the last will be first," but this year I have to reconsider that entirely as now it was "the first will be first".

The first rotation of horses all rode in streaming rain, some horses appeared deflated after a long weekend of competition, others on the other hand appeared more settled and familiarized and delivered best performances.  The colder, windier and wetter weather created new conditions and new chances, which was obvious from the fully reshuffled final ranking compared to the preliminary test. 

This year the judges were rotated on the panels across the three age divisions, so a different panel judged the preliminary test, the consolation and the finals. For the 6-year olds only the chair (in this case Adriaan Hamoen) assessed all three 6-YO rounds. Ulrike Nivelle (GER) also sat on the panel of the preliminary test, but Hans Voser (SUI) and Peter Storr (GBR) were new to the party. 

The blackout not only forced organizers to do a full electricity restart on the premises, but that reboot also seemed to have affected the judges. The scoring felt atypical from the previous rounds, with different focal points lain and marks given. The favourites after the first round dropped out of medal contention and different horses were given the opportunity to shine. It made for an interesting and unexpected 6-year old finals. 

My Toto: The First Will Be First

The first pair to compete in the 6-YO finals was Hans Peter Minderhoud aboard the KWPN gelding My Toto (by Toto Jr x Voice). Riding in the pouring rain, which soaked them to the bone, the duo motored on, unphased by it all, and got plenty of well earned sympathy points from the panel. 

Minderhoud and My Toto began with a halt that was not square, but then delivered a very relaxed and cadenced trot tour. The dark bay is a very supple mover, who easily achieves overtrack in the extensions, but he should have lengthened more in the frame. He appeared a happily working horse with good rhythm and balance. He should have crossed more in the left half pass, the right one was much better. In the left walk pirouette there was a lack of activity and then he got tight and tense in the medium walk before the right walk pirouette, but the canter work really flowed.  The first flying change was fluent, the second a bit short and quick as he's was ahead of the aids, the other two were big. There was good uphill striding in the medium and extended canter, but My Toto was a bit tight in the neck and he could have opened the frame more over the back. The transition down to trot was via walk and the end halt not square. 

The judges rewarded this first horse to go with solid, deserved marks of 8.5 for walk, 8.8 for trot, 9.5 for canter, 8.5 for submission and 9.0 for perspective. The average of 8.86 points carried them to the victory as the medal favourites could not bring the same confirmation and ease to the table.  My Toto is not a flashy, overmuscled breeding stallion, like some of his rivals, but the horse showed good quality gaits, top rideability, and secure flying changes. 

Judge Ulrike Nivelle provided the public commentary in the 6-year old final and said that My Toto has a "trot that is very active and cadence, a little hurried at times. The walk clear 4-beat." She further added that he is "a horse with huge perspective, very obedient and with a great future."

"Most Complete Today"

My Toto's trip to gold was rather unexpected after placing 17th in the preliminary test (8.1), then winning the consolation (8.76) and besting the finals (8.86).

“I think the jury overlooked his qualities in the qualification, because I was happy with the first test as well," said Minderhoud. "Still, he went on to win the small final and today he gave me an even better feeling. He is a clever horse that can cope so well with the demanding conditions. My Toto absolutely deserves this medal, he really tried his heart out.”

For information, last year's winner scored 9.76 points (Global Player), in 2021 Kjento scored 9.60 pts, in 2019 Zuchhero got 9.66 pts; in 2018 D'Avie scored 9.26, and in 2017 Lordswood Dancing Diamond got 9.72 points.

My Toto's winning score was significantly lower than the winner mark in previous years, but does that indicate lesser quality? I wouldn't say so. In the past judges would get euphoric in the finals and distributed points like Christmas presents. Now it all stayed more realistic. The horse does not immediately have that Grand Prix "frame", but with his top gaits he'll certainly make it at top level and in a way his story at the World Championships was reminiscent of the surprise conquest of gold for Uzzo in 2006. Uzzo ended up becoming a Dutch Grand Prix team horse. Time will tell for My Toto.

Chairman Adriaan Hamoen explained, “My Toto’s test was the most complete today, he was forward, happy and showed off his exceptionally powerful canter.”

My Toto is bred by Aat Both, former chair of the organisation that hosts the WCYH in Ermelo. The gold medal for My Toto was the icing on the cake. The horse is owned by Aat Both, his wife Lida Both-van Loef and Miga horses BV, the company behind Minderhoud/Gal. 

"After retiring as chairman of the organising committee, I was looking forward to a relaxed Sunday. Then this happens," Both exclaims. "I assure you this is even more nerve-wracking. He was the first to go, so it was a waiting game.”

Vitalos Back to Silver

German Leonie Richter landed a second silver medal with the Hanoverian stallion Vitalos (by Vitalis x De Niro). Bred by Josef Bramlage and owned by Schockemöhle/Helgstrand (who bought him as a foal for 51,000 euro), the chestnut  posted 8.84 points and stayed a fraction behind My Toto.

The tall stallion very much has the Vitalis-Vivaldi look to him: long legs, big neck and very graceful in his movements despite all that masculinity.  He began his test tilted to the left, the shoulder in left was very lofty, the left volte was 15 m wide instead of 10m, the half pass left cadenced. The extensions were lovely with the nose forward.  The medium walk was nice in its relaxation, the medium walk in the walk pirouette part was more collected walk and quite short, the walk pirouettes themselves were small. The horse was energetic in the canter from behind but got shorter in the counter canter. The flyinge changes were good, one a bit croup high. 

Vitalos moved from an 7th place in the preliminary test to silver in the finals. He received 8.5 for walk, 9.2 for trot, 8.7 for canter, 8.8 for submission and 9.0 for perspective. The judges praised him for his "naturally balance and naturally uphill" trot, but in canter they wanted to see "a bit more airtime." Judge Nivelle commented publicly that Vitalos is a "horse with perspective, very elegant with natural balance."

Richter returned to Germany with two silver medals: one on Global Player and one on Vitalos. She has been riding Vitalos since he was three.

"It is an amazing feeling, I so happy, especially since this horse deserves this result," Richter stated. "He does everything for me, he truly has the best character. In my eyes he can do no wrong, but his canter got a lot stronger during the last year. You want to show off the progression, so there is some pressure, but as soon as I am in the saddle of Vitalos, I feel safe.”

Breeder Josef Bramlage was equally thrilled. "Unreal! When we sold him as a foal, we already thought he was a super star, a future champion in the making. We still have his full sister for breeding and she will not be sold for any price.”

Zuperman Gets Bronze

Beatrice Hoffrogge and the Oldenburg licensed stallion Zuperman (by Vincent Maranello x Destano) finished in third place, good for bronze.  The long-legged dark bay stallion has not been competed much as he suffered from an eye-infection and turned blind in one eye. 

Bred by Stefan Tietje and owned by the rider, Zuperman was fourth in the preliminary test and upped the ante in the finals. The stallion appeared very stable in the trot work: good rhythm and tempo, but he went off the track in the shoulder in left. In the extended walk there was a lot of overtrack, the left walk pirouette was small. The horse impressed the most in canter with big uphill strides even though in the extended left he got a bit stiff in the back. All four flying changes worked well but the ones to the left were clearly crooked. Although Hoffrogge kept a very steady contact in the bridle, the horse leaned into it and the rider has subtle, but hands busy with the bit. 

The judges loved him and rewarded the stallion with 8 for walk, 8.8 for trot, 9 for canter, 8.8 for submission and 9 for perspective. Nivelle spoke that Zuperman had an "active, powerful trot with good shoulder freedom." In the medium walk they wanted more overtrack and the canter was "the highlight, nice uphill with enough airtime." The panel wanted to see "more band on the circles."

“I was super pleased we advanced to the final. The fact he feels so great on the last day and only got better as the weekend progressed gives me a lot of confidence towards the future," said Hoffrogge. “It is a special feeling to compete in the World Championship with your own horse, but I was not nervous at all. Zuperman is a true show pony. He is super smart and a fast learner, so I am eagerly looking forward to our future together.”

Breeder Stefan Tietje brought his whole family into the prize giving arena to savour the moment. “Indescribable," he said teary-eyed, "it's an extremely emotional experience. A beautiful moment and we are so proud of Zuperman and Bea."

Zuperman was licensed at the 2019 Oldenburg stallion licensing in Vechta, where he became the third premium stallion and sold at auction for 105,000 euro. At the time the buyer was announced to be Christine Arns-Krogman (owner Weihegold).

So What Happened to the Medal Favourites?

The 2022 World Champions in the 5-year old division, Danish Victoria Vallentin and the Danish warmblood mare Lyngbjergs St. Paris (by Blue Hors St Schufro x Blue Hors Rockefeller) did not even end up on the podium this year. There is no doubt that this mare is world class and has a great future ahead of her, but in the finals the flying changes were her stumbling block.   Bred by Bente Børjesson and owned by Ingrid and Poul Thøgersen in partnership with the rider and her life partner Jesper Bisgaard Nielsen, St. Paris produced very soft-footed trot work as if she was barely touching the ground. She looked very easy going. The extended walk had a very clear V-moment in the 4-beat rhythm, the left walk pirouette was very nice. In canter, however the flying changes posed problems. The first was croup high, the second and fourth in two phases, only the third one was secure though crooked. Vallentin kept a soft contact with the bit, the mare had a dry mouth and at times lightly tilted to the left.  She scored 8 for walk, 9 for trot and canter, 8.2 (!) for submission and 8.5 for general impression to finish fourth on 8.54 points. 

The winnersof the preliminary round, Jeanna Hogberg and the Swedish warmblood gelding BE Allex (by Ampère x Dalwhinnie) even dropped to a 7th place with 8.16 points.  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. In the finals the black gelding could not deliver the same form, security and confidence as in round one. The trot looked too passagey in the corner but had good bounce in the medium trot, yet lost spring in the shoulder in left and did not cross so much behind in the left half pass. It was better on the right lead. The extended walk had plenty of overstep and a good rhythm but needed to be more active in its marching; he got stuck in the left walk pirouette and lost clarity in the rhythm in the medium walk. In the canter work the horse got a bit long in the frame and lost some uphill tendency at times. The changes were super secure but in the second one the rider was helping a lot from the saddle. The golden dream was dashed when the judges awarded BE Allex 7 for walk, 9.2 for trot, 8.3 for canter, 8 for submission and 8.3 for perspective. 

The 2023 Young Horse World Championships concluded with an unexpected podium, but that makes young horse sport so exciting. In 2024 these FEI/WBFSH breeding championships will return to Ermelo, but not on the announced date in August as it clashes with the Olympic Games in Paris. Instead the event will take place in September. 

- Text and Photos © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition).

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