Red Viper Does the Winner's Dance in the 5-YO Division at the 2024 World Young Horse Championships

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)  
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

Dutchman Bart Veeze and the KWPN bred Red Viper won the 5-year old finals test and were crowned champion in their age category at the 2024 World Championships for young dressage horses in Ermelo (NED) on Saturday afternoon 7 September 2024.

The 25th anniversary edition of the WCYH has been blessed with lovely weather. After a drizzly first day, the sun came out every single afternoon while the air stayed crisp in the morning. Nothing is more obvious that autumn is around the corner and it's been perfect conditions for the young horses to compete in the last WCYH in Ermelo as the event moves back to Verden for a three-year cycle in 2025 - 2027.

Red Viper Reigns

Veeze and Eugene Reesink's KWPN licensed stallion Red Viper (by Romanov x Sir Sinclair) reigned in the preliminary test and the pair carried on with the same pezzazz in the finals. The pair had luck on their side as they were remarkably drawn last to go in the final group and now had the best cards in hand in the battle for the victory. What a co-incidence!?

The liver chestnut stallion is handsome as can be: gorgeous face, liver chestnut coat, full bodied, uphill neck, and three outstanding basic gaits. Today in the Finals test he struggled a little with the balance in the transitions and bent lines and it was obvious that the bending to the right is not as established and elastic as to the left. The trot work was forward though, expressive, the stallion always willing to work for his rider even though he couldn't always keep up behind. The long week had its toll on this young horse who appeared a fraction less fresh and quick in the hindlegs. There was a loss of clarity in the walk in the turn. In canter the hindlegs always nicely moved under the body in each stride and the counter canter right was the best one of the two. One simple change was a bit crooked and in the giving and taking of the reins that horse barely stretched the neck forward. On the final centerline the crowd couldn't contain its excitement and started clapping, which surprised Red Viper a little, but made clear that they wielded the axe of power in this year's 5-year old division.

The judges panel, including Kurt Christensen, Patricia Wolters, Juan Carlos Campos Escribano, and William Warren, rewarded the horse with a 9.38 total score. He got 8.8 for walk, 9.4 for trot, 9.7 for canter, 9.2 for submission and 9.8 for general impression. Veeze fist-pumped into the air as the crowd cheered to celebrate their new champion. Dutch judge Patricia Wolters did the public commentary and praised Red Viper for his "elasticity and ground cover" in trot, his "clear walk with sufficient overtrack" and the "expressive canter with the medium having uphill tendency. It was balanced with the ability to collect." They concluded that this horse has a "very promising future ahead."

Overwhelmed

The 43-year old Veeze has competed in the WCYH no less than 6 times on 7 different horses (Nero, Denton RMD, Kyton, Imagine, Imposantos, Winoa) but the victory has made him feel overwhelmed. 

"In one week I'm ten years older from all the stress," he joked. "Viper was amazing. The last centerline I was thinking, 'I think it's really good because everyone is clapping" and then it was. It was a lot of pressure for me. First we had two days off and that's a long time. When you ride well in the finals, you'll win everybody was telling me. I wanted to show how good Viper is. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but the owners are easy with everything. They know how it is."

Veeze prepared himself by shutting himself off from all surroundings and just focusing on his horses. 

"This morning we were 10 minutes in the arena and he felt great. That was enough," he said. "Then I trained my 6-year old horse (Nero). and rode my 4-year old (Pride) in the challenge. I sat all afternoon in my truck and at 17h I went to the stables. It was a long time. I didn't want to hear the other scores, otherwise it would be very difficult for me. I didn't know any scores going in."

Red Viper is bred by Coen Kerbert who was thrilled with the title as it is a culmination of his generation-long breeding programme. Red Viper's dam Zolena (by Sir Sinclair x Cabochon) competed at the 2009 and 2010 World Young Horse Championships in Verden with their daughter Annerein Kerbert.

"This medal brings us to a full circle," said Coen Kerbert. "You cannot predict such a result, it is an intricate confluence of many factors, from horse to management, education and rider. Today, it all came together, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Kerbert sold the colt Red Viper, who was originally named Oberyn Red Viper ZL, for 56,000 euro to investor Jan Pieter Dalsem through horse dealer Eugene Reesink at the 2019 Borculo Foal Auction.

Silver Lining for Glamdale WP

German Stefanie Ahlert and the Westfalian stallion Glamdale WP (by Glamourdale x Millennium) found their silver lining in the 5-year old finals as the placed second with 9.02 points.

The two leading stallions in the 5-year old division could not have been further apart from each other. While Red Viper is the chunky, tall stallion with the more filled body, Glamdale is the more athletic, modern looking colt, very nimble on his legs, maybe the back a little sunken, and with a more flexible long next. Both are strapping lads and both have their qualities for the future. 

Ahlert did a super job presenting the testosterony Glamdale WP who was listening well to her, but who one could constantly spot looking into the crowds with his eyes to surveil the surroundings. The transitions were their difficulty of the day. In trot he gave a very energetic and forward impression, at times hurried, but the medium trot was really nice, the turn on the haunches rather big. The stallion is quite unsteady in the poll and bops his head in the trot work. Also the bending to the right needs to improve in the future. In the second trot extension he got behind the aids at the start of the diagonal but then accelerated forward. The canter strike off from walk was through the trot and in the counter canter right he lost the balance and made a flying change when the rider counter flexed him. The medium canter left (which was pretty much an extended canter with all participants as they go full throttle to impress the judges for points) was very well ridden, but it took more than several strides for Glamdale to collect a bit to working canter. While Ahlert certainly gave the impression that the stallion was active and engaged, he wasn't always in front of the aids and also in the final downward transition to trot he halted for a second. These small transitions issues did not take away from the quality of the horse though.

The judges rewarded the stallion with 9 for walk, 9.2 for trot, 8.8 for canter, 8.9 for submission (?), and 9.2 for perspective. They praised the horse for having gaits that have "scope, engagement, elasticity," but the trot was at times "hurried."

Ahlert was on cloud nine and during the prize giving ceremony the breeder and owner, Heike Pleines, was in tears. She was joined in the ceremony by her mother Gisele. Heike continued the breeding programme of her late father, Werner Pleines (WP), who passed away in 2011. 

"This is my first time here in Ermelo. The scene, the people, it's overwhelming," she said "On the first day Glam gave me such a secure feeling, it was such a nice test. Today he was a bit afraid with so many spectators. It's never totally simple with stallions. Glam is a showman, a macho. He's a big mover. It's easy for him.  He always gives 3000% under saddle. Today in the arena he was scared. He never went into such a big arena, and I never rode in such a big one."

When asked about her future with Glamdale, Stefanie stayed modest. "What comes will come," she said. "I will be grateful if I can keep on riding him for a long time. I'm grateful to the owner."

Bronze for Severucci HT

Swedish Jeanna Hogberg collected her first bronze WCYH medal in her career after one gold and double silver in previous years.  Her partner-in-crime is Severucci HT, a Swedish warmblood stallion by Secret out of Riviera (by Rubinrot), bred and owned by Gabriella Grewin Bramberg of company  Absolut Dental AB.

Her pocket rocket stallion showed much freedom of the shoulder and cadence in trot and put the nose out in the trot extensions. Some argue it was above the bit, others say it's a proper lengthening of frame. It makes you wonder if spectators are still used to seeing an extended trot with the nose out. The extended walk did not have the most ground cover, but the canter work was uphill striding. Hogberg worked with quiet aids and Severucci stayed consistent in the contact, although in the giving and taking of the reins he could have stretch the neck more. 

The judges praised the rider for the "nice presentation" of the horse and rewarded him 88 for walk, 9 for trot, canter, and submission and 9.2 for perspective. He totalled 9.00 points for third place. 

"We were very surprised," Jeanna said about winning bronze. "We went in first on the first day. I thought it wouldn't be good but it was perfect. The warm-up was really quiet and in the end it worked out really well, except of course for Red Viper," she joked.

Hogberg admitted that she mentally closed herself off from the competition in order to prepare for her ride. 

"I didn't know what the other riders scored," she said. "I saw some of the first starters but I just wanted to focus on my test and do as good as I can."

The bronze on Severucci HT has a special ring to it as Hogberg is probably the first rider to collect two WCYH medals on offspring by the same mare, Riviera.  Jeanna received her fourth WCYH medal in her career in twelve years time. She rode her first WCYH in Verden in 2012 aboard Cilantro (by Johnson x Hertug), returned in 2015 on Springbank VH (by Skovens Rafael x De Niro, who got sold to the USA and disappeared), and she first found podium honour in 2016 aboard Fiorucci HT (by Florencio out of Riviera). Since then she also showed Astoria(2017, 2018, 2019) and won gold on Hesselhoj Down Town in 2021 and silver in 2022. In 2023 BE Allex (by Ampere) took her to 7th place in Ermelo.

Quick Notes

A fourth place went to German Ann Christin Wienkamp aboard Rhenania Pferde's Rhinelander gelding Voundation (by Vitalis x Fidertanz) with 8.94 points. The bright bay gelding has a very lightfooted trot with nice suspension in the lengthenings, but overall tried to lean into the contact which the rider tried to solve with some visible half halting, particularly on the volte right. In the right counter canter he got short and lost some elasticity, the left one was clearly better. The second simple change was via trot. They finished the test with a lovely end halt. The horse got 9 for walk and trot, 8.6 got canter, 9 for submission and 9.1 for general impression. 

French Camille Judet Cheret and the Oldenburg bred Emoji JCD SL (by Emilio x Foundation) landed fifth place on 8.92 points.. He was presented in a very harmonious way, light to the aids and with good balance. The mouth was rather dry though. The second trot lengthening was a highlight. The counter canter was well regulated but could have been more uphill. The turn on the haunches was well ridden. They got 8.7 for walk, 8.9 for trot, 8.8 for canter, 9.2 for submission and 9 for perspective. 

Dutch Kirsten Brouwer piloted Jan Pieter Dalsem's KWPN stallion Ohio (by Kaiman x Grand Galaxy Win) to a sixth place with 8.64 points. Dalsem had two of his horses in the top 10 at this year's WCYH alongside winner Red Viper. Brouwer rode the black stallion very forward with a lovely, floaty second trot lengthening, although it was a bit hurried. The stallion did spook and change lead in the right extended canter, but they finished with a good end halt. They got 8.2 for walk, 8.5 for trot, 9 for canter, 8.7 for submission and 8.8 for perspective. 

Spaniard Alvaro Conesa de Oliveira and Helgstrand's Oldenburg mare J'Adore Dior H (by Jovian x Sir Donnerhall) tied in sixth place with 8.64 points. The dark bay mare, who takes after her sire in looks, has a very cadenced, elastic trot with plenty of overtrack in what was clearly an extended trot and not a medium trot. The horse did give the impression to be running away with its rider on top. The medium canter right also looked more like a sprint.  The counter canter right was very nice, but the walk got short in the simple change.  The judges wanted to see "a bit more control over the gears." The mare scored 7.8 for walk, 9 for trot, 8.9 for canter, 8.7 for submission and 8.8 for general impression. 

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

Eurodressage is taking photos of (pretty much) all competitors in Ermelo. No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses