Photo Report: A Day in Den Bosch for the 2025 World Cup Qualifier

-- Text and Photos © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion)  - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED / NO SCREEN SHOTS for social media

The last time I visited the CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch was in 2018. Since then conflicting travel schedules (Wellington), the commodity of Clip My Horse, a repetitive starters field, and other reasons kept me from returning to Den Bosch. This year, however, the entry field enticed me enough to do the one-hour drive to the very conveniently located Brabanthallen.

As soon as I entered the building on Friday morning 9 AM and walked through the luxurious trade fair with its beautiful shops, great bars (coffee, cocktail, champagne, wine) and an array of restaurants (sushi!!) I remember how "Indoor Brabant" is probably the best indoor competition I have been to when it comes to lifestyle. 

Wanderlust

I went to the press center, picked up my press pass and morning cappuccino and walked to the arena for the Intermediaire I Kur to Music. What I did not remember was how badly the lighting is in that arena. The LED screens were very stark and overall the competition ring was poorly lit.. Maybe that kept me from going to Den Bosch. I immediately questioned my photographic skills but when I sat with my colleagues Dirk Caremans, Stefan Lafrentz and Digishots, hearing them complain about the light, I sighed in relief. it's not me!

In between breaks I wandered round and went to the warm-up arena where Isabell Werth was schooling Quantaz a few hours before her start. Werth has experimented with bits and bridles on all her horses and this time Quantaz had no pad underneath his usual noseband. I wonder if it's in preparation of the FEI implementing the measurement device which will be slid under the noseband? A pad will obstruct that. I double checked my old photos to verify this. Lottie Fry's Nespresso had a cute red ribbon in his forelock and delicate red flag not to ride too closely. 

I had planned on doing extensive notes of the Grand Prix 3* and CDI-W 5* class, but after not having seen the "photo boys" since the Olympics, we had a lot of catching up to do and we became like four people sitting at the bar in a cafe, reminiscing and exchanging stories while the class was happening. 

Something Is in the Air

Dressage with its open mouths, blue tongues and enhanced sugar mouths (fluff, polo, mini marshmallows, etc) are serving as catnip to Scandinavian tabloids and their harassment has one positive: it's pushing long-awaited change which in all fairness the riders and judges have been obstructing from the inside out, preferring a status quo. Change in dressage came at snail speed and now stakeholders have been put on a roller coaster with no wheels. 

You noticed that something was in the air in Den Bosch with the judging and riding, scores were lower, riders literally are trying to pull less hard on the bit, but there is still a lot of strange crisp white foam coming out of the mouths of some horses, but we all know not a single rider has been yellow carded for the use of artificial sugar since the FEI banned "fluff". While in Wellington, the "welfare bell" was applied regularly, in Den Bosch in such a high profile field of famous riders, it was not, even though there was at least one horse in need of a rest.

While watching the classes I thought the contact with the bridle was better in several horses, but if you look at the close-ups of the photos, it's still not that great. The photos used to vilify dressage right now, can easily be taken in show jumping and eventing too, though. I don't want to step into the pitfall of whataboutism, though.

I couldn't help but wonder that it would be a mega bold move of the FEI to do a "test year" of only having a snaffle for dressage at all levels (and ideally in the greater picture also for show jumping and eventing ;) It would not interrupt world ranking points as there is a level field of play for all and it would be the perfect scientific research on a grand scale, not just 10 horses in a lab. Let's see how much the sport changes with the snaffle as only bit to rely on. Will the discolouration of the tongue be different? Will riders change their riding? Are some horses not going be suitable for the sport anymore as they are too "strong"? Of course noseband tightness will still need to be checked... just a thought..

The 3* Action

The 3* Grand Prix featured a field of 10 riders and was judged by Christine Prip, Francis Verbeek - Van Rooy, Isobel Wessels, Ulrike Nivelle, and Joyce van Rooijen-Heuitink. The class won by Hans Peter Minderhoud aboard the 14-year old Hanoverian stallion Toto  Jr (by Totilas x Desperados). The black is a powerful and athletic horse with three outstanding basic gaits, but he was very fidgety in the mouth, crossing the jaws and tilting the head throughout the movements. The judges rewarded the ride with a 71.869%.

The million dollar question that keeps being asked: what will happen to the Glock horses? Minderhoud and Gal signed a non-disclosure agreement and are not allowed to talk, but the rumour is they filed an injunction and won in court. They get to keep the ride until the end of the contract (June or August 2025). Gal shows little interest in competing, but Minderhoud is certainly giving it his all and he is now Holland's number two best scoring rider of the moment.

Lottie Fry finished second on the 16-year old KWPN stallion Nespresso (by Negro x Tenerife) which she premiered in 2023. Den Bosch in 2025 is their sixth's CDI as a pair.

The 3* Grand prix saw several new combinations making their international debut, including Dinja van Liere aboard the 12-year old KWPN stallion Imposantos (by Wynton x Krack C). The black was produced to Grand Prix level by Bart Veeze but Dinja is now fine-tuning the stallion. The piaffe is still underwhelming, but Van Liere is able to ride a more than decent Grand Prix test out of this stallion. They were third with 70.043%. 

Thamar Zweistra rode her second big tour international on the 9-year old Hexagon's Luxuriouzz (by Johnson x San Remo). The chestnut is a sympathetic horse but it was a lot of "high knees" and short neck. A mistake in the one tempi changes was not spotted by all judges. They placed fifth with 69.022%.

Big Names in the 5*

In the 5* CDI-W Grand Prix some of the biggest names in the sport lined up, who are expected to be the players at the Europeans Championships in Crozet next summer. The class was judged by Isobel Wessels, Christine Prip, Ulrike Nivelle, Maarten Van der Heijden, and Francis Verbeek - Van Rooy.

Britain's Lottie Fry and the 14-year old Glamourdale (by Lord Leatherdale x Negro) topped the board with 75.978%. The powerful black stallion always brims with energy and willingness to work. The trot extensions could show more overtrack and lengthening of the top line, just like the extended walk. The passage work was strong, the piaffe is not his forté. There was a bobble in the canter strike off and mistakes in the one tempi changes (still scoring 5.5!!). The pirouettes and the two tempi changes were fabulous.

British Becky Moody and her 11-year old KWPN bred Jagerbomb (by Dante Weltino x Jazz) were breathing down Fry's neck and would have overtaken them had it not for the late entry at the start and the big booboo in the final passage before the halt. The bay gelding showed good progress since the London qualified with exceptional passage work, super straight on tempi changes and good pirouettes. The horse did not have the most overtrack in the extended walk, the collected was rather short and tense and the final piaffe was not secure in the rhythm. They posted 75.587% for second place but more is in the tank.

Belgian newbie Justin Verboomen and his 9-year old Hanoverian bred and AES/SBS licensed stallion Zonik Plus (by Zonik x Hohenstein) landed third place with 74.652% and continues breaking Belgian records. The pair excels with its lightness and ease in the piaffe-passage with flawless transitions. At times you wish to see the hinglegs come under a fraction more, but it all looked featherlight and easy. The collected walk was a highlight in its clarity. In the half pass right Zonik Plus tends to get a little passagey and for the young Grand Prix horse the tempi changes are still the working point with the changes to the right shorter than to the left. Verboomen had a low score of 71.957 and a high score of 76.522%

Isabell Werth must have felt out of her comfort zone finishing "only" fourth aboard the 15-year old DSP bred Quantaz (by Quaterback and also out of a Hohenstein dam like Zonik Plus!). The bay has never been the easiest and was again fidgety in the contact. The horse achieved good overtrack in the trot extensions, was secure in the zig zag and there were no mistakes in the tempi lines. The pirouettes could have had a bit more bending, the piaffes were rather underwhelming today, but the final centerline had the best rhythm. They scored 73.761% although the low score was 71.957 and the high score 75.217% (both from the judges on the long side).

By the way: from Grand Prix riders you would expect them to ride from marker to marker. So many riders did the flying change at the end of the extended canter diagonal three strides too early! Do the judges properly downscore that, I wonder?

French Olympian Pauline Basquin and the 15-year old Sertorius de Rima Z (by Sandro Hit x Voltaine) completed the top five with a 71.957% score. The bay gelding competed in 10 CDI's in 2024 (including three tests in Aachen and at the Olympics) and went straight into a winter World Cup programme with 2024 starts Lyon and Madrid and 2025 starts in Basel and Den Bosch. To me the horse has lost quite some sparkle, while the rider struggled to sit the trot today. The passage was elegant and the walk part very well ridden, but in canter the horse got scratchy and there was a mistake in the ones. 

Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED / NO SCREEN SHOTS for social media
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