Photo Report: A Glamorous Day at 2023 CDI Kronenberg

On Friday 28 July 2023 I drove to equestrian center De Peelbergen in Kronenberg, The Netherlands, for a marathon day photographing the small and big tour combinations. 

From Kronberg to Kronenberg

Having made the decision not to attend the 2023 European Pony Championships in Le Mans myself, there was one day free in my schedule to fit in Kronenberg and I'm very happy to have opted for a show a 1-hour drive from home instead of 8 hours. 

The summer show schedule has literally been a rat race with five weeks of incessant competition. It started with Aachen (GER), followed by covering Pilisjaszfalu (HUN) remotely, then driving to Kronberg (GER) and Kronenberg (NED) --- by the way isn't that a tongue twister with their coincidentally similar names. Tomorrow I head out to Ermelo (NED).

The entire week the weather in Western Europe had been particularly rainy with Thursday and Saturday bringing the worst out of a "European" summer. On Friday I got lucky though as it stayed dry and rather sunny the entire afternoon. I even got sunburnt. 

My first time in Kronenberg was last December for the indoor show and this was my second trip to the big equestrian center, which like Sentower Park in Opglabbeek (BEL) is devoted exclusively to hosting horse shows, non-stop. Both facilities are state-of-the-art with top footing, spacious arenas and good catering; Sentower park has actual permanent boxes, while Peelbergen still works with semi-permanent tent stalls. Sentower park gives the "concrete, grey" look, Peelbergen has more green and nature around it.  Both venues will be host to the European Youth Championships in 2024 and 2025, so it was worth the trip.

Dutch In a Pickle

While the CDI Kronenberg appeared to be an innocent CDI on the overflowing FEI calendar, there was much more at stake at this competition. Both Belgian and Dutch Grand Prix riders were going head to head in the race for team selection for the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck. 

The Dutch team riders performed below par both at the CDIO's in Rotterdam and Aachen and this left team trainer Alex van Silfhout in a pickle whom to choose. The team trainer continues to hope for and rely on Edward Gal's comeback in order to save The Netherlands, as expressed in multiple interviews. Gal is now two years into his "sabbatical" as he last showed internationally at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He was present in Kronenberg, coaching Emmelie Scholtens. Dinja van Liere's top ride Hermes is out with an injury, Dutch champions Marlies van Baalen and Habibi saw their scores drop a little at the most recent shows, and even steady eddy Thamar Zweistra could not produce her usual marks on the board in Kronenberg.

Dinja van Liere's second horse Hartsuijker (by Johson x Scandic) is fortunately a very solid back-up and Emmelie Scholtens recently returned to the arena with Indian Rock (by Apache x Vivaldi). In the winter-early spring the horse was sidelined with a minor injury, just like his rider, who underwent knee surgery after an accident. The pair returned in Rotterdam to a 72.478% Grand Prix score and in Kronenberg the judges were even more generous for a ride that was mostly hectic and unbalanced, despite Indian Rock's beautiful expression and appearance. They placed fourth in the Grand Prix with 73.696%. Scholtens alongside Van Liere will be Holland's hope in Riesenbeck. Dutch star rider in Aachen, Lynne Maas and Electra, did not compete in Kronenberg. With three combinations lined up that score 74-73%, Holland is not in too bad a position, but for medial contention it needs a super star again.

What cannot be denied is that reining rider Rieky Young has become Holland's most wanted dressage trainer, coaching more and more clients than ever before, including Dinja van Liere and Marlies van Baalen.

Belgians in a Race

No less than 39 riders from 14 (!!) different nations competed in the Kronenberg Grand Prix. Six Belgians travelled north to Kronenberg to compete for the three remaining spots on the team. 

Larissa Pauluis is a fixture as the Belgian Champion has been consistently the best scoring Belgian of the year (both with Flambeau and Valentin). Charlotte Defalque was invited to Aachen and scored 69.631%. She repeated that score in Deauville two weeks later. But there are more Belgians out there who are stuck at the 69-70% marker: Olympian Domien Michiels, former team rider Laurence Roos (Fil Rouge), current team rider Lore Vandeborne (Ikke Pia van de Bergerhoeve) and new comers Amandine Prevost (Quaterdance) and Jeroen Devroe (Fiderprincess) also flirt with that 69-70% marker. Jorinde Verwimp and her 2023 World Cup finalist Charmer have lately been stuck at 66-67% in the Grand Prix despite their good efforts. 

The Belgian duo which has clearly moved to the forefront this year is Flore de Winne and her black Hanoverian Flynn (by Fahrenheit x Sir Oldenburg). They have been proving consistency this season, posting over 70% in their last three CDI's (Compiegne, Rotterdam, Kronenberg). They finished 8th in a strong field with 70.913%, most likely securing their spot on the team for Riesenbeck.  By the way the pair went on to win the freestyle on Saturday with 77.160%.

It will be very interesting to see which other two riders chef d'equipe Jeroen van Lent will put forward for team selection and approval by Topsport Flanders/ the Belgian Equestrian Federation.

Glamorous Day

And then there was World Champion Glamourdale to give real glamour to the Grand Prix starters' field. 

The 12-year old powerhouse KWPN stallion by Lord Leatherdale x Negro looked fresh, fit, strong and in top shape. You can hear his trot and canter from a mile away as he pounds his big hooves on the floor. He's black and beautiful and will really challenge Olympic champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera for the gold in their first ever confrontation at a Championship. But... there is a but.. Lottie Fry and Glamourdale's test in Kronenberg was not the best one I've seen of him.. The horse was clearly more tense in the bridle, tongue often retracted and a trembling lower lip revealing more body tension than normally. The horse was bent more to the left overall. Still, the passage was incredibly bouncy, the half passes super ground covering, the zig zag fabulous and the extended canter explosive. The piaffe has shown improvement this year, but in Kronenberg he still struggled with getting it rhythmical (and on the spot); also in the one tempi changes the changes to the left appeared shorter behind. A mistake in the right pirouette (score 4.0 - 7.5 !) probably kept the score from hitting 80%.

The panel of judges consisted of Kjell Myhre, Eduard de Wolff van Westerrode, Hans-Christian Matthiesen, Gotthilf Riexinger, and Marietta Almasy. They rewarded the test with a winning 79.544%. Fry went on to win the Special the next day in a downpour of rain. The score: 81.085%

Spotted

And there were interesting things happening in Kronenberg for the discerning dressage lover. 

Swedish Juliette Ramel made her second start of the year on the 17-year old KWPN gelding Buriel KH (by Osmium x Krack C). Since the 2022 World Championships in Herning, Ramel has been competing her aging bay gelding very sparingly, with one start in Lier at the start of March, followed by Kronenberg. The gelding looked tender in the trot extensions, the walk was poor in all honesty (still scoring 6.0 - 7.0), but the second piaffe-passage was truly great and the canter work outstanding. They scored 75.174%

Spaniard Alejandro Sanchez del Barco and the 12-year old PRE stallion Quincallo de Indalo (by Esbelto VII x Bandolero LXVII) were the Spanish sensation at the 2022 World Championships, but the grey stallion (who is cute as a button !!) missed out on two team selection trials due to fitness issues (Spanish Champs and Aachen). The pair now proved form in Deauville and Kronenberg, where they were fifth with 72.805. A big bobble in the one tempi changes pushed the score down.

Portuguese Maria Caetano rode her second CDI on the 11-year old Lusitano Horizonte (by Rico x Icaro) and scored 70.717%, putting him in the same scoring drawer as Caetano's two other Grand Prix horses Fenix de Tineo and Hit Plus. 

Swedish Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven made her European CDI debut on Antonia Ax:son Johnson's latest acquisition for her long-time rider: Hyatt, an 11-year old KWPN mare by Apache x Sandreo. The chestnut mare is super elegant and has incredible talent for piaffe and passage. She could cover more ground in the extended walk and she struggled a bit with the second piaffe-passage transition. In canter she mainly put 7s on the board. They scored 70.435% for a 13th place. 

The Observing Eye

Over in the Prix St Georges arena, two famous Dutch breeding stallions made their international small tour debut: Johnny Depp and Just Wimphof. Presented by Renate van Uytert-van Vliet, Johnny Depp had a tricky ride with a parade of old tractors passing by in the street during his test. Just Wimphof scored 70.245% to finish fourth in the PSG.

Marlies van Baalen premiered a new horse she has in training, Hulana T (by Ampere x Florencio). The 10-year old bay mare has plenty of quality but is still a diamond in the rough and not yet relaxed in the mouth and contact.

Riders from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Kazachstan and the United Arabic Emirates competed in the Prix St Georges in preparation of the 2023 Asian Games in China at the end of September. 

Another observation I made was that it looked like some judges were checking the running score on their cell phones in the judges' hut, something forbidden by FEI (Article 448.9: the use of electronic communication, other than the judges signalling system, including mobile phones, is forbidden inside the Judge's huts while judging). Maybe the sun was shining too brightly in my eyes and I totally misinterpreted the hand and head movements, but this suspicion was also reported by several riders. Naughty naughty !

Oh and there was plenty of marshmallow fluff going round, no longer smeared like paint on the horse's lips, but still fed by the handfuls, creating a crystal white, sticky foam-paste that drools out of their mouth, covering the bit and reins with white slaver ... Oh well.. Nil novum sub solem.

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

NO Reproduction ALLOWED / NO SCREEN SHOTS !!!!
Eurodressage took photos of most Prix St Georges and all U25 and Grand Prix competitors. If you are interested in photos for social media use, send us an email and you can BUY our photos 

Related Links
Scores: 2023 CDI Kronenberg
2022 CDI Kronenberg with a Big Tour for Debutants and Come Back Kids
Kronenberg, Le Mans, Kronberg Allocated 2025 European Youth Championships