Photo Report: Weekend Snap Shots at 2024 CDI Hagen

Interviews

2024 CDI Hagen

The CDI Hagen "Horses & Dreams" show is one of Germany's best organized and traditional competitions on the calendar that every interested equestrian sports person should visit.

Located on the gorgeous premises of the Kasselmann family, the show offers top sport and great lifestyle at their wonderful venue. A super trade fair with bars, food trucks and tack shops, offers plenty of space to sit and lounge in between competition breaks.

Snapping Away

As a journalist I only go there for the competition, but I always notice that so much more is happening there I barely have the time for to pay attention to. Leadline classes, kids games with ponies, an evening show. There is so much on offer. I rather stick to the dressage stadium and snap away.

As the weather was cold this year, the photos of the people are not as picturesque: all duffled up in big winter coats, hats, gloves, mittens. I left on Saturday afternoon while on Sunday the final qualifiers for the Nurnberger Burgpokal and Louisdor Cup were still on the schedule. I had photographed (pretty much) all CDI riders and my job was done.

Louisdor Cup

Heiner Schiergen warming up Johanna von Danwitz' F-Type

On Sunday, Isabell Werth's assistant trainer Niklaas Feilzer won the Louisdor Cup qualifier aboard the Sponle family's 10-year old Hanoverian stallion Falihandro (by Furstenball x Dancier) with a score of 71.872%. He edged out German based Hungarian Berill Szoke-Toth on the 8-year old Westfalian Velasco (by Veneno x Biasini) with 70.914%. On Friday I personally quite liked the third ranked horse, the 8-year old Oldenburg Flash Gordon (by Fiderbach x Don Romantic), ridden by Luxembourg's Mathis Goerens.

At the end of the class judge Dietrich Plewa commented on the winning horse: “Piaffe and passage are already very accentuated, the piaffe has very nice spring. The whole performance was very effortless.” Feilzer was thrilled to win, after placing seventh in the warm-up round on Friday with 68.631%. "Falihandro is very willing to perform. Piaffe, passage - it's just very easy for him. The canter tour can still be improved," said the rider.

This year's crop of Louisdor Cup candidates in Hagen did not have a real sensation or head-turner as sometimes happens (Cosmo, Dalera, Fendi, etc..)

Judges Katrina Wüst, Christof Umbach, Henning Lehrmann

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

Eurodressage is taking photos of all CDI competitors in Hagen. If you are interested in photos for social media use or print, send us an email and you can BUY our photos. No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOtS!

Although on the masterlist with Wendy, Deneuve, So Unique, and Joshua, Isabell Werth did not compete in Hagen, but instead coached Feilzer to victory in the Louisdor Cup qualifier

Hennie Roffel

One braid

Who doesn't love scratches?

Belgian FEI Dressage Committee member Thomas Eyckmans and dressage rider Claudia Dorpmans

Anna-Catherine Schöffner on Felippa W (by Foundation x Breitling W). The mare was still quite downhill in the work, except in the piaffe

Nancy Gooding, heiress of the Pepsi empire and an avid dressage lover

Gumbits before the ride

Horse dealer couple Silve Dietrich-Osten and Daniel Ramseier

Gorgeous dog

Train your eye: this is a good, uphill piaffe with lowered haunches and a (almost) straight front leg under the shoulder for balance - the way it should be

Russian Alena "Elena" Starr back in the CDI ring after a five-year break (last CDI start in 2019). Now riding for Armenia.

Textbook example of a horse that goes wide behind in the extended trot

Retired 5* judge and trainer Mariette Withages and horse owner Madeleine Winter-Schulze

Mathis Goerens on Flash Gordon