The FEI World Cup™ Final winner of 2007 Isabell Werth made an impressive start by winning the first leg of the 2008-2009 FEI World Cup™ Series for the Western European League in Odense, Denmark.
Silver Olympic medallist Isabell Werth didn’t make it easy for herself, combining her show start in Odense with a clinic in Helsinki. She flew in and surprised the Finnish audience with a great clinic showing her skills and praising her first riding instructor Dr Schulten Baumer as well as her current instructor Wolfram Wittig and her horse owner and valued advisor and friend Madeleine Winter Schulze.
The clinic in Helsinki didn’t prevent Isabell from winning both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle in Odense, thus grabbing the first World Cup points in the new season of the Western European League. “I was very pleased with my Hannes”, Isabell praised the big Hanoverian chestnut Warum Nicht. “He was not distracted in his first indoor show and was very concentrated on his job. Although I had some mistakes, I was happy with his performance.” In the extended canter a mistake occurred when Warum Nicht made a change behind and there was a mistake in the one tempi changes. However the judges praised the risks Isabell took in both of her rides and the flair and impulsion she presented the big Hanoverian gelding with.
Anky van Grunsven relied on her black stallion IPS Painted Black for Odense. In the Grand Prix, the stallion had a little too much on his mind and was not always cooperative. In the Freestyle, however, Anky had the horse on her side which resulted in a much more fluent presentation and a very nice contact and uphill image. “Only at the CDI3* in Lingen I had higher marks than this time. I am very happy with him”, Anky commented. “I do regret, though, the mistake in the two tempi changes, which might have prevented a record score with this horse.”
Third and fourth place also went to The Netherlands. From an almost impossible position and an early start after the eighth place in the Grand Prix, Olympian Hans Peter Minderhoud had a ride of a lifetime aboard the mare Exquis Nadine. Only the last part of the test showed a little unevenness and the pair received the third position. Fourth was Jeannette Haazen, who with her cheerful and pleasant ride aboard Nartan swept away the bad memories from her car accident on the road to Scandinavia last year.
Monica Theodorescu , who in 1993 and 1994 rode the musical performer by heart Ganimedes to World Cup™ wins, was present in Odense showing Whisper and while the Grand Prix was a joy for the eye, the Freestyle did not go as smoothly leaving the pair in fifth place.
The best placed Danish rider was Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein. Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein has always dreamed of riding for Denmark at the Olympic Games. She managed to give the ride of her life on Digby in Hong Kong and supplied the team’s highest score for the bronze. “I couldn’t expect Digby to be in the form of Hong Kong, however it was a joy to be back in my home country again and to feel the welcome atmosphere and the happiness around. We have celebrated the medal of course”, Nathalie said.
Olympic champion and FEI World Cup™ Final winner of 2008 Anky van Grunsven said that the participation in this first leg had been a record field. “I wonder whether any World Cup™ Qualifier will have this participation on the starting list. Great for Odense, Scandinavia and the FEI World Cup™”, Anky praised the organisers. The Odense organisers did earn the positive words, as the show was sold out and they had for the second year in a row a great field and great prize money. Runner up Anky van Grunsven also won a trailer as an extra prize, as for Isabell, she is the proud owner of a new car. “Last year I gave it to my sister. I have to decide what to do now”, Isabell commented. Her first thoughts however are for her horses. “In Stuttgart after a deserved rest in the field Satchmo will be back in the arena”, Isabell promised. Frankfurt will be her next FEI World Cup™ qualifier.
RESULTS
1. Warum Nicht FRH (Isabell WERTH, Germany 80,70%
2. IPS Painted Black (Anky VAN GRUNSVEN, The Netherlands) 79,60%
3. Exquis Nadine (Hans Peter Minderhoud, The Netherlands 77,45%
4. Nartan (Jeannette HAAZEN The Netherlands) 77,10%
5. Whisper (Monica THEODORESCU, Germany) 76,90%
6. Digby (Nathalie ZU SAYN WITTGENSTEIN) 75,20%
7. Exquis Clearwater DWB (Anne VAN OLST, Denmark) 74,55%
8. Björsell Briar (Jan BRINK, Sweden) 74,10%
9. Donatha S (Ellen SCHULTEN BAUMER, Germany ) 69,90%
10. Withney van’t Genthof (Stefan VAN INGELGEM Belgium) 72,20%
11. Baldessarini 3 (Gina CAPELLMANN LUTKEMEIER, Germany) 72,05%%
12. Galliano (Maria ERIKSSON, Sweden) 72,00%
13. Kaiser Wilhelm (Anke TER BEEK, The Netherlands) 70,40%
14. Ovation (Christa LAARAKKERS, The Netherlands) 70,20%
15. Otto (Heather BLITZ, USA) 69,95%%
THE WESTERN EUROPEAN LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 1 IN ODENSE ALSO TAKING THE CENTRAL LEAGUE INTO ACCOUNT WILL BE GIVEN AFTER THE SECOND LEG OF THE SERIES IN STOCKHOLM. The actual title defender Anky van Grunsven will not be rewarded with world cup points, but will be automatically qualified for the final when she has had fulfilled the criteria, which consists of two starts at qualifiers during the season.
PHOTO CATALOGUE - Photographs of the winning riders in high and low resolution can be downloaded from the FEI online catalogue. To access it, please visit www.fei.org Media Centre> Photo Catalogue. There is no reproduction fee, but please credit photographer (photographer's name will appear under each photo)/FEI. Usage is strictly for editorial purposes.
For further information on the FEI World Cup™ Dressage qualifier in Odense, Denmark, check out website http://www.jbkhorseshows.dk.
Press officer: Mai Enevoldsen
e-mail:mai.enevoldsen@jbkhorseshows.dk
Tel: +45 87 99 00 07
Mob: +45 40 76 16 60
The next leg of the series will take place in Stockholm, Sweden. Press Officer Lotta Amnestål lotte.amnestal@ridsport.se phone: +46 709 79 56 35.
CALENDAR OF NEXT EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE:
28 - 30/11/2008 Stockholm (SWE); 16 - 17/12/2008 London-Olympia (GBR); 18 - 21/12/2008 Frankfurt (GER); 26 - 27/12/2008 Mechelen (BEL); 20 - 25/01/2009 Amsterdam (NED); 11 - 15/02/2009 Neumünster (GER); 19 - 22/02/2009 Göteborg (SWE); 19 - 22/03/2009 's-Hertogenbosch (NED); FINAL 15 – 19/04/2009 Las Vegas (USA)
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE RULES FOR FEI WORLD CUP™ DRESSAGE FROM FEI WEBSITE www.feiworldcup.org
FEI World Cup™ Dressage has entered its 24th season. The FEI World Cup™ Dressage is the only worldwide series in this discipline. The series, created in 1985, today comprises 4 leagues encompassing Western Europe, Central Europe, North America (including Canada) and the Pacific League (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). Each FEI World Cup™ Dressage qualifier comprises a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competitions, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup™ Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.
For further information on the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
For further information and all FEI World Cup™ news: www.feiworldcup.org
The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 134 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines - Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes - horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.