But some of the dressage is Divine!!
Story – Christopher Hector and Photos – Roslyn Neave
If the reputation of dressage, and dressage judging took a battering in the GP, things didn’t greatly improve in the Special at the European Championships at Aachen. Some more good tests, poor tests, and more wildly out of synch judging, as Lewis Carroll wrote of the Mad Hatters Tea Party – “If you don’t know where you are going, any road can take you there.” And it seemed that most of the time, the judges were wildly dashing in opposite directions…
Consider the case of the Dutch pair, Arlando and Diederik van Silfout. From where I sat it looked a pretty flash test, bright and forward, a bit tangled at times but lots to like. You can’t really blame the crowd for whistling derisively when the judges rankings read: 1 / 9 / 8 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 11 for a 75.35.
It took a simply superlative test from Kristina Bröring Sprehe and Desperados to get them in line. If Kristina looked a little out of it in the GP, she was on fire in the Special. Brilliant brilliant work, the pretty German might be the journo’s nightmare – she is just not very talky – but she is riding at her peak, and the black stallion looks glorious. Hello, lights flash, bells ring JACKPOT! All five judges have them first. 83.067.
Again, if Charlotte was a little off her game on Wednesday, she is at her divine best today. Valegro hits the arena in that relentless rhythm, in that sublime self-carriage and they are away. 9.1 for the halt pass left, same for the extended trot, and the piaffes, and the pirouettes, and a 9.6 for extended trot. Same with the collectives, 9 for paces is mean, 9.1 for impulsion, ditto, and 9.6 for the rider – why not a 10? Charlotte drops the reins all the better to wave both arms at the adoring fans. 87.829, and first with all the judges.
Poor Beatrice and Delgado, what a tough act to follow. A lovely, well ridden horse, the group sitting to my left have brought their casternets along with their yellow and red flags and syncopated clapping, and yes, they deserve it. 77.479.
The stallion Johnson is a picture of power and grace. Hans Peter Minderhoud has been sent about a dozen young Dutch stallion ‘stars’ to train for GP, this is the only one to really make it and how! The big horse is so with his rider, so ready to go forward and come back. Even the judges seem to be getting their act together, all placing third or fourth, perhaps they’ve rushed in an intercom system? 79.034.
Edward Gal and Undercover make an ugly entrance, the gelding’s head screwed to its chest. There is a little jack up trying to get through the gate, and they start piaffing in the halt and into that total trash, unconnected trot. There are a couple of impressive half passes, a hideous shuffle walk for a well-deserved 5.9, and they are moving forward in the piaffe, right in front of the C judge. The bell rings, the horse’s mouth is bleeding, the test is over. Thankfully.
God knows what the Kür will bring. Watch this space…
What did Carl Hester think of it all?
Thank you for an article that hit the nail on the head!
Love your straightforward and accurate assessment. Keep it going!
Great summary for each ride. Straightforward, without the sucking-up BS and drivel that we are used to reading, Keep it going, you are a credit to the sport!!!