Rebecca Ashton reports – and she took the photos…
It was a late start today at 15:00 allowing for the show jumpers to have a bit of a practice in the big arena in the morning and to bring the big crowds after work at night. The crowds unfortunately aren’t big, but then it is just Day One.
Vasco Mira Godinho is happy after his ride on Barlloche
One the early cabs off the rank is 28 year old Vasco Mira Godinho. Although initially being sent to the holding box on Sunday’s trot up, the pair have emerged unscathed to perform a lovely if perhaps slightly underscored test for 66.357%. The trot work is stronger than the canter, but it’s a fun test to watch.
Into the lead – Helen and Damsey
However, it’s a predictable first half with Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg taking the half time lead with 74.986% on Damsey FRH. Damsey is a big, strong stallion and Helen is tiny. It looks like hard work at times, he’s behind the vertical occasionally and the piaffe takes some effort from the German but it’s a testament to her skill as a rider that she can get so much out of the big horse. He really is statue of an animal.
next Patrik van der Meer and Zippo
Patrick van der Meer and Zippo
Last combination before “half time”, Patrick van der Meer and Zippo from Holland score 71.114%. The chestnut looks a bit disconnected and stop/startish, the piaffe not truly diagonal and some of the passage uneven. Even so, the 13 year old gelding beats the rest to sit in second place.
Raffaelo V. Ben and Anna-Mengia Aerne
My favourite is the cute, little Swiss horse Raffaelo V. Bene. He caught my eye yesterday in the warmups with all his charisma. He scores 68.671% but doesn’t put a foot wrong. He just lacks the big movement of the higher scoring horses. The horse also only has one eye. He went blind back in 2013/2014, having already become Swiss Champion a couple of times and just before getting a new rider in the form of Anna-Mengia Aerne. The pair went on to win the 2014 Championships before the eye got infected and had to be removed. Anna-Mengia allows the stallion a little more time to look at his surroundings now but apart from that, he’s perfectly fine.
After the big half time break, we have two eliminations; Joanne Vaughan and Elmegardens Marquis from Georgia and Darko of de Niro ZS CH with Charlotte Lenherr from Switzerland on board. She takes a while to realise she’s been belled and judge at C Evi Eisenhardt scoops up some foam from the horse’s mouth to show the rider the blood.
It is a fluent little test for the Austrian combo of Astrid Neumayer and DSP Rodriguez, the gelding is now 17 years old, but still looking spritely. They score 67.071%. Arlando is another horse who has “been there, done that.” He’s much younger at 12 years old, but carried Diederik Van Silfhout to 11th spot at the Rio Olympics last year with a score of 79.535%. Today he’s under Denmark’s 23 year old Anna Zibrandtsen to score 72.957%.
Diederik Van Silfhout and Four Seasons
Diederik Van Silfhout has only been riding Four Seasons for nine months and the pair join their team mates in the 70s, scoring 72.528% which begins a glut of 72 percenters. Emile Faurie from Great Britain on Lollipop 126 scores 72.286%; the only Brit out today, but he has plenty of support in the riders stand including the queen, Charlotte Dujardin.
He is all smiles at the end of his test on his inexperienced 13 year old who has only done four international shows in his life. After the ride Emile commented, “ I actually really enjoyed it in there. Half way around I realised I’m having a great ride.” This is obvious to us spectators when he throws in a quick, little pat after the one time tempis.
next Emile Faurie
Emile and Lollipop
Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven is also a bit nervous going in on her inexperienced Paridon Magi but they get through the test well with the 14 year old only showing his nervousness after the test is finished and the pair are leaving the arena. Tinne indicates that after this positive experience, she’ll be keen to put more pressure on the horse next time.
Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven and Paridon Magi
next Sammy Davis Jnr and Dorothee Schneider
Dorothee Schneider and Sammy Davis Jr are last out just after 21:00. There were a lot of little communication mistakes but they manage to edge up the leader board, coming a close second to team mate Helen with 74.586%. Was this a little generous? Perhaps the judges were just getting sick of writing 7-2.
Dorothee Schneider and Sammy Davis Jr
The scores today are not massive and out of 31 starts, just seven score over 70%. Perhaps this is to be expected on Day One of the teams, and despite the results, there was some lovely, solid work in-between the not-so-nice.
1st: Damsey
2nd: Sammy Davis Jr
3rd: Arlando
Countries:
1st: Germany 149.572%
2nd: Netherlands 143.642%
3rd: Denmark 143.586%
You can’t go past the “D’ line and one of the most successful representatives is De Niro – available in Australia from International Horse Breeders: www.ihb.com.au
