Dressage Day 3 at Tryon – very Special

Words Chris Hector Pix Monique Smit © DigiShots

The action in the Dressage Ring hasn’t started but my feeling is that we will see the Dressage Delayed Response Syndrome in full flight. This is how the DDRS works. Remember the last WEG in Normandy? Laura Graves and Verdades came out in the Grand Prix and produced a wonderful test, yet the Ground Jury ‘led’ by Stephen Clarke, still had Steffen Peters number one for the US in their little black book – so they gave him more marks for a very ordinary test, and fewer to Laura for a super test. By the next day, the judges were on message, and duly marked Verdades up as he deserved. Flash forward four years, and alas, Verdades has lost some of that freshness and charm, but he still manages to score in front of Cosmo and Sönke Rothenberger, who produced a stunning test. Truth is he should have finished on top, in front of Isabell, and then maybe, Laura in third, maybe.

My feeling is that the judges will have chewed it over last night, after all they have precious little else to do, they are, I am told, very miffed to find themselves staying in a lack lustre motel in the middle of nowhere, with no bar or restaurant. I’m hoping DDRS will cut in, and Sönke will stand in the highest spot on the podium at the end of the day. Maybe.

It was a nice enough theory but a couple of things cut in to prove it wrong. Firstly Sönke had a number of uncharacteristic errors, the second was that unstoppable force of nature, Isabell Werth.

Along the way we saw Kristy Oatley really come into her own with Du Soleil to finish 12th on 74.605. Kristy made it to the Freestyle at the Sydney Games with Wallstreet, while Brett Pabery forced his way into the final contest at the Kentucky WEG on Victory Salute, but it was still a massive effort, and for most of the contest, Kristy was in first place with some of the superstars of international dressage sitting below her on the leaderboard.

Kerry Perry-Glass found her magic again on Goerklintgaards Dublet. New USA coach Debbie McDonald has a fine crop of young riders to work with in the future, though in truth most of them are already her students. The jury score of 78.526 is actually higher than the crowd score, 75.6, shame on you American patriots!

Carl’s Delicato is still sweet and soft, he looks delicate in the nicest possible way. They blow the ones big time but still finish on 77.204.

Everyone else can love Edward Gal’s Glocks Zonik, but to me it looks like tension not extension, pissage not passage. The Jury does not agree – 77.736.

It’s a bit the same with Patrik Kittel riding Well Done de la Roche. I thought under the pressure, he had gone back to his old ways and lost some of the natural harmony the pair showed in the Grand Prix. Wrong, the judges go gaga – 79.726.

Today Verdades seems brighter, more with Laura Graves. Great piaffe, passage, changes, there’s even an 8.9 for the left pirouette. Laura is first with all except Susie Hoevenaars who has them 6th thus far.

Cosmo’s trot is as big as Verdades, but oh so much lighter, to score an 8.6, 8.4 for the half passes, 8.6 then 8.8 for the passage, then it all starts to fall apart a little. 7.5 for a less than wonderful extended walk, 6.6 for some inferior piaffe, 5.2 for the ones, and they have to settle for 81.277 and final fourth place.

Charlotte Dujardin’s Freestyle certainly has a huge trot, but Charlotte has developed a bit of a Dutch lean back, judges love it, 8.7, she leans even further back on the next one, for an 8.8. Score 81.489 and she finishes in third.

Isabell Werth’s Bella Rose has a little wobble on the entry for a 7.6 but it is the last time they throw away a mark. They too are favoring the front leg knee action, but the hind leg follows under in their big trots, but the passage it truly magnificent. The last piaffe looks as if it could go on forever. 9.6, and first place for Isabell, second for Laura.

The freestyle should be a wonderful treat… but it’s not until Sunday, will we still have a venue then as the weather closes in on North Carolina?

Watch this space.