Words – Christopher Hector Photos – DigiShots
In the history of World Cup finals, 2019 must go down as a vintage year, there was just so much class in the field that came to do battle in Göteborg’s Scandinavium.
Judy Reynolds, first rider out, must have been rueing her usually reliable gelding, Vancouver’s decision that this time he was going to act like a spooky son of the great Jazz (which he is). He seemed to take particular exception to mild mannered Englishman Stephen Clarke sitting at C, and spun to get away from the menace. Double a pity since the Irish rider looked so elegant in her emerald tails, and matching topper (yes, no ugly crash hat). Judy got him working but wasn’t taking any chances and kept a fairly firm grip on the reins, and the test suffered. 69.86.
Once again, Maria Caetano was proving that Lusitanos can mix it with the best of them, the grey stallion is all power with rhythm, the atmosphere was sparking him to his best. Okay there were little glitches but much to celebrate. And the pair topped that 70 barrier – 72.096.
Of course his hold on the lead lasted but one test, until local hero Tinne Vihelmson Sifvén and Don Auriello grabbed top spot with the sort of test I hate, the gelding is like a preying mantis in front and a startled chook behind, yuck. Of course they score 73.882.
Glock’s Dream Boy and Hans Peter Minderhoud burst into the arena, but in truth, Hans Peter is riding more tactfully these days, and the stallion is a magnificent athlete, and, this is a big AND, the hind legs are more or less equal with the front ones, which has not always been the Dutch style… 75.326
If you were looking for a more correct, clean style of dressage, look no further than Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet. The gelding is a little tight in front but everything else is fine, the horse even looked comfortable in the piaffe, and a super transition to passage. Still the judges were keeping a firm hold on their goodies waiting for the second half, although they did manage to find an 8.2 for some splendid two-times changes. Kasey, like all Debbie McDonald’s riders, is a beautifully correct, tactful rider. 77.267.
Helen Langehanenberg and Damsey FRH – the stallion looks softer today, a big connected unhurried trot diagonal, and the half passes are so accurate that they are already sitting on a 79. The walk is huge and clear, and well deserves the 8.9, and the pirouettes are sublime, 8.1 left, 8.2 right. The big guy is losing a bit of oomph by the end but with 76.957 they are just behind Kasey and Dublet.
The crowd has started up the syncopated hand clap, and well they might, for the next rider is the mighty Isabell Werth and super mare, Weihegold. Really she is not that super as a model, a little marey behind, and there are many finer movers – I suspect that none of the couple of hundred foals that the previous owners milked out of her will come to much – but dressage is about a combination, and this is one of the all-time great ones. The mare is so on the aids, the work has a clinical precision, and yes, that nine for the passage is spot on, the judges even climb up to 9.3 for the final one. The mare is just getting better and better as the test goes on, how brilliant is Isabell at preparing her horses, and getting them to peak when it counts? 81.755.
Still there’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Blue Hors Zack, and they have been in red-hot form coming into the final. Daniel is such an ice cool, wonderful rider, the stallion such a star, the work is so polished, soft and correct, he is going to be up there in the running, yep, 78.152 and into second place.
But wait folks, the great American challengers are still to come – Verdades and Laura Graves. I must confess that at the WEG at Tryon, I thought the pair were losing the sparkle that made their debut WEG at Caen so very special. But tonight, right from the super soft trot out of the halt, they are on song, the half passes flow (8.6) magnificent twos (8.4) and even better ones (8.7). The left pirouette pays 8.6 and the right one, 8.4 and they are worth every mark. A truly amazing passage down the centre line for an 80.109 and they are second.
It truly was a very grand Grand Prix, and hey, tomorrow we get the Kür, just watch this spot…
