Story – Christopher Hector

Photos – Jacob Melissen

Well she did it again, but it was ever so close, perhaps closer than the judges scores reflect – certainly if the spectators had their way, Charlotte would have been the winner, but once again, there is no denying that miraculous will to win that is Isbell Werth.

Charlotte and Everdale

Let’s back track, the first rider to really get the points was Charlotte Fry, the Dutch based British rider on Everdale. Remember him, he was the first stallion to be named as a WFFS carrier, sparking a social media bout of hysteria, that in the end, it proved to be largely much ado about nothing. I guess the black stallion has had more time to concentrate on his dressage training, and Lottie once again produced an impressive test, but with all those Dutch touches that I really can’t handle – the fall on the forehand in the piaffe, the frantic tail, the short jammed front, the extravagant front legs with the hind ones trailing in the big trots. Aside from that I loved him… 78.25 to finish in ninth place.

Helen and Damsey

Dear Damsey produced a wonderful test for Helen Langehanenberg, trying his heart out, the big stallion has been there, done that, and he nailed it once again, solid but like his music it lacked pizzazz, 84.38 and into fifth at the end, perhaps the German judge at E, Elke Ebert who had them second on her final standings got just a trifle carried away…

Okay I am a card carrying member of the Dorothee Schneider fan club, and I love Sammy Davis Jr, like his namesake, this guy can really dance, and the latino flavoured score really rocks. Such elegant passage, such an expansive trot and all in that wonderful open frame. Great passage, piaffe, passage, and hey when the work is as good as this, doesn’t time fly. 81.075 and they will finish in seventh.

I know it is important to keep on the beat in a freestyle, but perhaps it is a bit over the top for Hans Peter’s Dream Boy to keep relentless time with his tail, it really only takes a break for the walk. It’s a pity because this is a horse with such amazing scope and power, just a little harmony would complete the picture. 82.78 and the first standing ovation of the afternoon, into sixth place just behind Damsey.

Edward and Zonik

It’s more of the same when Hans Peter’s partner Edward Gal enters the ring on another power-packed stallion, Zonic, although his tail is quiet, it’s just for all the impressive scope, the test lacks softness. I am minded of Stefen Peters who when he teaches stresses that you must never lose the quality in pursuit of expression, and Edward’s hands are so busy, like a puppeteer with a dancing marionette. The score is ethereal and underlines this excitement machine, certainly it carries away four of the five judges, they have Zonic fourth or third, while Susan Hoevenaars, who I thought the pick of the team, had them fifth. Total – 85.385 and third.

Isabell and Weihegold

It’s Weihegold time and can that magician Isabell work one of her spells today? The Italian score is light and breezy, it’s fun, and so is this freestyle, but it is also relentless in the degree of difficulty: half pass trot into half pass passage, piaffe turn on the forehand into half pass passage into half pass trot, and the piaffe is really effortless with fabulous transitions out. Great canter, a one and a half pirouette to a line of twos, then the Isabell trademark (first performed with Gigolo at the 1989 Euros in Mondorf) the big canter into canter pirouette. Once again the crowd is on its feet, this time whistling their approval, the score of 90.28 comes up just as Charlotte and Freestyle are about to enter the arena, and CD is less than amused I really couldn’t hear my music as I came down the centre line but she coped so well…

Really she did much better than cope, she was brilliant to music from the Disney animation, Frozen. Freestyle shows that the trot can be huge and engaged and SOFT. Effortless half pass into delicate passage, a half pirouette in piaffe, a half pass in passage and we are away, and all through the test the contact is so fine, Charlotte’s hands so still. The canter work takes your breath away, the double and a half pirouette right on the spot after a huge canter, just tossing off expressive ones, and finally, Charlotte lines up the C judge and comes roaring down the centre line, halts and drops the reins, waving with both her hands to the spectators! What a test and really I would not be surprised if she has grabbed the lead… but no, 89.505 into second, first with only the Dutchman, Andriaan Hamoen, but this will go down as one of the great World Cup qualifiers. It’s almost worth going to hideous Las Vegas for the final. Almost.

But wait, there is more to come, Zaire-E and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl are about to remind us what Freestyle is all about. It is not about putting together all the horse’s best tricks then having a computer generate sounds that match the movements, no, it is about getting some real music and letting the horse work expand upon the score. They open with the dressage owner’s anthem, Hey big spender, but quickly slip into the dulcet tones of Perry Como and Magic Moments, so perfectly right for the mare, sweet, harmonic, correct. It’s Perry and Unforgettable for the walk, with that lazy Saxophone sketching out the line. Forward canter, and Jessica just sits and the mare collects, more Magic Moments to round out a test that has really been Filled with love. There’s another Jessie touch, there is even a little of the refrain left on the disc as they walk out of the arena. They score 85.03 to go into fourth, but I’m with Suzy who had them third.

Magic moments in Amsterdam, treasure them…

check out all our stories in Amsterdam

Sönke Rothenberger – on his new horse, and Cosmo’s campaign for Tokyo

The World Cup Grand Prix Dressage in Amsterdam

Charlotte on disqualification, on coming back and Freestyle’s future