“The criteria of the Training Scale: rhythm, impulsion, straight, smooth contact – able to collect. That is what the judges want to see”.

Christoph Koschel tells us: “I got Fantamos in March this year. When we got him he was trained to Prix St Georges, but I went straight to Grand Prix and this is his first Grand Prix season.”

Dr Dietrich Plewa works with  Christoph Koschel at a Seminar in Warendorf. Christoph is riding the 11-year-old Fantomas (Florestan / Pilot).

Dr Plewa tells us: “We see we don’t need a double bridle to train this horse. Now Christoph is developing the collected canter we need for the half pass (we should note that the horses had all been warmed up outside before being brought into the arena) but there is no changing of rhythm and the horse keeps the impulsion.

You see the horse is bent through its whole body with a good uphill tendency. In the changes of hand, we see a smooth contact all the time, and fluent flying changes.

We judges often see in the one times changes, an ambling canter as the horse moves to a two beat rhythm. You don’t often see flying changes so fluent, so straight. This horse very well fulfils the criteria of the Training Scale: rhythm, impulsion, straight, smooth contact – able to collect. That is what we want to see, changes that are fluent, straight and with expression – without being pushed by the rider. I’m sure he could ride this movement with one hand…”

And finishes with a point scoring walk…