see the report of the first round here
Christopher Hector reports from the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses
Las Vegas (photo – Dirk Caremans)
While Las Vegas (Ferdeaux / Winton) and Emmelie Scholtens looked great in the first round, by the time the big (very big) stallion made it to the final, he was not a happy horse. Right from the first centre line his tail was vigorously protesting every step of the way, and as the commentating judge, Katrina Würst noted, while the stallion is a real powerhouse, the hind legs needed to be quicker in the lengthened trot, and there was no missing the problems in all six changes. She did fail to comment on the tail, surely a judge as the guardian of the horse in these matters, has an obligation, to make it clear that tail swishing is a clear result of tension, and therefore not acceptable. They drop to 4th with 8.74.
The feel good story of the final was seventeen-year-old Jill Bogers and Lennox (Grand Galaxy Win / Rousseau) fresh from the European Young Rider Championships, they were a picture of sweet harmony and with 8.9 a Bronze Medal.
Hesselhøj Downtown (photo – Ilse Schwarz Dressage-News)
Could Downtown and Swede, Jeanna Hogberg win again? The bay was still full of bounce, but the judge drew attention to the fact that like his dad, Donkey Boy, Downtown’s hocks tend to get a bit high and out behind, and the canter at times was croup high. 9.38. Would that be enough to take a title for a second time?
Global Player (photo – Ilse Schwarz Dressage-News)
Ulf Möller was a master in the young horse classes of slipping a horse quietly into the final and peaking right at the right time. Ulf coaches his wife Eva ‘every day’ although she does wryly note that it’s good to have a friend, Oliver Oelrich visit once a month, “training with your husband is not always easy, it’s nice to have a friend visit’. Eva had Global Player’s final act perfectly timed. The black stallion was super elegant, super attractive and the work just flowed, and as the commentating judge noted, while the test asks for a medium between the walk pirouettes, Eva was the only one to do it. Tens for submission and prospective, 9.74 and there’s another medal in the family trophy cabinet.