The Stable Magazine - April 2016

Reem Acra
World Cup Final
Great Buzz!
The spectators at Gothenburg Horse Show always
play their part in every competition, creating a great
buzz as they get involved with everything going
on in the arena. And the intensity of it all certainly
affected American rider, Gunter Seidel’s, gelding,
Zero Gravity, who looked ready to explode with the
excitement of it all when fourth to go. But the threetime
Olympian produced a masterful ride to finish
his test with the lovely 12-year-old gelding who still
managed to demonstrate his huge potential.
This pair were followed by the only other US
representatives, Charlotte Jorst and Kastel’s
Nintendo, who really set the arena alight with a
performance that oozed energy and fun. The big bay
stallion has exactly the same attitude as his rider
who smiled her way through the whole test that
was set against a rousing musical score. And Jorst’s
determination to complete on exactly the final note
led to a sharp intake of breath, because she marched
up the centre line and didn’t stop until her music
finished, which left her right up against the arena
boards and staring directly into the eyes of Ground
Jury President, Sweden’s Gustav Svalling.
Her mark of 73.232 took the lead only to be
overtaken by 73.589 from Australia’s Lyndal Oatley
and Sandro Boy. But it was the last rider to go
before the judging break, Denmark’s Agnete Kirk
Thinggaard with Jojo Az, who held the lead at the
halfway stage as they strutted their stuff to post
76.250 to the delight of the crowd.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl challenged strongly
when posting a mark of 80.350 with Unee BB despite
a couple of errors, but, third-last into the ring,
Hans Peter Minderhoud made no mistakes with his
15-year-old gelding, Glock’s Flirt, to go well out
in front on 82.357 which would prove unbeatable
despite a valiant last to go effort from host-nation
heros Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic.
Emotional
Minderhoud, who also won Friday’s Grand Prix,
admitted afterwards that he felt the pressure
today. “It’s been two long days since the Grand
Prix. Normally I’m not really nervous but today I
thought I really want this! So I’m really happy that
I won!” he said. He talked about Glock’s Flirt. “I
have him now for two years and when I got him
he was a nice Grand Prix horse but I didn’t expect
him to be a winner but he’s just getting better and
better. He’s such a great honest horse in the ring, he
doesn’t want to make any mistakes - you really feel
that he gives just everything to you! I’ve also been
riding around with not-so-easy mares and not-soeasy
stallions, so it’s so much fun to have a horse
like him. You can really rely on him, and that’s an
amazing feeling.”
>
Immediately relegated
They were immediately relegated to runner-up spot
when the action resumed however by Ireland’s Judy
Reynolds and Vancouver K who went out in front on
a score of 77.339. It has been an historic week for the
sport of dressage in Ireland, as this is the first time
the country has been represented at an FEI World
Cup Final so the 34-year-old has been creating
quite a stir. But Germany’s Fabienne Lutkemeier
posted 78.411 with D’Agostino FRH when next to go
and then, with just five of the 18 starters left to take
their turn, Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven reset
the parameters when producing the first result over
80 percent.
After rolling out another technically brilliant
performance that included super-tough transitions
with her 14-year-old gelding, Don Auriello, she put
81.429 on the scoreboard and that really piled the
pressure on the four remaining riders. Germany’s
Australia’s Mary hanna and Umbro
finished 15th. Photo: FEI/Arnd
Bronkhorst/Pool Pic
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