Hubertus Schmidt with Imperio.
Germany’s Hubertus Schmidt and the Trekhener stallion, Imperio, proved their regality in the Deutsche Bank Stadium during the first day of dressage competition at the CHIO Aachen, demonstrating elegance and power in the first leg of the CDI-4* to score a 76.043% and top the class. Fresh off a recent injury, the pair is on the long list for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In fact, all of the top placers in the CDI-4* are striving for a place on the German Olympic team: the two-time World Cup bronze medallist, Jessica Bredow-Werndl, came second with Unee BB (74.90). Anabel Balkenhol and Dablino came third with a score of 74.486 ahead of Fabienne Lütkemeier with D’Agostino (73.814) and Jenny Lang-Nobbe with Loverboy (72.700). The competitions in Aachen will ultimately decide who will represent Germany in Rio.
Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Farouche Claim Victory in Prize of the VUV Prix St. Georges
Rain and clouds could not dampen the first dressage competition of the CHIO Aachen 2016, which proved to be a battle of superstars and rising talent. Whereas the so-called Small Tour doesn’t usually attract a lot of attention at other shows, in Aachen’s Deutsche Bank Stadium one can admire the stars of tomorrow in these competitions. Wednesday’s Prize of the VUV – Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände Aachen – was no exception.
The elegant chestnut mare Woodlander Farouche, under the guidance of Michael Eilberg, put in a beautiful test to achieve a score of 76.368 percent, proving her mettle in the FEI levels. The British Hanoverian mare (Fuerst Heinrich x Woodlander Dornroschen) was the World Champion of the Five and Six-year-old Dressage Horses at the 2011 and 2012 World Breeding Championships in Verden, and has clearly hit her stride in the Prix St. Georges.
The 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding Santiago, piloted by German 2012 Olympic Team Silver medalist Dorothee Schneider, took reserve honors with a score of 75.263. Santiago was previously the winner of the Nuremberg Burg Cup Final, similar to the German Championships of the Young Dressage Horses.
The third and fourth place finishers were also German Champions as young horses. Third place went to the seven-year-old stallion, DSP Belantis, with the five-time Olympic gold medallist Isabell Werth (73.895 percent). Belantis placed second at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in 2016.
Hubertus Schmidt and Escolar rode to fourth with a final score of 73.895%. The 7-year-old stallion showed experience and maturity beyond his years in the hands of the German Olympic Team Gold Medalist, and was also crowned the German Champion title twice as a 3-year-old and 4-year-old.
Sixth and seventh place also went to Germany: Suppenkasper with the team World Champion, Helen Langehanenberg (72.921 percent) and Geraldine with Ingrid Klimke (71.553). Incidentally, the latter, who is the daughter of the most successful dressage rider of all time, Dr. Reiner Klimke, is not only competing in the dressage arena in Aachen, but also in the DHL Prize of the eventers.
World Champion Exell Heads the Field Following Prize of the Fa. Horsch, der Entsorger
As usual, the CAIO of the four-in-hand drivers, the Prize of Fa. Horsch, Der Entsorger, kicked off Wednesday with the dressage in the Driving Stadium. As with the dressage riders, accuracy, elegance and obedience are demanded of the masters of the carriages. After the first of three disciplines – the Marathon, the cross-country course of the drivers, and cones phase follow – the Australian driver, Boyd Exell, who has, among many other titles, already won the CAIO Aachen five times in the past, heads the field. Exell is namely also a many-time World Champion and World Cup winner and as the first driver ever was additionally distinguished by the FEI with the “Reem Acra Best Athlete Award” in 2015. In 2016, he is on course to claim his sixth victory at the Soers. The mode of the driving competition is similar to that of the eventing: the winner is the participant who has collected the least minus points after the final competition. After the dressage, Exell will set off on the Marathon course with 34.05 minus points.
The Dutch driver, Ijsbrand Chardon, is close at his heels on a score of 40.83 minus – a familiar situation for himself and Exell; they are more or less permanent rivals – whereby Chardon succeeded in securing the title in the World Cup Final this year after beating Exell. It is going to be exciting to see how the duel at the Soers ends this time round.
The American driver, Chester Weber, currently lies in third place, who was the first American to win in Aachen ever in 2013. His interim result is 43.33 minus points.
The best German driver after the dressage is Christoph Sandmann in seventh place (51.46).
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