ASTRIX DOES THE DOUBLE, BUT WOODLAND FAROUCHE IS THE SHOW-STEALER by Louise Parkes

Lausanne (SUI), 8 August 2011 – Over 50,000 visitors descended on Verden, Germany for the FEI World Championships for Young Dressage Horses 2011 over the weekend as the KWPN stallion, Astrix, claimed his second gold medal in succession with The Netherlands’ Emelie Scholtens on board.  But the sensation of the event was the Hannoverian mare, Woodlander Farouche ridden by Great Britain’s Michael Eilberg, who took the coveted 5 Year Old title with a spectacular score of 9.72%.

Staged in the heart of Lower Saxony, these Championships have long been recognised as the cradle of the equine dressage stars of the future, and this year’s crop of youngsters were a truly exciting bunch.

TALKING POINT
The British-born Woodlander Farouche, bred by Lynne Crowden in Monmouthshire, England, became the talking point of the show when scoring 9.28 to win last Friday’s 5 Year Old Qualifier.  The judges awarded scores of 9.5, 9.2 and 9.7 for trot, canter and walk, and 25 year old Eilberg described the mare, which he has been riding since she was three years old, as “an incredible horse”.  Looking forward to Sunday’s final he added, “There is of course more pressure to come, but it is a good feeling that she has already presented such an outstanding performance. This strengthens the self-confidence of both of us,” he pointed out.

Second place went to Damon’s Divene, daughter of the double World Champion stallion Damon Hill out of a Rubin Royal dam and bred by Christian Becs.  Helen Langehannenberg steered the horse to a final score of 8.76, while two others shared third place.  Belgium’s Tom Franckx-Goen was awarded a mark of 8.64 with the Dutch-bred IPS Bon Bravour, and Germany’s Jessica Michel matched that with the Hannoverian Swing de Hus.

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