Monday November 15, 2002

Oldenburger Pferdetage conquered by Lisa Wilcox

For many years, the intimate and small CDI competition in Oldenburg, Germany, also known as the Oldenburger Pferdetage, has been dominated by the Gestut Vorwerk dressage stallions. With Lisa Wilcox in the saddle, the CDI Oldenburg is forced to donate all its dressage trophies to the Cappeln based American for the second consecutive year.

Wilcox already set the standard at the 2001 CDI Oldenburg and again swept away all prizes in dressage, claiming victory in four out four FEI level dressage tests, at the 2002 Oldenburger Pferdertage. Riding Royal Diamond in the small tour, Wilcox scored high notes aboard the dapple grey licensed stallion by Rubinstein x Inschallah AA. Scoring 866 points in the Prix St Georges, Wilcox and Royal Diamond positioned first, leaving young rider Jan Andreas Viebrock on Directeur with a 6 point difference behind her.

In the Intermediaire I, Wilcox created a huge gap with second placed Hartwig Burfeind on Collo. Steering Royal Diamond to a 887 point win, Wilcox gained respect from the rest of the field, which followed with points ranging from 821 to 763.

Her biggest achievement in Oldenburg, however, was made with her World Equestrian Games' mount Relevant (by Rubinstein). Riding a new personal record of 78,20%, Wilcox won the Grand Prix test. "Everything just went right," she simply commented. Anky van Grunsven positioned second aboard her KWPN stallion Gestion Krack C (by Flemmingh) with 71,48%. In third with 70.12% were Dutch Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn aboard her newest horse Barclay, a 10-year old Hanoverian gelding by Brentano II x Lungau. Ari Gordijn purchased the horse on suggestion of its former rider Hubertus Schmidt.

With a 1,000 headed crowd, Wilcox charmed the audienced of the CDI Oldenburg once again on Sunday, taking her final fourth victory of the weekend. In the Grand Prix special, Wilcox received a winning 76.40% from the judges, while Anky got 73,60% for her second place. Rothenberger, who is scoring better with Barclay than all her other Jonggor's horse came in third again.

by Astrid Appels

Related Links
Scores of the CDI Oldenburg at Eurodressage.com
Live coverage of the CDI Oldenburg at Escon-Marketing (in German)
Dressagedaily: American Dressage Star Shines Brightly In Germany
Dressagedaily: Lisa Wilcox and Ernst Hoyos, Clinicians at 2002 Belgian Dressage Weekend