Tuesday July 13, 2004

Florencio and FBW French Kiss Win 2004 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses

A Little Bit of History Made by Susanne Hassler and Royal Prince

The Rhinelander bred stallion FS Lord Loxley (Lord Sinclair x Weltmeyer) finished in silver position under the elegant young rider Jana Freund. Bred by Gestut Sonnenhof in Belgium and owned by Josef Wilbers from Germany, FS Lord Loxley scored 9.14 overall in the finals for his high quality powerful and engaged movements.

Young Horse specialist Dr. Ulf Möller steered the Holsteiner stallion Amidou (Alcatraz x Langata Express xx) to the bronze. Though Amidou is a bit croup high and should put the hind legs more under the body, he was beautifully presented by Möller. Amidou showed an active hind leg and was uphill throughout his tests. They got an 8.98 final score from the judges.

Ranking in fourth position and writing history for American Dressage were Susanne Owen Hassler and Royal Prince. Never before has an American finished this high in the rankings of the World Young Horse Championships. Hassler and Royal Prince were a combination in which fluency, elegance and rhythm were the highlights.

Royal Price (Rohdiamant x Prince Thatch xx) has a lovely front leg and remained in balance in both his rides. Susanne Hassler did a superb job presenting this horse at the Championships. With an 8.84 score, the duo finished fourth in the ranking.

It's such a great experience to be here," Susanne Hassler said. Her husband, Scott Hassler, who served as chef d'equipe for the American Young Horse team in Verden, was also very pleased with his wife's achievements. "A bronze medal would have been great for America, but we're very happy with the fourth place. She (Susanne) wanted to have great ride and she did," Scott said.