Monday July 4, 2005

Damon Hill and Florencio Win 2005 World Championships in Verden

Text and Photos copyrighted: Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com

The Westfalian stallions Damon Hill and Florencio have won the 2005 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, Germany. The two licensed sires were the undisputed winners of the qualifier test on Friday and in the Finals on Sunday they wielded the axe of power once more by being the only two horses to achieve a 9. mark at this year's Championships.

In the 5-year old division, Helen Langehanenberg rode Damon Hill (Donnerhall x Rubinstein) to a winning score of 9.02. Despite a small mistake in the transition from walk to canter, Damon Hill excelled in his three basic gaits and his rideability. Langehanenberg rode beautiful simple changes and presented her horse with much brilliance and energy in the two tests. The trot was Damon Hill's highlight gait for which he earned a 9.8.

German Holga Finken won the silver medal in the 5-year old division riding the licensed Oldenburg stallion Donnerball (Donnerhall x Alabaster). The bronze medal went to the South German Nadine Plaster aboard the Baden Wurttemberger bred mare FBW Dejavu (Dacaprio x Gluckspilz).