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Monday July 9, 2007

Isabell Werth, 2007 Aachen Dressage Champion

Isabell Werth’s new freestyle routine titled "March With Me" was intended to be emotional and it certainly was: “It was really sensational, it was fantastic,” said the 37-year-old rider enthusiastically. Werth remained unbeaten in all three competitions of the CDIO tour. She claimed victory in the Deutsche Bank Prize at the CHIO Aachen 2007 with a score of 82.35 percent.

Photo copyrighted: Barbara Schnell

“Things couldn’t have gone better for us,” explained the double World Champion of the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen. “I wanted to introduce emotions into my new freestyle music, which contains elements from Vangelis sung by Montserrat Caballe. I seem to have succeeded in doing so,” the most successful dressage rider in the world commented with joy.

Her victory in the Freestyle meant that she also secured first place in the Dressage Grand Prix of Aachen. She additionally won the Piaff Prize in memoriam of Liselott Schindling – this special prize is awarded to the dressage competitor who has achieved the best placings during the show.

Second place went to the Dutch rider, Anky van Grunsven, who received 81.45 percent for her Olympic and World Championships freestyle routine. “In fact I wanted to present our new freestyle routine here in Aachen, but unfortunately it wasn’t ready in time,” reported the 38-year-old who gave birth to her second child in March. Many of the spectators obviously considered her score to be too high, since they started whistling when it was announced. The pair showed mistakes in the extended trot and in the flying changes and also didn’t stand still at the halt and the salute.

Van Grunsven is always very professional and critical about her own performances. In the press conference after the Grand Prix she admitted to making mistakes, but was very confident that at the Europeans, she will be going for it all the way. "I've made mistakes here in all three tests which I normally never make at home. Without these mistakes, I wouldn't have lost here. In Italy [at the European Championships] the circumstances will be entirely different," Van Grunsven said. Anky was referring to the fact that Salinero never seems to be totally at easy in the show ring. "I've been riding at Aachen for five years and Salinero has never stood still here. Salinero is a horse that loves to work and sometimes that works out differently than I would prefer."

A thoroughly delighted Jan Brink finished third. “Everything fitted perfectly to the music, was very flowing and Briar was extremely fresh and motivated,” was how the Swedish rider commentated his ride, which brought him a score of 77.55 percent. Brink has contested two Olympic Games with his 16-year-old stallion and they also won the Grand Prix of Aachen in 2005. The pair came eighth at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen last year. His music contains songs from the singer Helena Paparizou, who won the Eurovision Song Contest two years ago.

Courtney King was the only U.S. rider able to qualify for the CDIO Kur to Music finals. Aboard Christine McCarthy's Idocus (by Equador) she placed 11th in a field of 14 other of the world's best dressage riders. The American duo scored 71.300 (USA). Steffen Peters and the Japanese owned Lombardi II placed 20th in the Special and did not obtain a berth for the kur. Their Special score was 66.640 (USA)

Beezie Madden/USA wins ROLEX Grand Prix, the Grand Prix of Aachen  

There was American glory in Aachen after all. American show jumper Beezie Madden won the most important show jumping Grand Prix in the world, the Grand Prix of Aachen. Three riders reached the final jump-off and risked everything. After the first competitor Roger-Yves Bost from France picked up four faults in a time of 54.45 seconds with his stallion, Ideal de la Loge, Christian Ahlmann wanted to give all.

"I desperately wanted to win the Grand Prix of Aachen and knew that I would have to jump a speedy round, because my fellow competitor Beezie Madden's horse Authentic, is one of the fastest in the world. So, I decided to risk all I could, which proved to be too much in the end," said the 32-year-old rider. Eight faults in 52.88 seconds was the end result of the 14-year-old grey Holsteiner gelding Cöster by Calato x Constant. This left everything wide open for the Vice World Champion of Aachen 2006: Beezie Madden. The 43-year-old jumped clear in a time of 59.31 seconds. The US-American who lives in the State of New York was a member of the gold-winning team at the Olympic Games in Athens. In Aachen last year she took silver with the team. Anne Kursinski with Starman was the last American rider to the win the Grand Prix of Aachen 1991.

"Winning here is a super victory for me, that I definitely wanted to add to my list of successful results. It was very exciting riding here. At the start I risked more and rode faster, but towards the end I was able to slow the pace down because my aim was to jump clear," reported Beezie Madden. "At the beginning my horse slipped a bit so I had to ride more carefully in order to remain clear. Then unfortunately I picked up four faults. I have been riding this horse since he was a five-year-old. I am very fond of him, because he is very courageous and good," commented the French rider Roger-Yves Bost.

More coverage of the CHIO Aachen at Horsesdaily.com