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Monday March 31, 2008

Van Grunsven Wins 2008 World Cup Finals
Text and Photos copyrighted: Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com

2007 World Cup Winner Isabell Werth Now Reserve Champion

German Isabell Werth was eager to face her rival and realistic about her perspectives for winning the 2008 World Cup Finals in The Netherlands. Werth could only win by staying absolutely error-free and by risking it all. Aboard her Hanoverian gelding Warum Nicht (FRH) she made her stand but risked too much in the freestyle. A mistake in the flying tempi changes put her on second place, the runner up slot in the 2008 World Cup Finals.

Werth kicked off her kur with an immobile halt, superior extended trots, and a super rhythm in the difficult passage half passes. The extended walk was performed to perfection: outstanding overtrack and true relaxation. The canter tour went really well until a mistake crept into the one tempi changes. Werth did not lose her focus and performed an excellent final piaffe-passage. They scored 82.600%

Isabell's music is lovely. "Land of Hope and Glory" accentuates the clear rhythm of the horse's piaffe and passage, Edgar Elgar’s "Pomp and Circumstance" musically empowers the trot tour and the canter music is highly dramatic, which is a typical choice for German riders. Though this freestyle is wonderful, it is one of Isabell's older kurs, previously used for Apache OLD, and Warum Nicht has now definitely earned his own custom made composition.

Though she had to give her 2007 World Cup title back to Anky van Grunsven, Isabell was not disappointed about her performance. "No. I'm really not," she replied. "I'm happy and satisfied with Hannes today. Thursday he was really good and today he was better. I was too quick to come into the one tempi's. He was a bit surprised to go in to the one tempi's - perhaps he was not prepared well. But I was super happy with this weekend. He has improved as a horse; his piaffe and passage have improved. I have a very good feeling to go into the green outdoor season."