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Friday, August 22, 2008

Highs, Lows and Raised Eyebrows The 2008 Olympic Dressage Freestyles
By Karen Robinson for DressageDaily

From 15th to Gold (Horse By Horse) and Not Entirely in Order

Pop Art – Ashley Holzer - CAN - (warning: this entry contains biased material). Yes, Poppy and Ashley rode to music that I chose and edited for them, so I can’t even begin to comment on whether it was GOOD or not. Ashley had the kind of nightmare that those of us who ride freestyles hope will never happen to us. Gotthilf Riexinger was jury president, and Ashley wasn’t the only one to be confused by his actions.

He often stood up quite a long time before leaning forward to ring the bell, which made more than one rider believe they had failed to hear it when in fact he hadn’t yet rung it. Ashley turned around, saw him standing, and signaled for her music to start, which it did. Trouble was, the bell-trained gate girls didn’t open the gate because the bell hadn’t rung.

Music was stopped, bell was rung, gate was opened, and I thought Ashley and Poppy kept their composure amazingly well. Ashley told me afterward that Poppy got a little behind her leg, which meant she had to chase him; which ironically put her ahead of her music. Still, I must say that her music was unique, full of changes, and suits Poppy to a tee. (I warned you it wouldn’t be objective)

Lancet – Emma Hindle - GR Britain - He passaged to ‘Stayin’ Alive’ at the beginning (most of the freestyles started in passage after the halt). I thought the music suited him rather well, but then he trotted and the music changed to a really jangly version of  ‘What A Feeling’ from Flashdance and the magic was over for me.

Watching her I realized that most freestyles fit into one of two categories: a single soundtrack or several songs.

Lancet’s freestyle was definitely of the ‘songs’ variety, as opposed to Anky’s which is definitely soundtrack.

I don’t think that one is necessarily superior, but I know I find creating a soundtrack easier than piecing together individual songs, especially if they are pop songs.

Digby – Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein - DEN -Tthe theme was not new: Westside Story. This was one whose choreography seemed to me to force the horse to struggle, and struggling never looks good to music. The arrangement was what some people would call ‘canned’, or ‘synthesizer’. Not the most inspired program, and not a great ‘pump up the jam’ start to the evening.

Don Schufro – Andreas Helgstrand - DEN - I love this horse, and I love Andreas Helgstrand. I did not love his freestyle.

I get the distinct impression that the music was chosen because Andreas likes those tunes, and not because anyone played the songs while Don Schufro passaged, trotted and cantered around and discovered that the music flattered him.

Because it didn’t. To me, Guns and Roses doesn’t make a horse look lighter, more fluid or more elegant.

I did like one movement that Andreas put in his choreography, however. He did a passage half pass right from M to X, then a half pirouette in piaffe followed by a half pass left to H.

Solos Carex – Tinne Silfven - SWE - If Digby’s music sounded like a MIDI file, Carex’s sounded like ice cream truck music. One of the tunes was familiar, but I couldn’t place it because it didn’t sound anything like the original. Her final centre line was a one handed extended trot that didn’t really come off when the horse got above the bit.

 Mythilus – Courtney King Dye - USA - Nadine – Hans Peter Minderhoud - NED