- The pair had a little wobble coming out of the halt on their power opening centerline. The first extended trot was super, but a little slow to develop. The half-passes in trot were beautifully powerful in their movement forward and reach sideways. The second extended trot was powerful and stepped under very well behind. Valegro lost a little energy in the transition out of the first piaffe. The extended walk looked more relaxed in the body than usual and the collected walk showed clean steps. The second series of piaffe and passage was more sitting, controlled, and powerful than the first. The two tempis were phenomenal: uphill and ground-covering with an excellent canter rhythm. The canter zig-zag traveled well to either side of the centerline with good balance in the changes of direction. The canter pirouettes sitting and super controlled in their balance, though perhaps could have taken another stride around. The passage on the final centerline had Valegro lifting his front end powerfully off the ground.
Edward Gal & Undercover: 79.057%
- Undercover showed the same strengths and weaknesses as usual: Gal rides him with impeccable precision, but at times this results in tightness in the horse's frame (though Gal did let go more than usual, resulting in some very nice moments). In the trot-halfpasses, the horse opened up in the frame some and appeared to just float sideways. The first piaffe showed Undercover sitting more than usual, which added to his near-perfect rhythm made for a very strong picture. The extended walk was weak. Gal had errors in the transition to passage from collected walk and up into canter from passage. The two tempis were quite good in their ground cover, though Gal rode them by turning the horse's head slightly. The canter zig-zag was beautifully balanced. Gal had some issues preparing Undercover for the one-tempis resulting in some changes that were close behind. The canter pirouettes were so effortlessly small, but still could be more sitting. On the final line, Undercover piaffed and passaged like he had a built in metronome.
Steffen Peters & Legolas: 76.843%
- Legolas was not totally regular in the early trot work, but Peters rode lovely half-passes, getting the horse to really reach softly sideways. The bouncy passage could still show more elevation in front. The first piaffe was very good and the transitions in and out were effortless. The walk was forward and relaxed, but a bit off the contact. Legolas was a little slow to pick up passage from collected walk. The elevation in front in the second piaffe better matched the activity behind. The tempi changes are still a weak point for this horse, but they were clean. Legolas looked a bit stuck and insecure in the canter zig-zag. The canter rhythm in the pirouettes was very good, though they could have been more uphill. The last piaffe was superb. Still, I thought this test was a bit generously scored.
Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl & Unee BB: 74.871%
- Unee has a very nice extended trot, with reach in front nice matched from behind, though he was a bit deep in the bridle. The passage lifts well off the ground, but Unee does not always engage to the same degree in every step. The extended walk was very good: relaxed, forward, and open in the frame. The piaffe is very good in its activity, though it like the passage is a hair inconsistent. Von Bredow-Werndl had an unfortunate error in her otherwise good two tempis and then had a break into trot leading into the extended canter. The canter in the one-tempos was good, but could have covered more ground. The uphill canter pirouettes were a little big and Von Bredow-Werndl could quite stop them from over-rotating. The final centerline from the front looked uphill and rhythmical.
Laura Graves & Verdades: 74.286%
- Coming in Verdades looked a little jazzed up in the atmosphere of the Thomas and Mack center. The first extended trot was a bit quick and could have had more reach in the stride and frame. The trot half-passes really powered sideways, but Verdades spooked a little at the end of the second. The first passage was big and came way off the ground, but the piaffe was anxious and never quite settled into a rhythm (it was rather generously scored). The engagement in the second passage was super again and the piaffe was then more regular, though slightly crooked. The two tempis were nicely uphill, but showed the horse's tension in a few strides. Graves lost the haunches in the last half-pass of the zig-zag. Verdades steps way under himself in the one-tempis. The first pirouette was tiny and really sitting; the second was also good, but a tiny bit hurried. The last piaffe passage was by far the strongest. Graves did a masterful job riding a very hot horse without giving up much in expression.
Morgan Barbançon-Mestre & Painted Black: 73.786%
- For the first time in a while, Barbançon-Mestre really rode for it in the first extended trot, getting that lovely reach in front that Painted Black is capable of, though she could have asked for more in the second. The half passes were lovely and flowing. The piaffe and passage are regular and springy with easy transitions, but in all of them, Painted Black could take more weight behind. The two tempis were uphill and ground-covering. The extended canter could have been braver and more uphill. Painted Black got a bit deep in the bridle both in the piaffe and the canter pirouettes, though the pirouettes were small and active. This stallion at 18 years old looked as good as ever and makes a lovely team with Barbançon-Mestre.
Hans Peter Minderhoud & Flirt: 73.657%
- In extended trot, the movement of Flirt's front and hind legs are nicely matched, but the horse needs to stretch out more into the bridle. The trot half-passes were lovely with lots of suspension. The passage was springy and the piaffe strong, but in both, the horse got slightly deep and behind the vertical, so he could step more forward-feeling into the bridle. The rhythm of the extended walk was excellent. The two tempis traveled forward nicely, but Flirt's haunches swung slightly from side to side. In general, there were a number of moments where Minderhoud just seemed to lose some control of the position of the horse's haunches, sometimes hitting the boards. The canter pirouettes could have shown more sit. On the final centerline, Flirt's expressive and rhythmical final passage was a bit wide behind, while the piaffe got a bit wide in front.
Isabell Werth & El Santo: 72.843%
- El Santo overall is a powerful, forward-moving horse, but often pushes his weight a little too far forward. The trot-halfpasses, though, were—as we would expect from Werth—beautifully uphill, with El Santo really pushing sideways. El Santo really drops his croup for the piaffe, but still travels too far forward in it and gets his front legs a little too much underneath himself. The two tempi changes were huge and uphill, though perhaps not showing the purest canter. The one tempi changes got a bit stuck. The canter pirouettes were tiny and really sitting, though the second could have had a little better balance in the turning. The final centerline from the front was absolutely straight, powerful, and rhythmical.
Paulinda Friberg & Di Lapponia: 72.686%
- The early trot work in the test was a little tight in the body, resulting in a rather restricted extended trot. The half-passes showed minor irregularities, but pushed sideways very nicely. The passage is extravagant and engaged, and the mare moves cleanly back into an energetic piaffe and up again into passage. The tempis were clean, but could have been more relaxed in each stride. The first canter pirouette stepped a bit far off the centerline and then Friberg lost the haunches slightly, but the one to the right was much improved. The last centerline was really top class, showing off Di Lapponia's real strength.
Inessa Merkulova & Mister X: 71.343%
- Mister X has a lot of suspension in his trot and lovely reaching gaits, though there was some minor unsteadiness in it and a few heavy half-halts from Merkulova. The half-passes could have had a bit more bend. The rein back showed very nice clear diagonal steps. While the first piaffe was very far in front of the mark, it was regular, sitting and springy—this horse has a real talent to collect with activity. Mister X showed a very relaxed extended walk in the arena's electric atmosphere. The second piaffe had so much sit the horse lost his balance and rhythm slightly. The two tempis were energetic, but tended to get a bit stiff-legged in front in the in-between stride. Merkulova met with some resistance beginning the one-tempis, but they were clean. The piaffe and passage work at the end was a real highlight and Merkulova looked absolutely delighted with her ride.
Fabienne Lütkemeier & Qui Vincit Dyanmis: 70.857%
- The lively Qui Vincit Dynamis has a great front end, but minor issues in the contact: he gets a bit tight in the neck and at times shows a slight head tilt. The extended trot could have been more elevated in front. The piaffe and passage were rhythmical, but could have shown better engagement, especially in the upward transition. The collected walk was quite resticted. Overall in the canter work, the gelding could step more under with the inside hind leg. The canter zig-zag was quite balanced in the changes of direction. The last piaffe could have been more clearly active, but the final passage showed lovely elevation in front.
Mikala Munter Gundersen & My Lady: 70.414%
- My Lady really powers along in extended trot, but could take more weight behind in it. In the trot half-passes, Munter Gundersen rode the mare in good bend with nice crossing, but the trot got a bit passage-like. The elevated passage could come more under behind. In the extended walk, the mare was relaxed in her strides, but a little reticent to stretch forward and downward. The second passage showed better engagement behind. Munter Gundersen had a small error in the transition from passage to canter. The two tempis showed a very nice canter rhythm. The flying change at the end of the extended canter was late behind, with the mare looking a little sticky to the leg. The pirouettes were small and controlled in their turning, but could have had more jump in the canter. There were a couple small wobbles in the final piaffe.
Terhi Stegars & Axis: 69.871%
- In the trot work, Axis showed a really nice forward movement, but at times, the stallion loses pushing power for a half-stride from behind and gets a bit out behind. This issue also showed up in the piaffe and loftypassage, particularly in the second series. The collected walk got a bit lateral. Stegars rode very relaxed power into the extended canter. The tempi changes were solid. Axis could have been a bit more balanced as he turned through the canter pirouette, instead taking rather large strides around. The final piaffe drifted slightly right. Overall, the pair looked very well confirmed in the test, with the main issues coming from the horse's little weaknesses behind.
Lars Petersen & Mariett: 69.329%
- Petersen pushed for a big first extended trot, but it looked like a bit more than the mare could offer in balance because she became slightly irregular. Mariett lost some suspension in the trot half-passes, but showed lovely crossing. Mariett was nicely springy and elevated in front in the passage, though in the first piaffe she lost some energy. While the mare closes at the base in piaffe, she could take more weight behind. They had an error early on in the two-tempis. The canter zig-zag was a bit laboured. The first canter pirouette turned with strides that were too big, and Mariett lost her balance coming out, resulting in an extra flying change and the mare's haunches swinging out to the right. The second was better but still not completely balanced. They finished nicely, but the ride had a number of errors. Overall, their test could look easier.
Malin Hamilton & Fleetwood: 68.129%
- In the trot work, Hamilton struggled quite a bit to balance regularity with power from behind. In passage, the horse snatches his hind legs up slightly, though there is plenty of spring. Fleetwood stretched very nicely into the bridle in the relaxed extended walk. The piaffe is good, but travels a bit too much forward. The tempi changes were clean and straight, but could have been reached with more uphill, supple strides. Hamilton rode the first pirouette almost too small, with the horse getting a bit backward feeling and the second, while sitting, turned a bit around the middle of the horse. The transitions between piaffe and passage on the final centerline were very nice.
Agnete Kirk Thinggaard & Jojo AZ: 67.986%
- This pair had a very nice entrance centerline. The half-passes were fluid, but Jojo could have shown more reach sideways. Kirk Thinggaard ride a very nice square halt into a clean rein back. The piaffe is quite nice and closed at the base, but the passage could have been a bit more engaged behind. Jojo does not have the best natural canter rhythm and the two tempis, while uphill and forward had and error behind early on. The horse lost his rhythm in the final extended trot, but had a strong last centerline.
Elena Sidneva & Romeo Star: 67.014%
- Romeo Star is a lovely moving horse, but a few of the elements of the Grand Prix could have been a bit more secure in the test. The haunches lagged significantly in the half pass right, but both trot half-passes maintained the gait's suspension. Romeo Star has a nice springy passage, but the piaffe is a bit sticky. The two tempis were fluid and ground-covering, but often jumped a little close together behind. The canter zig-zag was a bit laboured. The canter pirouettes were uphill in their balance, but Romeo Star took rather large strides around to keep that balance.
Tatiana Dorofeeva & Upperville: 66.971%
- Upperville steps very nicely under behind while reaching up in front in the extended trot, but wasn't totally regular and could have been more uphill. The half-passes were slightly restricted. Upperville lifts his legs nicely in piaffe, but could step more cleanly between diagonal pairs. The extended walk was nicely active from behind without tension. The stallion gets a bit out behind in the transition from piaffe to passage. The two tempis were big and relaxed, but could have been more up in front and the last one was a touch close behind. Overall, the stallion could be lighter in the shoulder and in the bridle, and was quite possibly getting a bit behind Dorofeeva's leg.
