Belinda
Trussel & Anton: 72.214%
- Anton looked a little heavy in the hand today, but forward and positive. The trot half-passes were expressive and really pushed sideways in good bend. The extended trots needed to be more uphill. The first passage was nicely elevated in front, and Anton stepped easily in and out of a rhythmical piaffe. The extended walk was a bit lateral. Anton got a touch behind the vertical coming into the second piaffe, but the piaffe itself was elegantly sitting and springy. Both lines of tempis could have been a bit bigger and straighter. Trussell could have kept a bit more canter in the zig-zag. The pirouettes were impeccably controlled, but Anton curled a bit in them. The last extended trot was better than the earlier ones and the final line was really top class.
Lyndal
Oatley & Sandro Boy 9: 70.186%
- Sandro Boy got a bit frantic and wide behind in the first extended trot. The half-passes had amazing crossing and good bend, though the horse’s wildly swishing tail distracted from the movement a bit. In passage, the horse could do better in supporting his extravagant front leg with a more carrying hindleg. The piaffe was active, but rather out behind. Sandro Boy overall looked less braced in his underneck than he has been in the past. The horse’s canter has a hindleg that comes way underneath him, but he is frequently quite croup high. The extended canter was bold without getting tense in the body. Oatley did a really good job pushing her horse sideways in the zig-zag and it was well-placed and balanced. The down transition to trot was quite late. For the final piaffe, the horse was more under himself, but wide behind.
Severo
Jesus Jurado Lopez & Lorenzo: 76.429%
- Lorenzo is a powerful horse with big gaits, but this often makes them hard for Jurado Lopez to control, resulting in minor issues like a slightly wobbly centerline. The trot half-passes were huge and floated sideways with good bend and lots of crossing. In passage, Lorenzo steps way off the ground, but leans a bit over his front legs, rather than truly carrying. The horse piaffes mostly by snapping up with the hindlegs, though the movement is rhythmical. The twos were big, but a tiny bit tight behind the saddle. The zig-zag was very good. In the ones, the left change was consistently bigger than the right. The canter pirouettes were tiny and uphill, but Lorenzo planted his feet just a little in them. Even from a month ago, this pair looks more put together, on top of the lovely movement.
Masanao
Takahashi & Fabriano: 62.986%
- Takahashi had a bit of a bad break in the first half-pass, with the horse dropping manure and refusing to really move sideways. The extended trots could have shown bigger strides. The extended walk was motivated with Fabriano stretching out nicely. Takahashi took a few strides to develop the passage, and then got a sharp spur in the slightly sticky stallion, causing him to buck a few times before the piaffe. The twos were ground-covering, but a bit close behind. While the zig-zag travelled well across the centerline, it looked quite laboured. The first pirouette had a very active canter, but could have been more uphill, the second was a little weaker. The final centerline was clean and energetic, with the haunches just slightly to the left.
Luiza
Tavares de Almeida & Vendeval 4:
- Vendeval came to a bit of an abrupt halt in the first centerline, but moved off energetically. Tavares de Almeida rode many of the corners poorly, steering into them so that the horse got downhill through them. The trot half-passes were passagey, but the passage itself was very nicely elevated in front. The horse piaffed a bit by stopping his front legs, but stayed rhythmical. The twos were quite crooked, and had a few errors: a couple changes close behind and them a counting mistake. The half-passes in the zig-zag were limited. The ones were short, but improved towards the end. The first canter pirouette was quite nice, but the second lacked energy. The final extended trot was a bit frantic and inconsistent in rhythm. With the final line, we got a nice show of again of the highlight passage.
Pierre
Volla & Bandida Altena:
- Volla entered the stadium in an open-framed posting trot, making a very friendly first impression. The extened trot was a little quick, but the basic collected trot had lots of soft knee-action matched by an engaged hindleg. The half-pass right had a couple rhythm errors, but the one to the left was quite nice. The passage was really big and expressive, the piaffe active, but tense. Volla seemed not to want to disturb the mare in extended walk, so it got slower and slower across the diagonal. The second piaffe was again active and not so tense, but the Bandida Altena should sit more in it. In the twos, the horse could separate her hindlegs more. The half-passes in the zig-zag were good, but one change was early and not clean. The first pirouette was very nice—uphill, small, and in an active canter—and the second was almost as good. This was a really lovely ride that finessed the mare’s strengths throughout.
Judy
Reynolds & Vancouver K: 74.700%
- This sometimes very tense horse looked very steady today. The trot half-passes were very nicely elevated in front, though the horse got a little slow in the rhythm and seemed a bit resistant to really pushing sideways in them. The passage was really soft and regular, with Vancouver K carrying himself beautifully. The piaffe was sitting, but not quite as secure in the rhythm, and creeping forward slightly. The twos took up the centerline, but weren’t the biggest changes. Reynolds rode the zig-zag very well. The ones were absolutely smooth, easy, and consistent. Vancouver K had nice sit in the pirouettes, but leaned a little on Reynolds’ inside leg. The final line was very strong, with the horse escaping his hindlegs just slightly in passage.
Marcela
Krinke Susmelj & Molberg:
- Molberg lost a lot of the elevation of his trot in the half-passes, though Krinke Susmelj rode them in good bend and with lots of crossing. The extended trots have a lot of power from behind so each stride covers a ton of ground, but Molberg doesn’t lift much in front. The horse could step more under himself behind in the rhythmical passage and piaffe. Krinke Susmelj got a little busy with her hands (though not strong) in the second piaffe-passage series, bringing the horse a little tight in the neck. Molberg took nice big strides in the extended canter and the zig-zag was very balanced. The horse anticipated the ones and changed early; Krinke Susmelj then waited until quite late to start the line. The final line was straight as can be, rhythmical, and steady.
Carl Hester
& Nip Tuck:
- Hester entered dead straight with a soft square halt. The extended trot is smooth, but quiet and the horse does not really reach under himself in it. Both half-passes were in good bend, with lovely shoulder freedom, though the rhythm was quite slow. The regular passage had nice suspension supported by power from the hindlegs, but they are still quite behind the horse. Spooky Nip Tuck was already eyeing the boards after the trot half-passes, and when he knocked them in the transition from passage to walk, he gave a big spook. The second piaffe was nicely sitting, though Nip Tuck had to take a big lunging step to get out of it. The twos were beautiful and fluid, the ones could have pushed more forward from behind. Throughout the canter work, the rhythm was a lovely three-beat. Neither canter pirouettes was super uphill, but Hester did a masterful job controlling the straightness in and out of them. The final piaffe was regular and diagonal, but Nip Tuck gets a big wide and heavy in front. The passage on the final line was lofty, but Nip Tuck halted quite out behind.
Catherine
Dufour & Cassidy:
- Cassidy is a little tight behind the saddle in his movements, but lively and powerful, always moving into an uphill frame. The trot half-passes were very good, losing maybe a tiny bit of energy towards the end of the second one. In passage, the horse bounces way off the ground, but puts his front legs a bit out in front of him. The piaffe is small and the diagonal pairs don’t always hit at the same moment. The extended walk was relaxed in the body, with Cassidy really reaching out into the bit. The transition from passage to canter was a little tense. The two tempis were straight and expressive. Cassidy jumped together behind before the extended canter, showing a little tension in his body. The ones got a little small towards the end. The first pirouette was small and uphill with a very good canter rhythm; the second was also good, but a tiny bit rushed. The last extended trot was the best, as the horse actually opened his frame through his whole body. The final line was strong.
Victoria
Max-Theurer & Della Cavalleria:
- Max-Theurer didn’t have the cleanest entrance with a bit of a wobbly halt where she played with the bit before her salute. The second half-pass was in much better bend than the first. The reinback was very hesitant and the mare dragged her feet. The passage had nice suspension, but the mare got a bit open in the frame in it. The walk work was very nice. Max-Theurer lets the mare travel quite far forward in piaffe to keep the activity. The twos were successful and big, but looked like they might fall apart any minute, as the mare looked like she struggled to jump through in each change. The ones came way off the ground, but barely moved forward. The change between the pirouettes was not straight. Overall, the picture is quite nice, with no mistakes. The movements I expect will improve as the young mare develops.
Steffen
Peters & Legolas 92:
- Legolas does not have the most pushing power from his hind end, but Peters did a decent job getting him to stride out in the extended trot. The trot half-passes were supple with good crossing. The first passage was regular and Peters got the front end to better match the horse’s extremely springy hindleg. The piaffe was super, bouncing way off the ground, and Legolas lowered his croup some rather than simply bouncing up behind. The two tempis were small, wobbled across the diagonal, and Peters had a counting error near the end. In the canter work, the horse always appears a bit behind the leg. The zig-zag travelled well sideways, but the canter in it was rather flat. The one tempis were ponyish. The pirouettes were tiny and expertly controlled by Peters, but not at all elevated in front. Their final line was amazing.
Patrik
Kittel & Deja:
- Kittel didn’t ride the half-passes in the truest bend, but had the mare really reaching sideways with her expressive front legs. Deja’s flashy front end was well matched by her hindleg in the extended trots. The extended walk was quite nice. Though the mare lowers her croup in piaffe, she doesn’t really take her weight off her front end and doesn’t quite jump cleanly between diagonal pairs. The passage is light and airy. Kittel held nothing back for the lovely extended canter, and the zig-zag was balanced and determined. The mare gets a little tight in the frame in the tempis, though they are big. In the canter pirouettes, Deja jumps together behind and doesn’t really come up in front. The final passage was super, but the mare showed a touch of backwards tendency in the piaffe at X.
Diederik
van Silfhout & Arlando:
- Silfhout started out with a super halt. The extended trot, as it tends to be, was big in front, but Arlando wasn’t really stepping under enough behind and seemed a little short in one hind. The passage had superb suspension and engagement behind, though it could maybe travel a bit more forward each stride. The extended walk was very tense with no overtrack. The second passage started quiet, and Silfhout seemed not to have his electric stallion really in front of the leg since he started the piaffe very early and let it creep forward a couple of meters. The twos were straight and forward. The extended canter showed more frantic leg action than lengthening of the stride and frame. The last change of the zig-zag was a couple strides late behind. The canter in the pirouettes was beautifully active. The final centerline showed very expressive passage and piaffe. Silfhout had the stallion consistently up in the frame and in front of the vertical, though it would be nice to see the frame be less rigid.
Kristina
Bröring-Sprehe & Desperados FRH:
- This is such a great combination, giving a picture of everything being so easy and light, even though there are imperfections. The first lovely forward extended trot was a little out behind. The first passage was irregular into the piaffe, which was rather crooked, though very expressive. The extended walk was quite short. The supple passage after the walk was again a little inconsistent, especially as the haunches swung out through the turns. The twos were relaxed and fluid and the extended canter so big and elegant. The ones were also super. The first canter pirouette had super sit, but Desperados jumped a bit together behind in it, and the haunches swung a little wide in one stride. The second was excellent. On the final centerline, the haunches swung off the line a little, though the piaffe and passage was super light and expressive. I don’t think they were at the top of their game today, however.
Kristy
Oatley & Du Soleil:
- Du Soleil is has a powerful trot with deliberate strides, which looked especially strong in the half-pass left. The carrying part of the passage seems a bit harder: Du Soleil has plenty of suspension, but sometimes leaves a leg behind him or gets a bit out behind. The piaffe springs with quality between diagonal pairs, though Du Soleil fall a little to the side or got crooked in both of the first two. The extended canter was conservative, but not the zig-zag, which was travelling impressively sideways until an error in the second change. The one tempis were a bit of a mess with an early error after which the horse got short-strided, deep, and croup-high. Both canter pirouettes showed a lovely bend, canter and balance, but the horse stuck some ones in instead of a single change. The final passage was a bit out behind, but the piaffe at X was fantastic: uphill and in rhythm.
Jorinde
Verwimp & Tiamo:
- Tiamo came in strong with a motivated extended trot, but Verwimp had some rhythm errors on the short side before here nice trot half-passes. Verwimp brought the second extended trot back very early before the passage, but the passage itself was springy. The walk work was solid. Tiamo has a very small piaffe where he barely lifts his feel off the ground, in contrast with the more than ample engagement in the passage. The energetic twos were performed with a great deal of tail-swishing. In the zig-zag, the canter was active and the changes of direction balanced, though the horse got a little croup-high. There were a few errors in the ones. The first canter pirouette was too quick; the second, a little big. The passage on the final centerline was really powerful and the piaffe was their best.
Beatriz
Ferrer-Salat & Delgado:
- This pair had a slightly sloppy halt, but what a powerhouse in extended trot, with each step pushing him across the arena. There was at least some bend in the half-passes today, and lots of crossing in the powerful trot. The passage is so rhythmical with a high degree of suspension, transitioning easily into a sitting, springy piaffe. The extended walk showed minimal stretch and overtrack. The only minor flaw in the piaffe is that is creeps forward slightly. The transition from passage to canter was awkward. Ferrer-Salat had a horrible time with the two tempis where Delgado just took over and it took almost half the diagonal for her to get him on her aids. The zig-zag was easy and bouncy. The one tempis were successful, though Delgado isn’t very straight in them and again it looked like he was doing the piloting. Both canter pirouettes were small and sitting, but Delgado jumped very together behind instead of showing a truer canter beat. The final centerline was spot on.
Yuko Kitai
& Don Lorean:
- Don Lorean started looking sweet but not quite regular in the collected trot and beginning of the extension. The trot half-passes flowed quite nicely, with better bend to the left. Again, Kitai lost the regularity of the trot after the reinback. The passage and piaffe were obedient, but could both have been a bit more electric. The extended walk needed more energy stretching into the bridle, but the collected walk was nice. The second piaffe was a bit stuck and arhythmical. Kitai’s twos were very good: big, uphill, and ground-covering. The change at the end of the extended canter was quite early and a change in the zig-zag was also messy. The canter pirouettes were huge, but Kitai maintained the canter quite well in them. The passage on the final line was straight with nice elevation in front.
Joao Victor
Marcari Oliva & Xama dos Pinhais:
- This horse was moving very nicely from behind in the collected trot and extended trot, though he got a bit flat in the half-passes from some mild resistance to the bend. The passage needed more suspension to better distinguish it from the collected trot. The collected walk was relaxed and active. Xama dos Pinhais lowers his croup for the piaffe and stays in rhythm but doesn’t really have the strength to push himself off the ground, so he drifted sideways a bit. The horse also sort of stops before the piaffe, and then gets going again. The canter got a bit choppy coming back from the extension. There was an error in the ones, which kept getting shorter and shorter as they went on. The canter pirouette was sitting, but the strides were a little big. Marcari Oliva did a lovely job keeping the big-necked stallion up in the frame with a delicate contact.
Karen Tebar
& Don Luis:
- Don Luis was looking nice in his floaty extended trot, but tripped partway through. The trot half-passes were a little slow in rhythm, but with beautiful bend and crossing. The passage was super regular and light, stepping without a change of rhythm into the piaffe, but Don Luis didn’t really sit for the piaffe. The extended walk was loose with lots of overtracking. The twos were airy, but didn’t have the most reach in each stride. The rhythem and sit in the first canter pirouette was perhaps the best of the day, but the second wasn’t quite as collected. Tebar rode a dead straight final centerline of light and easy piaffe and passage. The frame and contact was lovely throughout, with Tebar’s light hands showing the horse carrying himself.
Charlotte
Dujardin & Valegro:
- Even from the first strides down the centerline, the audience gets to see collection with power. The extended trot is super motivated from behind. Dujardin rides for huge crossing in the trot half-passes, which move powerfully sideways. The power was also on for the extended trots today, and they were so uphill. The first passage was a little less ground-covering than normal, but with better carrying behind and no trailing hindlegs. There was a tiny rhythm mistake in the first piaffe. The extended walk was nicely stretching but did not have the biggest overtrack. Again, Valegro made a tiny rhythm error in the super sitting and active second piaffe, as Valegro swung his pasterns out slightly. Dujardin nailed the twos, which were uphill, big, and dead straight. So were the ones. The collection after the extended canter was soft and so balanced. The first canter pirouette was beautifully sitting, but a little big, the second smaller and an improvement. The final passage is so supple and yet with suspension, transitioning to a sitting balanced piaffe. A little hesitation before the final halt, but there is no horse like this one.
Marina
Aframeeva & Vosk:
The light-framed Vosk struggled early with a few little rhythm errors in collected trot. Aframeeva had him reaching sideways very nicely in the trot half-passes. The passage pushes off the ground well, but could also push more forward each stride. Aframeeva rode a seamless transition to piaffe, and the haunches do come down in piaffe, while they are a bit high in passage. The airy tempis could also have pushed more forward from behind, though the big horse filled the diagonal. Vosk kicked out at the spur for the first of the one tempis, which were otherwise clean. The canter of the pirouettes was a bit in two phases, but the pirouettes were small and controlled. The horse is a little behind the vertical for the final line, but otherwise showed both control and expression.
Anna
Kasprzak & Donnperignon:
Donnperignon has a real power hind end, but it is slightly blocked by his super upright frame in front. The trot half-passes could have been in better bend. The second extended trot was really big-striding without rushing. Donnperignon was a little high in the frame in the extended walk and not really showing enough overtrack. The second piaffe travelled a little forward, but Kasprzak kept it active and diagonal. The twos were gorgeous, the ones maybe even better. The extended canter was short in the frame. The changes of bend and direction in the zig-zag were seamless. The canter in the pirouettes had a clear beat and was sitting, though the size was a little big. Donnperignon swayed a little in passage on the final centerline, but it was big and engaged.
Laura
Graves & Verdades:
Verdades is a phenomenal mover with so much expression, but sometimes tension gets in his way. Today, he seemed settled right until the last few meters of passage, which got so huge, they seemed to startle him. The extended trot started with plenty of reach in front, now better matched by his hind legs. The trot half-passes were huge, with Verdades streching powerfully sideways each stride in true bend. The passage was big, but with the occasional step where Verdades left a hind leg behind. The piaffe jumped effortlessly between diagonal pairs, but Graves didn’t quite get the horse to sit and the hindlegs stayed a bit out behind. The extended walk was rather sleepy, not really striding into the contact. The two tempis were stunning, flowing with big strides across the whole diagonal. The half-passes in canter, like those in trot, travel sideways effortlessly, but Graves missed the change at the end until she hit the short side. The pirouettes were among the best of the day: tiny and in a clear canter. Though they could have been just a bit more up in the shoulder. On the final centerline, Verdades was springing way off the ground in passage, though he got just a tiny bit revved up before the final halt.
Tinne
Vilhelmsen-Silfvén & Don Auriello:
Vilhelmsen-Silfvén started on a slightly uncharacteristically crooked halt, but then had her lovely bay moving off in his light forward way. The trot half-passes had lovely shoulder freedom, but not the best bend. Don Auriello stepped under decently in the trot extensions, though his hindlegs don’t provide much power. The extended walk was beautiful. Don Auriello dragged his toes behind in passage, even though it he stayed very elevated in front. The piaffe was very classical with the horse sitting and rhythmical, even though he doesn’t have the same spring off the ground that some of the other horses do. The tempis were lovely. The canter pirouettes were tiny, and Vilhelmsen-Silfvén managed them so well. She also got the hind legs a little more lively on the final centerline for a lovely finish to the test. As usual, the frame was beautiful.
Hans Peter
Minderhoud & Johnson:
Though the neck is a little tight for the extended movements, Minderhoud has a lovely way overall of getting his horses to really move powerfully up into a frame so that they are always pushing into contact. The trot half-passes were swinging and energetic. The passage had a bobble early on, but then settled into big energetic steps. The piaffe wasn’t sitting, but jumped off the ground. The extended and collected walk were weak, with the horse tense and trying to jig in both. In the passage at times, Johnson could step more under, as he sometimes just snatches his hindlegs up. The canter in the two tempis was big and round and the whole line flowed beautifully. Minderhoud really rode for the extended canter, and Johnson moved though his back to power across the arena. The ones were not quite as smooth as the twos, but still big. The canter strides in the first pirouette were a little big, and while trying to control the steps in the second pirouette, Minderhoud lost the canter rhythm the tiniest big. The final centerline was very good except for a little tension into the piaffe.
Inessa
Merkulova & Mister X:
Upon entering, Merkulova’s curb seemed oddly off center in Mister X’s mouth, which was a bit open from the start. The extended trot was big. In the trot half-pass right, the horse’s haunches were really lagging, while the one to the left was better. Merkulova needed to get more lengthening of the frame in the second extended trot. The piaffe and passage were superb, with just an undisturbed suspension. The extended walk was relaxed, but a little sleepy. The second passage could have travelled a bit more forward, but it transitioned into a stunning piaffe that was sitting and in place while springing off the ground. The twos were big, but Mister X lurched a little in a couple of them, instead of jumping up and forward. The one tempis were fluid, but not very straight and a bit low in the poll. The canter pirouettes were spectacular, with the horse demonstrating the same ability to jump off the ground while lowering his croup that he does in the piaffe. Other than being the tiniest bit curled with an open mouth, the final centerline showed more amazing piaffe and passage.
Inna
Logutenkova & Don Gregorious:
Unfortunately Logutenkova started with trouble getting her horse out of the halt, but things looked nice soon. The half-passes were really lovely with bend and fluid crossing, but then Don Gregorious spun where he should have done a reinback. The passage was lovely and light, the piaffe diligent and expressive in front. The extended walk was cautious. Logutenkova did a nice job bringing her horse back to focus and produced a nice piaffe and passage. The twos were soft and expressive with the horse’s big round canter. The zig-zag was a bit resistant, especially towards spooky C, where the horse hesitated again. The canter pirouettes were small with a lowered croup, but Don Gregorious had his feet planted a little behind. The final passage was pleasant, but could have been a bit more engaged behind.
Isabell
Werth & Weihegold OLD:
Werth had Weihegold pushing forward so softly from behind in the extended trot, getting her to open her frame a bit better than she has in previous tests. The trot half-passes were not the most dynamic Werth has ever ridden, but she did a lovely job getting this mare who doesn’t have the flashiest front end to really reach sideways. The passage pinged off the ground in every step, but the degree to which Weihegold stepped under herself was inconsistent. The extended walk was quite tight in the body. In the second piaffe, the mare was snorting and pulling down a little from tension, but Werth kept her in rhythm. The canter work was quite stiff-legged in front, but the twos were still smooth and expressive and every step balanced. The zig-zag was ridden with amazing accuracy. The one tempis were super uphill, jumping way off the ground, but a little short. The canter pirouettes were solidly sitting and active. Weihegold lost the rhythm for a couple steps in the final extended trot. The passage on the centerline sprang way off the ground, with the mare reaching way under herself, with just a tiny stutter-step out of the piaffe at X interfering with the gorgeous final line.
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