Isabell Werth's experience taking one horse after another to Grand Prix shows in her riding choices on Weihegold (82.271%). The extended trots were cautious relative to the others in the class, preventing the mare from running downhill away from her handles and keeping her quiet in the atmosphere of the arena. The mare stepped amazingly up and underneath herself behind in a rhythm like a metronome in every passage. The collected walk showed clear footfalls. Weihegold snorted with a bit of tension in the second piaffe, but maintained her rhythm and expression. Werth had an error in the twos, which otherwise stepped powerfully forward from behind. The zig-zag was not the most supple, but was very accurate and balanced. The ones were clean, if not the most expressive. Werth produced very small pirouettes with the mare really balanced on her hindlegs. The final trot extension, while still not huge, was one of the most uphill I've seen from the mare. The final centerline was dead accurate while also being electrically expressive.Laura Graves and Verdades (79.800%) struck off with power from the first step out of the halt. The trot half-passes show incredible flexibility in crossing and Graves gets them really powering sideways. The passage had lots of air-time but was a little too forward. In piaffe, Verdades keeps a rhythm, but never really sits. The extended walk was supple, but Verdades could have stretched a little more into the bit. The second passage was more controlled, and in both the piaffe and passage, Verdades really picked up his his feet. The canter work was consistently very strong. Verdades has such a clear rhythm in it. The two tempis were superb, in a big, supple, effortless-looking canter. Like in the trot half-passes, Graves really gets her horse to step sideways. The first canter pirouette was super: tiny, uphill, and controlled. There was a small rhythm error in the second. The final piaffe was the most like a true piaffe, with the hindlegs coming under a little better. Unfortunately, the double coefficients for the piaffe limit the score of an otherwise spectacular test.
Though the rather lumbering Nip Tuck doesn't make my heart sing, there is no question Carl Hester shows amazing feel riding him (76.671%). The horse looked nicely compact and uphill coming down the centerline, but got slightly strut out in the extended trot. Hester kept the half-passes in a very slow collected trot, sacrificing a bit of expression to keep him together. The piaffes looked effortlessly rhythmical and sitting. The extended walk was quiet and the collected cautious. The passage after the walk looked soft and effortless. The tempi changes jumped expressively off the ground. Hester controlled the canter pirouettes well, but can't quite get Nip Tuck to really lift off his forehand. Though the in passage Nip Tuck could step more not just up but under behind, Hester rode the final line with impeccable accuracy.
Edward Gal had a solid ride on Voice (74.486%). Gal rode stunning trot half-passes, with the horse wrapped around his inside leg, crossing beautifully. Voice looked slightly sucked back in the first passage and piaffe, with the activity escaping out behind a little; the second was improved. The two tempis started a little flat, but gained lift and uphill tendency across the diagonal. The canter pirouettes were really sitting. There wasn't really a final halt. Overall, Voice gave the usual the impression he could reach more forward into the bridle.
Judy Reynolds had Vancouver K (74.443%) a little hurried at the start of her ride, but pulled together very high-quality half-passes where the horse's uphill movement allowed for lots of expression in front. In the passage, Vancouver K really elevated in front, and he sits well in the piaffe. Unfortunately, the first piaffe was a tad tense and quick in the rhythm. The tempi changes were ridden really forward and were dead straight. The canter pirouettes were controlled and sitting, but got a little big. Reynolds overall rode a very precise test with expression and a consistent frame.
Madeleine Witte-Vrees and Cennin (73.900%) showed really impressive animation, especially in passage, but it sometimes seems a little under-supported by the activity behind. In piaffe the horse closes well at the base. The transitions in and out of the second piaffe were much clearer than those of the first. Cennin reaches way under himself in the tempi changes, but swings his haunches a little. With-Vrees also had an error in the ones. Cennin got a little open in the frame and downhill in the pirouettes, not quite able to maintain the collection Witte-Vrees established in the preparation. On the final centerline, Witte-Vrees looked like she could have used to have a little more horse left.
Kasey Perry-Glass had a few minor early issues with Dublet (73.829%). Their extended trot started a bit irregular and the half-passes could have moved more easily sideways. Dublet crepes forward a tiny bit in piaffe, but really sits and then springs forward cleanly into and engaged passage. The extended walk was fluid, with Dublet swinging well through his back. The two tempis were really bold and ground-covering. the canter pirouettes were beautifully controlled and balanced. The horse's tongue showed quite a bit on the right side in the final extended trot (and perhaps it did elsewhere in the test when I couldn't see it), though it might have been hard for the judges to see through the foam on Dublet's mouth. Throughout, the horse's confirmation means its hard for Perry-Glass to keep him in front of the vertical, despite not holding a strong contact.
Steffen Peters' Rosamunde has a similar light frame and compact build to his Olympic team horse Legolas, but with more power in the more forward work (72.257%). The extended trots are open and ground-covering, but could have a little more suspension. The runback showed clear steps but seemed a little green. Rosamund sat too much in the first piaffe, with her hindlegs almost stepping on the heels of the front, and the mare got stuck. The walk work was tense and Peters couldn't get the mare to really sit. The second piaffe was still a bit unsteady, but so expressive. The twos were uphill with lots of shoulder freedom, but a tiny bit crooked. The mare's flexibility was a bit of an issue in the canter zig-zag: while the half-passes covered a lot of ground sideways, the mare swung her haunches a bit in the changes. The first canter pirouette was a true highlight, but Rosamund unfortunately got a bit stuck in the second. Overall, Peters' test showed a lot of softness that really brought out the mare's natural talent, but the work still seems a little green and sometimes a little difficult to manage.
Inessa Merkulova was back again for the finals on her show-stopping Mister X, though he looked a bit tired (71.929%). The horse showed lots of shoulder freedom in the extended trots, but Merkulova could have allowed him to open up a bit more in the frame. The trot half-passes needed to move more fluidly sideways. Both the first and second passage and piaffe started uncharacteristically hesitant (while still well above the average in the class), but the first passage finished with impressive sit and knee-action. Though Mister X doesn't have the greatest overtrack in the extended walk, he was moving well thgouh his back. The flying changes could have been straighter. The horse got a little bit deep in the bridle in the canter zig-zag. Several of the one tempis were a little short behind, and they could have been freer in front. Mister X sits incredibly in the canter pirouettes, but Merkulova gave them a bit the appearance of the haunches getting ahead. The final piaffe was remarkable, but there were a few rhythm errors leading up to the halt.
Kristy Oatley and Du Soleil (71.829%) started with an extravagant floating extended trot. In the passage, Du Soleil pushed himself way off the ground, but got a little irregular and out behind. The first piaffe was diligent and rhythmical, but could put a bit more weight on the handles. The second piaffe stayed up better in front. In the two tempi changes, the horse gets a bit tight, jumping off the ground, but not reaching enough forward through his body. The one tempis were clean, but started with a strong snort of tension. the canter pirouettes were small, but lost a bit of their forward feeling, as the horse almost stepped onto himself behind. The transition to trot from canter was sticky. The final piaffe was very strong.
Marcela Krinke Susmelj showed up again at the World Cup Finals on her solid Molberg (71.529%). Krinke Susmelj looked like she was struggling a little with her horse's suppleness and was playing some with the left reins. Krinke Susmelj did a nice job keeping her horse's haunches coming under, especially since he has a bit of a tendency to push up behind. In piaffe, Molberg is not the most expressive, but Krinke Susmelj does a nice job shortening his frame. The canter zig-zag was very accurately ridden. The canter pirouettes lost jump as the horse became a little braced above the bit. The final centerline was clean with a lovely regular piaffe and passage.
Mai Tofte Olesen's Rustique has nice suspension in his gaits, but sometimes gives the impression that his hindlegs get a bit disconnected (69.786%). The bend could have been a bit more honest in the trot half-passes. Tofte Olesen did a nice job keeping the suspension and rhythm in the piaffe and passage, though the horse drops his back a little in it. The tempi changes weren't the straightest as the horse got a bit braced behind. Tofte Olesen had a counting error in the canter zig-zag. The canter pirouettes were small, but not the most uphill. The final steps of passage were soft and easy.
Joao Victor Marcari Oliva had a very polished ride on Xama Dos Pinheads (68.214%). The extended and collected trot was very supple and ground-covering, but the stallion struggled a little with the bend and crossing in the half-passes. The passage could have a bit more suspension and the piaffe a bit more activity. The transitions could also be cleaner. The second piaffe was more active and sitting. One of the two tempis was a bit short behind. The canter zig-zag did not travel much sideways. While the horse sits well in the canter pirouettes it comes at the expense of some jump in the canter. And what a nice temperament the stallion has, walking out of the arena on a dropped rein even with the crowds cheering loudly.
Maria Florencia Manfredi rode Bandurria Kacero for Argentina (66.500%). Manfredi rode in a very forward and positive way but lost some points on accuracy, anticipating movements and riding them ahead of their place. The horse is a powerhouse from behind with a lot of elasticity, but gets a bit irregular in the trot and passage. In piaffe the horse is springy, but bobs his head a little with the effort. The horse's walk was quite limited. The canter zig-zag was a little inaccurate, with the horse's haunches getting left behind and then catching up. The canter pirouettes could have show a clearer canter rhythm.
Hanna Karasiova rode her very attractive but quite overwhelmed Arlekino for Belarus (58.886%). In the extended trot, the bay really stepped under behind, but Karasiova couldn't maintain that engagement into the passage and piaffe. The transition from walk to passage was muddled and the horse took a step backward in the subsequent piaffe, and it seemed like the horse unfortunately built up some tension, as he started the canter work with some nervous snorting. Karasiova was conservative in the extended canter to try and keep her horse's energy down, but unfortunately had an early change that wasn't clean. The one tempis were expressive, but could have covered a bit more ground. Arlekino showed how well he can sit in the canter pirouettes. The final passage showed much better engagement, but unfortunately in the piaffe at X, the horse got tense and crooked.
Wendy Williamson of New Zealand rode Dejavu. The black gelding has a lot of suspension and power from behind which Williamson worked to contain to her advantage. The transition from passage into the first piaffe was unclear, but the piaffe and passage themselves were springy. The extended walk needed more relaxation. The tension appeared to creep into the canter work, as the canter got a bit close behind, particularly in the tempis. One of the changes in the canter zig-zag was in two phases. Williamson had a problem in the first canter pirouette. The final centerline showed a nicely uphill passage and piaffe with Dejavu really picking up his hindlegs, and resisted the urge to turn and run out of the final halt. She was sadly eliminated after her ride.
