U.S. Dressage Olympic Observation Event - Grand Prix Special

There was a slight shuffle in the top three in tonight's Grand Prix Special, where Suppenkasper really shines, but the choice for the team is looking pretty secure now. The questions now, I think, are whether Adrienne Lyle's massive scores will stand and how she'll compare against Werth or Werndl or Dujardin.

Adrienne Lyle & Salvino

Adrienne Lyle and Salvino did not have the cleanest start down the centerline and up to the first extended trot, but it was still rewarded highly. The power of the extended trots was better after the passage, and the passage itself has such a moment of suspension even if the horse does not push forward to the same degree as, say, Candescent. The third extended trot had lots of reach and engagement. The stretch in the extended was was super, even if the horse tilted his head ever so slightly. Lyle let the piaffe creep forward out of collected walk before holding it in place and really asking her horse to sit. Salvino did not sit quite as well in the second piaffe, though it was still among the best of the day. The canter half-passes could show more expression in the gait. The twos were big and smooth, while the ones would be even better with a hair more power from behind. Salvino got a little deep in the first canter pirouette and the loss of connection caused a break to trot before the ones. The second pirouette had an excellent balance. The piaffe on the final centerline could have been a bit quicker, but the horse earns high score for his ability to come so uphill. Lyle showed an incredible talent for softly managing every moment of the test to help her impressive horse show off his best, finishing with 81.830% (a couple points behind the top 3 at the recent German Championships and a little lower than her Grand Prix score).

 

The special is a great test for Steffen Peters' Suppenkasper with all the extended trots, where the horse can show off its level of elasticity. Their 79.532% was a couple points higher than their Grand Prix. In the passage after the extensions, the horse could push a little more forward in each step and all the angles from which the judges see the passage show that the horse gets wide in front. Like in the Grand Prix, the trot half-passes were spectacular. The extended walk had huge overtrack. Suppenkasper took a big step into the first piaffe, but then really sat in place and sprang off diagonal pairs. Likewise in the canter half-pass, the horse really lowers its croup to push sideways. The twos were uphill, though Peters seemed to have to really ride them forward. Peters showed his experience in really riding out in the extended canter and easily managing a balanced change after. The pirouettes were perhaps the best of the class. Like in the Grand Prix, the final centerline showed the judges at the end of the arena the degree to which the horse sways, even if the rhythm is very good.

 

Sanceo is very light on his feet and Sabine Schut-Kery kept him in a lovely frame at every moment of her test, resulting in a well-earned 78.298%. What he lacks in supple power, he makes up for with giving the impression of ease. Schut-Kery gets him to bend and cross well in the trot half-passes. In both passage and extended trot, he could step more under himself. The transitions between them, though, are so smooth. The extended walk was well ridden into the contact. The transition into piaffe from collected walk was superb and the piaffe itself showed an incredible degree of sit. The canter in the half-passes was small, but like in trot, the horse showed the ability to reach well sideways. Schut-Kery had an error late in the twos. The transition from extended canter to collected canter for the change was very well ridden. The canter pirouettes could have been a little smaller, but had Sanceo’s ability to sit made up for it. The rhythm of every step of the final centerline was spot-on.

 

It was interesting to watch Nick Wagman’s horse follow Suppenkasper because Don John is such a different type of mover. While Supperkasper is elastic, Don John is short-backed and bright and springy. The passage is lofty, but the hindlegs trail slightly at times. The extended walk was clean, but could have shown more stretch in the frame. The first piaffe started quite forward and when Wagman brought it back, it could have had a little more sit. The second piaffe was lower in the croup, with the same good rhythm of the first. The canter half-passes were not the most supple but were nicely uphill. The tempi changes covered ground, though the horse could jump a bit more through his body. The extended canter showed the freedom in the back that the changes didn’t quite have. The second pirouette was beautifully sitting. The final centerline was lofty and expressive. They finished on 76.043%.

 

Olivia Lagoy-Weltz rode Rassings Lonoir in such a positive forward way through this Special (75.170%). While the horse gets slow behind in passage, Lagoy-Weltz makes up for it by riding for big steps forward, and the horse then lifts his shoulder well. The first piaffe took a moment to develop and was a hair above the bit; the second one was better. Lonoir took really big, powerful strides sideways in the canter half-passes. The twos were also big and uphill, while the ones could have been straighter. The extended canter was somewhat lackluster. The final centerline was lovely and soft.

 

Alice Tarjan’s Candescent (73.404%) has such an extravagant front leg, that the hind leg could not always match and support its reach in the trot work. However, Candescent really engaged and sprang easily off the ground in passage, even if the rhythm is not 100% consistent. Tarjan could get a little more stretch to the contact in the extended walk. Candescent closed at the base and kept a good rhythm in piaffe; it was correct even if it wasn’t as extravagant as the passage. The mare could have stayed a bit more uphill in the canter half-pass right. The twos were solid, but the ones were not as straight as they should be. The canter got a little tight and small in the pirouettes. Tarjan had an unfortunate break to canter in the final extended trot, but the final centerline was beautiful, showing how genuinely talented Candescent is in passage and piaffe.

 

Ben Ebeling and Illuster van de Kampert turned up the power level a bit in the Special (73.319%). The passage covered more ground and trot extensions had more engagement, though there were bobbles in the two after the passage. While the horse does not have the most extravagant walk, Ebeling really asked him to stretch out to the bit. The piaffes after the walk were small, but clear. The second transition into piaffe could have been cleaner, however. The canter half-passes had super bend and self-carriage. The twos were very good and Ebeling really rode the ones forward, even if the horse got ever so slightly high behind. The pirouettes needed a bit better preparation. The passage on the final centerline was the best, as the horse kept his hind legs more underneath himself.

 

One of the challenges Adrienne Lyle had with Duval both this evening (72.426%) and in the Grand Prix was keeping that consistent rhythm in the trot work. In the collected trot on the short side, the horse showed lots of suspension, but he got a little bit flatter and quicker in the extended trots and half-passes. The extended trots after passage were stronger than the first one after the centerline, though. The extended walk got a bit sluggish. The transition from collected trot to piaffe was excellent, though the horse tossed his head a couple times in each piaffe. That minor resistance was a real shame because it can be one of Duval’s strengths. The bend in the canter half-passes was very good. Lyle rode really uphill two-tempis, though Duval shortened his neck a little in them. The ones up the centerline were lovely. The pirouettes were small and uphill, but Duval needed to pick up his hind legs a little more. The passage on the final centerline got slightly irregular behind, but Lyle maintained a high level of expression.

 

Charlotte Jorst and Nintendo never seem to really have an off night, though this was not their highest score (71.426%). Nintendo is not the most powerful stallion, but he makes up for it with impeccable character. He passages like he has an internal metronome, even if he is always a little out behind. Jorst needed to ride passage before the third extended trot more forward, but the rhythm still remained. Again in extended walk, Jorst dropped the contact, getting relaxation, but not the energy and connection needed for a higher score. The piaffe needed more sit but flowed well from and into passage. Nintendo came a little above the contact in the twos, so Jorst has some errors. The ones were correct, if not big. The extended canter was bold, though Nintendo should stretch more out into the bridle in it. The final centerline was the highlight of the test.

 

Millione does not have the most spectacular gaits in this class, but Jennifer Williams showed a clear sense of how to ride the most out of her horse (70.830%). The rider got lots of energy in the trot half-passes, allowing her horse to really reach both forward and sideways. The passage did not have maximum suspension but did have a secure balance and rhythm. Williams really rode out the extended walk but didn’t quite get the connection she needed for the first piaffe and the horse got braced and light in front for a moment. In the tempis, the changes to the right showed more freedom than the changes to the left. Williams lost the connection a bit after the extended trot, which slightly affected the first pirouette and ones up the centerline, but the second pirouette had a more supple and balanced canter. The passage to the final halt was very good.

 

Jessica Howington’s Cavalia (69.596%) looked more up in the bridle at the start of the Special than she did in the Grand Prix. But the mare did seem to run out of steam to some degree by the canter work. Cavalia got little out behind in passage, but the mare showed she can really push herself off the ground. The extended trots out of the passage were smooth, but not as bold as the first extension. Howington produced good energy in the extended walk. However, the rhythm of the collected walk was less clear, walk leading to a slightly resistant transition into the first piaffe. The piaffe itself had a good rhythm, but because the mare got a little sticky in it Howington dropped the connection to the bit and the mare came a bit above the bit. The tempis were workman-like right up to the end of the ones, where the mare lost sufficient energy to complete the line. The canter pirouettes could have had more jump, but the mare really sat. Seeing the final centerline from the front showed that the mare was not in perfect self-carriage, causing her head to waggle some in the final passage, though it was straight and springy

 

Susan Dutta’s Don Design (69.532%) seemed a little bit short and tight in the contact, perhaps because Dutta had to hold him back a little—he looked electric to her aids. The passage was ever so slightly irregular at times, but energetic. The horse’s hind leg is really engaged in extended trots, but he could still reach more in his back and be slower in his rhythm. The collected walk got slightly lateral and Dutta could not quite keep the first piaffe on the spot. Don Design took control in the twos and threw in extra changes behind as well as some ones. The ones, on the other hand, were a real highlight in the test. Dutta couldn’t get the needed bend for the second pirouette, so it got a bit big and unbalanced. On the final centerline, we got to see that Don Design, while expressive in passage, almost crosses in front.

 

Dutta seemed to really ride for it with her second horse Figeac in this test, but too many minor bobbles really added up, even while the overall impression was quite good (67.681%). Figeac seems to have really nice natural carriage, so it is a bit of a shame that he looked a little hard in the mouth. Dutta rode lovely half-passes with lots of suspension, though the bend to the left was better than to the right. The passage is where this horse’s talent really lies: he showed tonight how much he can spring upward and forward. In piaffe, however, he did not really sit, so he didn’t stay quite enough in place. The walk work could have shown more relaxation in the body. The twos were bouncy, though the canter quality decreased a little in them. There was an error at the beginning of the ones. Dutta managed the first pirouette really well, but the second got a little flat.

 

I hadn’t noticed the first night that Nick Wagman’s Ferano (67.043%) is a Scandic son, but the horse has the same delicate front-leg and bounce to his gaits. Ferano gave the impression that his passage is still developing, but it shone in the moments where Wagman could really ask the horse to push its stride forward. The extended walk had a clear rhythm but lacked the suppleness that would have allowed the horse to really stride out. Wagman managed to stop Ferano from quitting in piaffe this evening, but only by cutting the movement a few steps short of the required twelve. Unfortunately, Wagman went off course at the beginning of the canter work. A couple of the ones were short behind, both on the diagonal and between the pirouettes. The extended canter was bold and relaxed. The final extended trot could have had better engagement, but it had lots of thrust.

 

U.S. Dressage Olympic Observation Event - Grand Prix

There were no big surprises in the top four scores tonight, so I suspect that group will form the US team of three and traveling reserve. But we will see how the Special goes on Friday! Overall, the class was nice to watch. A couple horses had resistant moments, but the riding was consistently quite subtle and friendly, even when things weren't perfect.

Adriene Lyle, Salvino – 82.413%

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  Adrienne Lyle & Salvino
  

  Salvino really powered forward in the extended trots. Lyle lost the quality of the trot slightly in the half-passes, however. The first passage started a little hurried and while Salvino is really active behind, he could push a bit more honestly forward in addition to springing up behind. The extended walk had excellent stretch and activity. The second piaffe crept forward but was active and expressive. The canter transition from passage could have been smoother. Like in passage, Salvino could have used his hindlegs to push more clearly forward in the twos, though Lyle rode them forward and straight. The pirouettes were sitting with very good bend and balance. Their final centerline was dead straight with lots of knee action. I found myself a little surprised by how high the score was, though the overall picture is one of power and harmony.

 

Sabine Schut-Kery, Sanceo – 78.978%

• Sanceo has a lot of flash in his front legs, but the hind legs don’t quite keep up in the extended trots. Schut-Kery rode the most lateral reach Sanceo could offer in the trot half-passes. The passage was bouncy, but Sanceo could step a little more under himself in each stride. The piaffe had sit and spring. The extended walk was limited. The second passage was better and the second piaffe effortlessly excellent. The twos started strong but lost a touch of energy. The ones were straight and uphill, but small. The first pirouette got a little hurried, and the second was bigger but more controlled. The horse’s haunches looked slightly off to the left on the final centerline, but otherwise, the rhythm and energy of the passage and piaffe was superb. Interestingly, the high and low scores were 5% apart.

 

Steffen Peters, Suppenkasper – 77.696%

• Peters rode an excellent first halt. While the gelding could open up in his frame a hair more in the extended trot, the reach of the horse’s stride is really impressive. In the trot half-passes, Suppenkasper really swings, but Peters’ contact could have been a bit more subtle. The reinback steps were tiny and tight. Suppenkasper really reached under himself in passage, but could push more forward. The extended walk was not the most active, but showed very good overtrack. The horse cantered a step into passage. Supperkasper can really drop his croup in the piaffe, as few other horses in the class can. The transition into canter was not quite clean. The twos could have showed a more dynamic and uphill canter. The extended canter was big and relaxed. Peters really pushed his horse sideways in the zig-zag. The pirouettes had excellent sit and a clear canter rhythm. On the final centerline, it was apparent that this horse balances himself by getting quite wide in front, which limits the pair’s scores. There were also some small mistakes in transitions, but overall, Peters shows his ability to ride for every point.

 

Nick Wagman, Don John – 75.652%

• The horse got ever so slightly irregular in the early trot work, but Wagman fixed the issue by the end of the half-passes. The trot half-passes were lofty, but the horse could reach more sideways. The piaffe needed more sit. Don John’s hind leg stayed really active in passage and stayed under the horse well, though right before the canter, we got to see the potential for the movement to cover even more ground. The rhythm of the collected walk was good. In the zig-zag, the half pass right looked easier than the one to the left. There were 17 ones and the left changes never jumped fully through. The pirouettes were small. The final trot extension was not the most powerful but showed lots of freedom in the shoulder. The final piaffe was dead straight and perfectly regular. While there were minor issues, the overall picture was harmonious.

 

OliviaLagoy-Weltz, Rassings Lonoir – 75.131%

• The secure frame and quiet hind leg of this horse reminds me a little of Tinne Vilhemsen Silfven’s Don Auriello. The first halt was not in balance despite a very nice collected canter up to it. The extended trots were not the most powerful, but the horse showed good reach in front and behind. In the trot half-passes, the bend was good, but the haunches trailed just slightly. The transition from the second extended trot to passage was a little slow. While the passage and piaffe were not extravagant, Lagoy-Weltz managed the rhythm and transitions extremely well. The twos were nice and uphill, if not the most ground-covering. The change to the left was better than the change to the right in the ones. The first pirouette started a little big, but improved; the second was tiny, if a little quiet in the canter. After the canter, the passage showed extra expression, making the final centerline a real highlight.

 

Alice Tarjan, Candescent – 74.282%

• This mare has huge expression in the front end. Tarjan really showed it off from the beginning in the trot extensions and half-passes, though in the extensions, the mare could have stepped more under herself behind. The horse struggled to push and carry at the beginning of the first passage, but sprang well from piaffe back into passage. The extended walk could have shown more swing through the back. The mare anticipated the passage after the walk quite early. The piaffe was smaller than some of the other horses but had generally better rhythm and sit than those in her score range. The twos were bouncy and ground-covering. The extended canter was very uphill and ground-covering and not the least bit hurried. A real highlight. The ones were fluid and easy-looking. The tiny pirouettes could have had a slightly better canter rhythm. Tarjan really rode the last extended trot, but got more expression in front than the horse could keep up with behind. The pair showed a very classy final centerline, with spring and balance. I can see this combination going further in the future.

 

Charlottle Jorst, Nintendo – 73.631

• Jorst has a slightly funny seat with turned-out toes and horizontal hands that get busy at times, but she clearly has an effective rapport with this horse. The trot extensions are bright, but could have shown more freedom in the back. The first piaffe was small, but the transitions out were good. Jorst dropped the contract a little in extended walk, rather than asking the horse to stride into the bridle. The second passage rhythm was very secure. The two tempis were nicely uphill, though Jorst turned the horse’s head from side-to-side slightly in them. Nintendo got slightly above the bit following the extended canter, but his rider corrected quickly. Jorsts aids were impressively subtle in the ones. The second pirouette turned a little more around the middle of the horse. The final centerline was dead straight with absolutely no change in rhythm.

 

Ben Ebeling, Illuster van de Kampert – 72.565

• The picture in the trot work was very pleasant with correct bend in the half-passes, but the trot itself could have used a bit more spark and power. The piaffe and passage was smooth, but the hind legs could have carried more. While the second passage showed a bit more expression, the piaffe traveled a bit too much forward. The twos were uphill and ground-covering, though the horse could jump ever so slightly more honestly into the bridle in them. The balance was not completely secure in the zig-zag. The ones started a little croup high, but improved significantly towards the end. The transition from canter to trot was smooth, but a little flat. The final centerline was straight and easy-looking. Overall, the test was correct with quiet, subtle riding from Ebeling, but a little conservative.

 

Adrienne Lyle, Harmony’s Duval – 72.456%

• I personally really like this horse’s supple way of moving, but he does struggle in subtle ways with the high degree of collection required in Grand Prix. Because of this, he does get a little tight in the neck and heavy in the bridle. For instance, the neck drops as opposed to lengthens in the flashy trot extensions. Lyle got Duval to really swing sideways in the half-passes. There was some irregularity in the first passage, with more engagement in the left hind. The fluid twos were beautifully managed by Lyle. She lost some of the expression of Duval’s uphill canter in the zig-zag. Lyle rode the pirouettes in very good balance, including the steps off and on the centerline.

 

Jennifer Williams, Millione – 70.848%

• Williams looked thrilled to be there, with a broad smile on her face from the moment she entered the stadium. Millione’s trot is a little pony-ish behind and he got a bit heavy and braced in the contact at times. The extended trots were a little quick in the rhythm. The piaffes had good rhythm and lightness in front. The transition from collected walk to passage could have been more prompt, and that stickiness showed up as a moment of resistance to the bridle in the second piaffe. Millione showed lots of shoulder freedom in the two tempis, but they should have still been a bit more elevated in front. The ones were rather short. The second pirouette got big but had very good canter rhythm.

 

Susan Dutta, Figeac DC – 70.000%

• Dutta kept Figeac in a nice, consistent frame, though the horse brought his tongue up a little. While the passage had some irregular steps, when it wasn’t, the engagement was good. The piaffe could have been a little quicker in the rhythm and more in place. In the two tempi changes, the horse sprang off the ground, but could have jumped more forward. Dutta had good control of the balance in the zig-zag and the pirouettes, though the pirouettes could have been more uphill.

 

Susan Dutta, Don Design DC – 68.456%

• Don Design entered looking a little impressed with the arena and showed subtle tension throughout the test. The first extended trot was a bit hurried. The trot-half pass right lacked bend, but the one to the left was better. The rein-back was slightly rushed but showed clear diagonal pairs. The horse did not sit at all in piaffe, but it was bouncy. The collected canter at times got a little flat. Dutta had an error in the twos. The canter pirouettes got rather big and slow. Dutta got a lot of loft and expression in the final passage to leave a good final impression. This horse showed a lot of power behind, but could use it better in carrying himself more uphill as he develops further.

 

Nick Wagman, Ferano – 66.674%

• Ferano is a really light-footed horse but does not have the most scope in his gaits. Tonight, he looked slightly behind the leg, making it hard for Wagman to get the highest degree of self-carriage out of the horse. The trot half-passes a were little passage-y. The horse unfortunately halted in the first piaffe. Ferano could have stepped a tad more under himself in passage, but it was airy. The horse tilted his head slightly in the extended walk. The twos and ones were lofty and uphill, but there was an error in each. The final passage to X was looking good, but the horse halted again in the piaffe.

 

Jessica Howington, Cavalia – 63.413%

• The mare looked a little sluggish this evening, making it hard for Howington to push her up in the bridle throughout the test. The horse hung subtly on the bridle from start to finish. The trot half-passes swung nicely sideways. Unfortunately, the mare put up a big resistance to the first piaffe, so that no piaffe was shown. Cavalia’s hind legs could have come more under her in the second piaffe and passage, but Howington looked like she was riding them a little cautiously. The twos looked easy but needed a bolder canter. There was a small mistake in the ones. The pirouettes were nicely uphill and controlled, but the horse got quite deep in the frame. Howington looked understandably disappointed.