FEI World Cup Qualifier Olympia - Grand Prix Freestyle

Carl Hester suggested he was out to beat Charlotte at Olympia and did it with 83.750. He rides a very technical test with such quiet precision. The piaffe is regular as can be, if a little quiet. The passage tended to get a little out behind, though it was lofty and easy seeming. The smooth tempi changes needed to cover a bit more ground though they were nice and expressive. Nip Tuck tossed his head a little into extended walk. The unerring rhythm in the trot gave a really nice picture in the half-passes. The final passage was most engaged, though Hester didn't quite have a full final halt. 


Charlotte Dujardin gets Uthopia nicely closed in the frame, though he has a slight tendency to get deep for a stride at times. The trot half-passes were light and easy, though a bit better to the right. The extended trots, of course, just floated. The passage is also airy and shows good engagement for the most part, though the piaffe rhythm is the weak point of the test. The tempi changes were beautifully uphill. The canter pirouettes were perhaps a bit big, but had such good sit and balance. Shame about a little step of canter out of the final piaffe as the end of a very nice ride. Her score was 82.550%.


Hans Peter Minderhoud's Flirt started off a little irregular in passage, perhaps from tension, leaving the right hind behind a bit. The piaffes settled as the test went on, but one of the extended trots got slightly over-cooked and a bit braced in the back. Flirt showed lots of overtrack in the extended walk. Their canter half-passes were lovely with smooth changes of direction between them. The pirouettes could have been a bit more elevated and open in front. He received an 80.975%.


Lara Griffith's Rubin al Asad has a lovely elevated passage that gives the appearance of effortlessness. The piaffe was rhythmical but at times Rubin al Asad didn't lift both hind legs evenly. The horse got a bit deep in the bridle in extended trot. He also got a little low and open in the frame for the two tempis, but the ones were better. The frame was a problem again in the canter pirouettes, which were otherwise well-controlled. The final centerline of passage and piaffe was excellent. She scored a well-deserved 78.025%. 


Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén rode Paridon Magi to a score of 77.700 for this World Cup qualifier. The horse has a very engaged passage and very good sitting piaffe, though the transition out of piaffe is a little weak. He tends to have his mouth open and braced. The trot half-passes could have had a more obedient bend. Vilhelmson-Silfvén rode powerful extended canters that showed supple lengthening of the strides. The tempis were excellent: toward moving and uphill. The canter pirouettes got a bit stuck behind. 


Agnete Kirk Thinggaard keeps her horse in a very nice frame and contact. Jojo steps under really nicely in extended trot. The passage is on the smaller side, but regular and the horse lifts his knees nicely in piaffe. The extended walk was relaxed and ground-covering. The canter pirouettes could have had a bit more jump. The final piaffe and passage was the most expressive. She scored 76.950%.


Hayley Watson-Greaves and Rubins Nite (75.075) entered on canter half-passes. The horse is a bit wide behind in canter and sometimes loses a bit of the clarity of the rhythm. The tempis were ground-covering but could have had a bit more air-time. The extended walk was limited. Watson-Greaves leaves the curb hanging, which seems appropriate given the horse's slightly low neck. The passage is quite lofty and the trot work fluid. The extended trots were the highlight of the test, with the horse super powerful and elevated in front. 


Wie Atlantico de Ymas presents a very nice picture though he does not have the same level of natural gaits as many of the other horses in the class. The passage could due with more elevation, but the piaffe was nicely regular. The trot half-passes were quite restricted. The canter half-passes were balanced and controlled, the canter pirouettes jumped together a bit behind, more so to the left than to the right. Anders Dahl had some errors in the two tempis to finish on 72.375%.


Fanny Verliefden's Annarico is appealing supple in the body. Annarico had lots of expression in the trot half-passes, though the haunches tended to trail a little. The first canter pirouette got a bit big. Verliefden had some trouble controlling the position of her horse's haunches throughout the test, including some swinging in the tempis. The mare has top engagement in the extended trots and passage, but struggles just a little to carry the same rhythm in piaffe. She scored 74.125. 


Jorinde Verwimp rides for every point in her test. The power makes up for the Tiamo's tendency to be a bit out behind. Verwimp gets Tiamo nicely closed at the base in piaffe, though he rhythm sometimes gets a bit slow. The tempis had a lovely fluid uphill canter, so it was a shame there was a mistake in both the ones and twos. She also had major problems in one canter pirouette. Verwimp rode really nice canter half-passes with changes of direction and finished on a high-power extended trot. 


Judy Reynolds has been a sensation for Ireland with Vancouver K. She produces lovely shoulder freedom in passage and lots of sit in piaffe, though the piaffe rhythm can get a bit hurried. The two tempis were lovely and fluid. The canter pirouettes were uphill and beautifully balanced in their rotation. Reynolds had a hiccough in the transition up from walk and not too long after lost the rhythm in the piaffe and had the problem again on the final centerline. They finished on 73.525%. 


Batuta is a lovely expressive mare, but can get a bit over-electric, though she settled down the centerline quite well in this freestyle. Gonçalo Carvalho keeps a lovely soft contact in piaffe and passage, though the mare still gets a bit deep in the bridle. Batuta's knees come up to her chin, but she could step under a bit better behind. The extended walk had rather limited stretch. The well-controlled canter pirouettes could have shown a bit more elevation and freedom in front. The first line of one-tempis got a bit hurried resulting in an error behind. They finished on 73.225%.


Santurion de Massa has a rhythmical, springy, and engaged piaffe and passage. The trot half-passes were slightly irregular. Daniel Pinto's position is not the strongest for the top level, with his head bobbing in passage and looking a little active in his seat. The horse showed incredible sit in the canter pirouettes, but unfortunately had a hit of backwards tendency. The one tempis were also impressively uphill, but could jump a bit more forward. Their score was 73.200%


Diederik van Silfhout rides a very precise test, which is especially a strength in freestyles. Bonzanjo stays very up in the bridle, but still gives the impression of leaning a little on the bit in his lofty passage. The piaffes needed a bit more energy. The extended walk was nice, but the collected walk got slightly lateral. The canter pirouettes were nicely controlled. The tempis were smooth, but could have had a better uphill tendency. His score was 73.100. 


Inna Logutenkova's Don Gregorious is a powerhouse, but gets a touch sluggish in piaffe, passage, and canter pirouettes. The trot half-pass left was very fluid, the one to the right, slightly irregular but in good bend. In canter half-pass, the haunches trailed a bit and the canter could at times be a bit more closed. The frame in the first two canter pirouettes got a bit flat, but the third was quite nice. She received a 72.775%.

FEI World Cup Stockholm 2013 - Grand Prix Freestyle

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén & Don Auriello: 81.950%

• After a perfectly precise centerline, Don Auriello tripped slightly at the beginning of his extended trot. The trot-half-passes had nice power and sideways reach. Don Auriello stepped under behind in passage better than before, though the steps were still quite slow. The single pirouettes on the centerline were tiny and balanced; the double pirouettes after the half-passes were also small, but could have shown slightly more elevation in  front. The horse also tripped at the beginning of his half-pass left. The second line of one-tempis showed a little more energy than the first and were quite lovely. In the final piaffe, the horse was sitting to such a high degree that he stepped a bit backwards (though never lost his rhythm) and he tripped (again) quite dramatically in the final extended trot. The frame in the test was as impeccable as ever.

Edward Gal & Voice: 79.275%

• Gal's music for Voice is in his usual dramatic style. The test began with a passage with plenty of elevation and a slightly quiet piaffe that tends to snatch up a bit out behind. The stallion also tended to leave his left hind leg behind a bit in transitions in and out of passage. The trot-half-passes had extravagant and supple crossing: they just flowed sideways. Voice kicked out in the transition down to collected walk. In extended canter, the horse could soften in the back and reach more forward in front. The tempis were clean and ground-covering (unlike Totilas and Undercover, who have the expression, but not the forward propulsion). The canter pirouettes were a touch big, but superbly uphill. The horse quit for a stride in the transition down from canter, but the final centerline of passage was impressive. The test could use some polish, but the horse is presently in a soft open frame with lots of expression.

Hans Peter Minderhoud & Romanov: 78.850%

• The passage into the first halt lacked a little sparkle, but the horse stepped off into a well-engageed and light-in-front extended trot. Romanov showed nice swing in the half-passes, but the angle was not very difficult. The piaffe consistently stepped evenly back and forth from diagonal pairs and was totally in place with good activity. The horse showed some resistance to the bridle in the transition from collected walk to extended walk. Romanov was a little short in the neck throughout the test. The canter half-passes with changes of direction had a high degree of difficulty and were beautifully smooth. There was one almost-late change in the twos, which were otherwise supple and ground-covering. The canter pirouettes could have been better placed around a single point. A couple of the ones jumped together behind. The piaffe quarter-pirouette onto the final centerline was magnificent in its rhythm and expression and appeared effortless. 

Nanna Skodborg-Merrald & Millibar: 76.425%

• Their test began with a very large double pirouette to springy one-tempis to a large double pirouette in the other direction.  The trot-halfpasses has good crossing and pushed well sideways. The trot half-passes were ground-covering and had plenty of suspension. The piaffes traveled a meter or so forward each time. The tempos were big and jumped light-footedly off the ground. Sadly, Millibar had a bit trip in his final extended trot. Skodborg-Merrald's power riding carried the pair through the test; in a way, it is reminiscent of Minna Telde's style with Santana: full risk in a way that brings out the most in the horse, though it sometimes becomes a shade hectic.

I saw some of Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee's test, but was not watching with my full focus. The horse always looked quite open in the neck and soft in the bridle, though at some times he got a bit low in the frame. The trot-half-passes had lovely flow, but the horse tilted his head in the half-pass right. The soundtrack music was familiar, but well-chosen, so never dull. 

Lone Bang Larsen & Fitou L: 74.175%

• Bang Larsen did not have her most harmonious test today, with a number of small communication errors taking away from the strong quality of the movements. Their active and springy entrance passage sometimes showed slightly more engagement in the left hind. In extended trot the horse really steps under behind, though is a bit heavy on the ground. The piaffe had good sit and suspension. Fitou became a bit crooked in collected walk and was a bit stuck in the transition to collected canter. The horse showed some resistance into the first line one-tempi changes. The extended canters were a bit rushed. Bang Larsen then rode a nicely uphill second line of one tempis. Their transition from extended trot to piaffe did not quite go off smoothly. She finished to the beat of Robin Thicke's Blurred lines, but it didn't quite fit musically with the rest of the freestyle. The catchy music has a great sound for a kur, but I think the lyrics are pretty inappropriate for a freestyle and should be excised.