Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands rode her World Cup champion Keltec Salinero to a world record dressage Grand Prix score of 81.333 percent. Four of the five judges gave van Grunsven and Salinero scores above 80 percent, with only the German jurist awarding her slightly less with 79.375 percent.
The Dutch pair won the World Cup in Amsterdam only two months ago.
Thursday's score shattered the previous record of 79.96 percent that was set by Germany's Isabell Werth on Satchmo in Stuttgart, Germany, in October, 2004.
On Thursday, Werth rode her Warum Nicht FRH to second place with 75.958 percent, while Edward Gal and Group 4 Securicor Lingh showed he was fully recovered from an ailment that impaired his World Cup performance by finishing in third place with 73.833 percent.
Van Grunsven said that the ride felt so good that she actually forgot to count the number of steps in the final piaffe. “It was a really, really good feeling,” she said. “When I saw the score go up and it was over 80 percent, I worried for a while that maybe we are too good too soon,” referring to the August quadrennial Games. “But it may be even better by August.”
Both she and her husband-trainer Sjef Janssen, who is also coach of the Netherlands' team, said they believed that Keltec Salinero was so relaxed, expressive and accurate today that the horse can perform at an even higher level.
Results (22.06.06)
CDIO Rotterdam – Holland
Grand Prix
1º Anky Van Grunsven (Holland) / Salinero: 81.333%
2º Isabell Werth (Germany) / Warum Nicht Frh: 75.958%
3º Edward Gal (Holland) / Lingh: 73.833%
4º Imke Schellekens B. (Holland) / Sunrise : 72.5%
5º Anky Van Grunsven (Holland) / Krack C: 70.875%
6º Kirsten Beckers (Holland) / Broere Jazz: 69.333%
7º Patricia Callaghan (Holland) / Joy: 67.458%
8º Sandy Phillips (Great Britain) / Lara: 67.375%
9º Catherine Haddad (USA) / Maximus: 66.791%
10º Mieke Lunskens (Belgium) / Jade: 66.333%