Dancer Forever dances to gold (VIDEO)
She loves to ride this horse, said Kirsten Brouwer enthusiastically, and every spectator at the WC-arena understood. With a final score of 9.04, the Dutch rider won the FEI World Breeding Dressage Championships of six-year-old horses with the Vivaldi-Tango-son Dancer Forever, bred by G. A. Roza and owned by the Valk-, Wittens- and Scholtens-families. The chestnut stallion achieved the highest score of 9.8 for his trot, collected top marks of 9 and better for his other properties, only the walk was judged with 7.8.
Following the Vivaldi-festival on Friday at the WC-qualifier when three progeny by the KWPN-stallion occupied the first three ranks, all eyes were on this Dutch phalanx today. But very often, finals turn out to be different than expected – in Verden, too. Dancer Forever, still second on Friday with 8.82, clearly improved in this last contest. The winner of the qualifier, Dream Boy by Vivaldi-Ferro under Gerine Maree, failed to repeat his excellent presentation of the first test, missed points in the walk and in the canter which also finally influenced his overall impression. He won the bronze medal with a final mark of 8.64. The Austrian Stephanie Dearing and the grey Hanoverian stallion Auheim’s Del Magico (8.66) finished second with convincing performances, just between the two Vivaldi-offspring. The Dimaggio-Feinbrand-son showed awesome canter qualities, submissiveness and concentration. A dream became true for the rider. Since her first visit in Verden in 2002, she always wanted to participate at these World Championships. She was the last person to expect that she would win the silver medal.
Spectators voted with „their feet“
The Organizing Committee of the International Dressage and Show Jumping Festival in Verden noted a constantly high number of visitors. More than 40,000 people attended the event with its three competition arenas. The show competition of the riding and driving clubs on Friday evening, held for the first time in Verden, and the Gala Evening Show on Saturday in the Riders’ Stadium, magically attracted the audience. The Verden riding club won the iconic show contest “The Equestrian World visiting Verden”, always releasing lots of creativity with the members of the riding clubs and involving members of all age-groups. Rainer Kiel, Head of the Organizing Committee, considered the five-day festival as one of the easiest ones ever. “We have an experienced, well-working team that that perfectly masters all challenges and procedures.”
Four-times triumph in the Grand Prix
The Verden Grand Prix will stay in Lower Saxony: Tobias Meyer from Löningen-Benstrup and grown up in Friesoythe, won this contest with the nine years old Hanoverian Stakkato-son Seal 5. “Tobi” Meyer already won the qualifier before. The show jumping rider of the Gestüt Sprehe literally outclassed the competitors in a clear round of 42.07 seconds. Joachim Heyer (Cappeln) and Aquarell PW came in second, also in a clear round and 45.89 seconds, followed by Christian Glienewinkel (Nienburg) with Levisto’s Pleasure and Holger Hetzel (Goch) with Legioner. Tobias Meyer won Euro 6.250 in the Grand Prix of the Riders’ Town of Verden.
The Böckmann-family from Lastrup will certainly remember the Hanoverian Show Jumping Championships well. Gilbert Böckmann and the stud stallion Semper Fi won the division of six-year-old jumpers with the super mark of 9, Stephan Naber (Unna) and Lord Fauntleroy (9.5) the division of five-year-old jumpers. Both horses already won in Verden in 2013 at the age of four and five. Lord Fauntleroy is a son by the Böckmann-stallion Lord Pezi and was 2011 Premium Stallion of the Hanoverian Stallion Licensing. Cor de Dinard by Corlensky G and Thomas Heineking (Nendorf) won the Championships of four-year-old Hanoverian show jumping horses.