Last year American Steffen Peters and Ravel took all dressage wins in Aachen, this year it was reserved for the Dutch.
Edward Gal and his black stallion Moorlands Totilas took another World Record under their belt in Grand Prix Special.
They overruled the former record of Adelinde Cornelissen of 84,04% and set the new record at an unbelievable 86.458%. In the testing formula for the Nations Cup counting both Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special the Dutch won with a total percentage of 478,640%, which makes an average score of 78,44%.
The German team filled the second spot with a total percentage of six tests of 442,998%, an average of 73,83%.
British Laura Bechtolsheimer lead the British team with two marvelous individual third places with her Mistral Hojris to the third team position with 423,158%, an average of 70,52%. The Belgium team surprised with fourth position (407,782% before fifth placed Canada (397,825%), sixth placed Spain (393,535%). Denmark became seventh (392,333%), Australia reached for eight place (200,790% after Grand Prix only) and Sweden became ninth (193,799%, also after three tests in Grand Prix only).
Moorlands Totilas was ridden by Edward Gal to a new world record score of 86.458%. He now holds all records in Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle with one and the same horse Moorlands Totilas. “What can I say when he felt like this in the arena?,” Edward said. “he just continues to amaze me every time! I only hope I can keep it like this!”Asked about the amazing moving potential of Moorlands Totilas and the risks to overtake this amazing and still young creature, Edward said at home Moorlands Totilas also can trot like a simply pony. “I’m not asking for big movements day by day”, he emphasized. The easiness and relaxation of Moorlands Totilas at the prize giving ceremony just shows that he is not affected at all by the enthusiasm of crowds, photographers or anything at all.”
Edward’s Dutch team mate Adelinde Cornelissen placed second on Jerich Parzival scoring 82.542 %. She was very pleased with the performance of Jerich Parzival. “He was very focused on me and did his job very well. I do not only hope to keep it like this, I even hope to make it a bit better still”, Adelinde promised to the audience and smiling to teammate Edward Gal. Dutch Imke Schellekens-Bartels is the third in the Dutch team, which most likely will be completed by Hans Peter Minderhoud with his Olympic mare Exquis Nadine or KWPN-stallion IPS Tango. It is into his planning to ride the WDM Hickstead show in two weeks time to prove his form.
Great Britain’s Laura Bechtolsheimer on her Michelino-gelding Mistral Hojris maintained their Grand Prix top level to place third on 79.375 %. The bronze medal winner from the European championships last year in Windsor felt very happy with the behavior of Mistal Hojris. “Sometimes Aachen has a very special effect on horses!’, she said. “However I have to blame myself for this special effect as I had some rider mistakes. Mistral Hojris just was perfect.” The British team for the WEG will be announced after the WDM show in Hickstead in two weeks time.
The best German – who else? – was Isabell Werth on Satchmo with a straight forward ridden test as is her trademark.
She said Satchmo to her pleasure has been improving in the last months. Team chef Ulrich Kasselmann prauised Isabell being back in the German team as ‘their superstar’. Christoph Koschel was for the first time in a German team and felt very motivated by the Aachen atmosphere. “Last year I was competing here in the CDI, now in the nations team. I feel the audience is behind us competitors, which is very special!”, he said. The German team for WEG will be announced after the German National Championships in Münster in a few weeks time.
Some very special new horses were competing in Aachen like Valentina Truppa’s Eremo del Castegno becoming 11th in Grand Prix Special (70,208%). And what to say from another very young competitor, Austria’s Victoria Max-Theurer becoming 5th in Grand Prix Special with Augustin? She had no single mistake in her very well ridden test. Also American Tina Konyot can be praised for her tenth place in Grand Prix Special (70,333%) showing Calecto to his advantage.