This year's Falsterbo World Dressage Master Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Axel Johnson Group was dominated by the top three riders from Saturday's Grand Prix. Kristian von Krusenstierna with Biggles had a wonderful performance.
They qualified for the Freestyle final through the CDI3*. Isabell Werth, who was showing in Falsterbo for the first time in Falsterbo, came in second. To Isabell, it seemed more like a motivator to be the only German in the class.
For a sold out house, Patrik Kittel and Scandic replayed the victory from last year and won the 70.000 Euro WDM Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Axel Johnson Group with a score of 79.100%.
Patrik was really pleased with his ride even though he had excepted to receive a little bit over 80% for his performance. “Scandic is a bit of a rockstar” Patrik explained at the press conference. “He loves to come here and show for the audience at Falsterbo, it is an amazing audience here. I am so pleased with Scandic, and eventhough I feel he is not at the top yet, he felt amazing and he was so positive”.
Isabell Werth and El Santo, who took second place, showed a big smile at the press conference. “I am so happy to have come to this great show”, she said. “I have never been at Falsterbo before, but now I wonder why. I love the audience, and this great setting together with a competition like the World Dressage Masters, it simply can not be better”.
To music from David Bowie, she and her young talent El Santo, showed a fantastic program, though with a small error at the end. “I am so frustrated with myself I did that stupid mistake at the end. It was as if I stopped riding in the end, since I was “home”, which made him loose the concentration and jump out from the piaffe. But despite this, I am very pleased with him and the progression he has shown since the last WDM show in Munich”.
Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén and Favourit took a well deserved third place. “I did just like Isabell”, she claimed at the press conference. “I also had some small mistakes because of myself, but he was great, and best of all is to be back here in Falsterbo, both the audience and the organization are fantastic.” Tinne explained that even though she is taking her first horse, Don Auriello, to London, she thinks that coming to WDM Falsterbo is a really good warm up. “You can never meet an audience this enthusiastic” she said. “It is just great to show here”.
Tinne was not only performing, but she was also filming her ride with a little camera placed near one of the buttons at her jacket. This was to capture the ride from the riders perspective. She revealed at the press conference that she, Antonia and the producer of their Freestyle music, Cees Slings from Holland, together are creating a video that will be released later, of how to produce the perfect Freestyle.