Laura Graves celebrates her grand prix win in Aachen
The Germans dominate on home soil, but are chased by the USA all the way
ISABELL WERTH consolidated her status as the queen of Aachen with her 12th freestyle title here. She rode Emilio 107 to the 12-year-old Ehrenpreis gelding’s personal best score of 87.62%, a victory made all the more sweet after a bumpy start to their Aachen campaign.
The German team started as strong favourites to win the Nations Cup, but the USA upset
the formbook by leading the team rankings after the grand prix. Even more unusual was that it was Isabell who had provided Germany’s drop score, after a difficult test in which Emilio showed repeated resistance.
But Isabell was quick to blame herself for the 72.52% score — her lowest for some time.
“I was so surprised on Thursday — it wasn’t a problem with the exercises, but with our communication. I wasn’t listening to him,” said Isabell, who also admitted she may have devoted too much of her attention to her winning CDI4* ride, Bella Rose, who has recently returned after four years out.
While Isabell had a nightmare grand prix, the USA’s Laura Graves produced a corker to top the leaderboard with the huge, muscular Florett AS gelding Verdades (Diddy), with whom she also beat Isabell here in 2017.
But the tables turned for the special, in which Diddy took a strong dislike to a camera at the edge of the arena, resulting in some major spooks and tension.
“It was a huge surprise to both of us — he is spooky, but not usually in the arena,” explained Laura. “I felt sorry for him, though, as the rest of his work was so good.”
Isabell and Emilio, on the other hand, were back to their usual high-scoring selves in the special — which happened to be on Isabell’s birthday — posting 79.13% to elevate Germany to Nations Cup victory.
They improved still more in the freestyle. Isabell’s complex yet symmetrical routine, bookended by 360° piaffe pirouettes, earned a degree of difficulty mark of
9.6. It is set to a stirring classical soundtrack with a modern beat that perfectly accentuates Emilio’s bold extensions and rhythmic passage.
They did miss a one-time change behind, but it didn’t detract from the overall quality of the performance — Isabell’s triumphant fist pumping after her final halt, and the standing ovation from the 6,000-strong crowd, said it all.
MORE PERSONAL BESTS
AS expected, Isabell had an American hot on her heels, but this time it wasn’t Laura — who was back on form on her own birthday for third, but sensibly not quite riding pedal to the metal — but instead Kasey PerryGlass and the elegant Diamond Hit son, Goerklintgaards Dublet.
Kasey describes 2017 as a “huge learning curve”, and she and the 15-year-old took a sevenmonth break from competition after Aachen last year. It has paid off; they earned 85.2% for their relaxed, harmonious kür — a huge personal best for the pair, who have only once before broken the 80% barrier, and 10% more than they scored here in 2017.
“Dublet came out a little tired, but the adrenaline hit and I knew we had done a really good test,” said Kasey, who proved a hit with the crowds with her skillful, quiet riding. “I wanted to show that he is up there with the top horses.”
Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour, who finished fourth in the
freestyle, was richly rewarded for three consistently excellent performances with her classy, compact Caprimond son Atterupgaards Cassidy — she took home the €15,000 prize as the Aachen grand champion with the highest total score of the week.
FLYING THE FLAG
SADLY, Britain did not field a Nations Cup team here this year, but two individuals flew the flag in great style.
Lara Butler and her long-term partner, the Bechtolsheimers’ Rubin Al Asad, had a slightly disappointing start to the year but returned to top form here on the biggest stage of them all. Just to reach the freestyle in such a world-class field is an achievement — the top 15 pairs from the special qualify — and Lara and ‘Rufus’ gave it everything to score 76.37%, by far their best of the year.
In fact, Lara reckoned it was one of the best tests they have ever done. They reverted back to their old faithful Celtic-style music — having not practised their new programme while concentrating on the grand prix training — and it showed off Rufus’ glorious passage and springy changes perfectly. The 16-year-old Rubin Royal son will never match the very top horses for athleticism, but he makes up for it with accuracy and balance, and the appreciative Aachen crowd loved it.
“Clearly, we just need a really big occasion to do our best,” laughed Lara. “He really picked up on the atmosphere in there and found another gear.”
Emile Faurie’s ride, the 14-year-old De Niro stallion Delatio, made one of many comebacks at this show (see box, left), having been off games for six months after an injury.
They snuck ahead of Lara with 76.56%, the stallion getting a little overactive in his passage at times, but scoring particularly highly for his expressive extended trot and canter work.
“I’m thrilled, especially as he’s been off. I had him a bit too open in the frame at the start, but he has such an active hindleg that I have to be careful not to close him up too much,” said Emile.