The 2023 FEI European Dressage Championships are a real eye-opener and serve as a preview of what horses will be in the running for the Olympics in Paris next year.
The entry list this year is enormous with so many fantastic horses and riders accepted for the event running from 5-10 September. The Championships are this year being staged in the very heart of German equestrian country at Riesenbeck, just north of Münster and a little west of Osnabrück.
As far as countries that are serious to be really successful, and in line for team medals, we have Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands to mention but a few. Some of the other formidable countries competing also could raise a great performance, including Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Hungary, Norway, Poland and Portugal.
Of course, every single competitor is desperate to show their horse in the best way for the selectors to prick up their ears for each individual country, and there is certainly an exceptional crew of riders and super talented horses from all over Europe!
There is no question that these European Championships are going to be a very tightly fought competition with Britain, Denmark and Germany the three teams with very big names and horses that are going (on previous form) to produce tests that could score in the 80% range. Exceptional quality and training and riding. As always, with any international dressage competition there’s always the chance for a new up-and-coming star to raise their shoulders above the others. Do not be surprised!
“There is no question
that Glamourdale
is the powerhouse.”
On previous results this is for sure going to be an interesting battle between the black stallion Glamourdale with the young gun Lottie Fry (GBR) and the cool and the controlled Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with the in-form mare TSF Dalera BB (GER). These two horses are each outstanding in their own right and champions within themselves.
When you compare and contrast the two styles of these outstanding horses, they are quite different, yet the marks come up similar. You may well ask why, with two different types of horses that go in different ways yet can still score with our international ground jury giving similar marks. It’s about giving marks according to the scale from 0 to 10 for each individual movement and, of course, some horses are better at some movements than others.
POWERHOUSE GLAMOURDALE
There is no question that Glamourdale is the powerhouse, showing great supremacy, strength and power, and animation, especially in the huge forward desire shown in the extended canter – and in flying changes that produce the height and ground cover, and are off the ground in a supple and relaxed way for the 10s! The walk could show again more relaxation and swing. Then on the other hand there is Dalera, who is a piaffe and passage specialist. She’s light in the contact and not as powerful and pushing as Glamourdale, but with 10s for the piaffe and for passage, coupled with seamless transitions in and out, it can be seen that it is a whole story of snakes and ladders when it comes to gaining that extra mark here or there.
Also, where the marks are higher in those areas where there are coefficients, does Jessica push for more power in the extended paces and more power in the collection? Maybe to get a 10, this is what she needs to try for in the extended paces. If in attempting to make this she makes a balance and rhythm mistake, she could go from a gold medal well down the list… just as if Lottie tries for more relaxation and suppleness, will she lose the big marks in the extended paces? For sure it is for riders to show their horses with their highlights and strengths and not to try and beef up their weaker areas.
Every rider wants:
• A clean test.
• To make the 10s as highlights where they can, and not to try too hard to make the lesser areas stronger, as a mistake is more costly for overdoing it.
• To make the test harmonious and look effortless with seriously accurate lines and transitions.
• The entire test to exude harmony, balance and adjustability.
With the quality of riding at these Championships it is going to be of huge interest to see who could pick up the most points for accuracy, clean and mistake-free tests; expression and flair and a harmonious and enjoyable performance that is clear to all is what will win the medals.
The likes of Isabell Werth on DSP Quantaz will no doubt pull out the performance of their lives; experienced now and knowing her way around the Grand Prix test inside out, Isabell will be gaining every mark possible. She’s a genius at riding tests and with the facial expression of “do not miss a moment of what I am showing you!” She does not always have the most outstandingly expressive and exuberant horses, but her training, and the way she puts tests together and shows the judges the expertise that she knows they want to see, is exceptional. Quantaz in some tests has had a weak walk. I don’t think there’s any question that Isabell would’ve found a way round this to get more marks and if so, she could well be up the top.
“Isabell will be gaining
every mark possible.”
Also on the German team is Frederic Wandres from PSI. With the relatively new Grand Prix mount in Bluetooth OLD, this combination is well respected – and don’t forget Matthias Rath! Do not underestimate the Germans as they have a lot to live up to and they will be out there giving it their all.
ALL-TIME FAVOURITE
An all-time favourite who sometimes blots his copybook by making the odd error at this level (which is so expensive) is the stunning black stallion Dante Weltino for Theresa Nilshagen (SWE). This horse has it all… expression, beauty, harmony, paces with suppleness and elasticity to burn for his diminutive and beautifully harmonious rider. He often likes to put in the odd movement of his own choosing, and these odd tiny mistakes are enough to mark him down, especially if it’s in a coefficient mark. Who wouldn’t love to see Dante Weltino on the leaderboard at the top!
“Who wouldn’t love to see
Dante Weltino at the top!”
When you look at the British team, they are a force to be reckoned with and include, of course, Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, and Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep. Imhotep has certainly made huge improvements in his self-carriage and way of going in confidence over the past year and I’m sure they will lift themselves to produce the best at these Championships with a view to an Olympic start next year in their sights. This horse is more at ease with his work and the relaxation of the topline and being better over the back will see a better test than ever.
Trainer and expert technician Carl Hester will be in there with Fame and keeping the entire team on track. His demure and confident attitude and way of producing harmony and confidence on a relatively new Grand Prix horse in Fame will be so good to see. Gareth Hughes (sort of an Aussie really!) with Classic Briolinca will certainly put together a very fluent and easy test to mark on the beautiful bay mare. It would appear that the British team is exceedingly strong, and in a very good position for a gold medal in the teams.
For Denmark there’s a very fabulous stallion, Jovian, ridden by Andreas Helgstrand, that has everybody holding their breath. This young, big, loose and expressive horse has still to prove himself with a little more strength and power in the piaffe and passage tour, but talk about elastic, expressive and harmonious! He will be worth a very good look at, and I’m sure has big hopes for Paris. There is also the bright and breezy Heiline’s Danciera for Carina Cassøe Krüth, a fabulous expressive pocket rocket that has been very well respected and placed well at the 2022 FEI World Championships.
Don’t rule out the Swede Patrik Kittel – with his wife, the admired Lyndal Oatley (AUS) at his side – riding Touchdown, a horse that produces an even test throughout. Patrik is an expert and very well respected as an outstanding rider and producer of Grand Prix horses. This horse has improved enormously over the last 12 months and is really starting to take better weight behind and be more in self-carriage in an uphill way. It will be very interesting to see his test and Patrik is an expert at bringing the best to the table on the big days!
“Patrik is an expert
at bringing the best to the
table on the big days!”
THE DARK HORSE
There is one other that could well be the dark horse, from the Netherlands… it would be Indian Rock and what a powerhouse with the lightness and ease that is exceptional for a big horse that so fills the eye and the arena for Emmelie Scholtens. Despite Emmelie having had a recent injury and perhaps being a little under-fit, don’t underestimate this combination. Also on the Dutch team are Marlies van Baalen, Dinja van Liere, and the very well performed grey stallion ridden by Thamar Zweistra in Hexagon’s Ich Weiss. This stallion has always scored well and is still very much on the improve! Don’t discount the Dutch if there are a few with mistakes at the top end.
The list of outstanding horses and riders goes on and on. Every horse and rider that has achieved a start at the European Championships deserves praise indeed. It will be amazing and there will be much discussion about the marks and the who’s who in the zoo. But one thing for sure is that the talent and amazing horsemanship and wonderful performances will all be worthy of great praise.
There will never have been as many top-scoring horses ever in the history of dressage as will be seen at Riesenbeck. Let the competition shine with positivity and simple enjoyment of the beauty in dressage and the amazing riding and harmonious attitudes in modern training for these expressive purpose-bred athletes. EQ
