PrintJana Freund and Dramatic endure a spooky arena and bad weather to win gold in the 6-year-old final.
Luck was on Jana Freund’s side in Verden, Germany. A second chance and some good fortune led the German to victory aboard Dramatic in the 6-year-old final during the World Championships For Young Dressage Horses, July 31–Aug. 1.
After a few spooks and a disappointing performance in the qualifier, Dramatic’s score of 7.0 left him standing 35th out of a field of 40. The slate was wiped clean, however, in the consolation final, and the black Hanoverian stallion (Don Frederico—Weltina, Weltmeyer) rose to the occasion.
An impressive performance and a score of 8.64 in the consolation final put Dramatic at the top of the class and gave him the opportunity to advance to the final on Sunday. He was second to compete and faced tough competition, including last year’s 5-year-old gold medalist Cayenne W.
In an unexpected turn of events, though, gusty winds overcame the show grounds during the final, ruffling tent flaps and unsettling the horses. The hot-tempered and spooky horses were visibly affected, but Dramatic kept his cool under the unfavorable conditions.
Dramatic’s incredibly powerful and ground-covering trot earned him a 9.6 to add to his score of 8.5 at the walk and 8.8 at the canter. Performing better than he had all weekend despite the high winds, Dramatic won gold with a score of 8.78.
Silver medalist Polka Hit Nexen (Sandro Hit—Polka Nexen, Temple Wind), a Dutch Warmblood mare under Danish rider Dorthe Sjobeck Hoeck, was a crowd and judge favorite as a 5-year-old, but struggled under the conditions Sunday. After losing her balance in an extended trot, the mark for submissiveness was lowered to 7.9, and her final score was 8.62.
The bronze medal went to qualifying round winner Diamantenbörse (Diamond Hit—Glanzstern, Rubenstein I) under the command of German rider Jessica Süss. The Oldenburg mare lacked a bit of energy and power in the final, but she was still the image of a rideable and cooperative dressage horse, earning a score of 8.52.
Desperado Doesn’t Falter
The 5-year-old gold medalist, Desperado, was unbeatable at Verden, winning the qualifying round and the final.
The Oldenburg gelding (Dressage Royal—Balalaika, Rouletto) impressed the judges with his suppleness and harmony with his rider. After scoring 8.76 in the qualifier, Desperado and German owner/rider Nadine Plaster stepped it up a notch to win the final with an 8.84.
Plaster purchased her winning mount last year at the Oldenburg auction in Vechta (Germany). “We were very lucky to be able to buy this horse,” she said. “We trained thoroughly throughout the winter and qualified for the World Championships in Warendorf [Germany].”
The Trakehner stallion Imperio (Connery—Isar VI, Balfour), who was ridden by Anna-Sophie Fiebelkorn of Germany, claimed the silver medal. The pair scored an 8.58, a mere 0.04 higher than bronze medalist Silberaster.
Luck was on Jana Freund’s side in Verden, Germany. A second chance and some good fortune led the German to victory aboard Dramatic in the 6-year-old final during the World Championships For Young Dressage Horses, July 31–Aug. 1.
After a few spooks and a disappointing performance in the qualifier, Dramatic’s score of 7.0 left him standing 35th out of a field of 40. The slate was wiped clean, however, in the consolation final, and the black Hanoverian stallion (Don Frederico—Weltina, Weltmeyer) rose to the occasion.
An impressive performance and a score of 8.64 in the consolation final put Dramatic at the top of the class and gave him the opportunity to advance to the final on Sunday. He was second to compete and faced tough competition, including last year’s 5-year-old gold medalist Cayenne W.
In an unexpected turn of events, though, gusty winds overcame the show grounds during the final, ruffling tent flaps and unsettling the horses. The hot-tempered and spooky horses were visibly affected, but Dramatic kept his cool under the unfavorable conditions.Dramatic’s incredibly powerful and ground-covering trot earned him a 9.6 to add to his score of 8.5 at the walk and 8.8 at the canter. Performing better than he had all weekend despite the high winds, Dramatic won gold with a score of 8.78.
Silver medalist Polka Hit Nexen (Sandro Hit—Polka Nexen, Temple Wind), a Dutch Warmblood mare under Danish rider Dorthe Sjobeck Hoeck, was a crowd and judge favorite as a 5-year-old, but struggled under the conditions Sunday. After losing her balance in an extended trot, the mark for submissiveness was lowered to 7.9, and her final score was 8.62.
The bronze medal went to qualifying round winner Diamantenbörse (Diamond Hit—Glanzstern, Rubenstein I) under the command of German rider Jessica Süss. The Oldenburg mare lacked a bit of energy and power in the final, but she was still the image of a rideable and cooperative dressage horse, earning a score of 8.52.
Desperado Doesn’t Falter
The 5-year-old gold medalist, Desperado, was unbeatable at Verden, winning the qualifying round and the final.
The Oldenburg gelding (Dressage Royal—Balalaika, Rouletto) impressed the judges with his suppleness and harmony with his rider. After scoring 8.76 in the qualifier, Desperado and German owner/rider Nadine Plaster stepped it up a notch to win the final with an 8.84.
Plaster purchased her winning mount last year at the Oldenburg auction in Vechta (Germany). “We were very lucky to be able to buy this horse,” she said. “We trained thoroughly throughout the winter and qualified for the World Championships in Warendorf [Germany].”
The Trakehner stallion Imperio (Connery—Isar VI, Balfour), who was ridden by Anna-Sophie Fiebelkorn of Germany, claimed the silver medal. The pair scored an 8.58, a mere 0.04 higher than bronze medalist Silberaster.
