Sometimes a rider has the right ride at the right time, and tonight was that special ride for Isabell Werth and Warum Nicht.  Already World Champion, Werth added another World Cup Final victory to her impressive resume at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

“Today it was just easy,” said Werth.  “I could start from the first second and take risks.  He was really super today.”

Riding to “Pomp and Circumstance” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the enormous chestnut flowed effortlessly through the difficult transitions from extended canter into pirouettes and extended trot into passage half-passes.  Dieter Schule, the president of the ground jury, awarded the pair a 10 for music and interpretation.

“From second to second I got a safer feeling,” said Werth.  “Today, I really could ride whatever I wanted to ride.  I was hoping I could show him in the way I showed him today.”

While Warum Nicht’s victory (84.25%) was predictable, there was a tight battle for the next three spots.  The Netherlands’ Imke Schellekens-Bartels landed in second place with Sunrise (77.95%) over Steffen Peters of the United States on Floriano (77.95%) and Finland’s Kyra Kyrklund on Max (77.50%).

Schellekens-Bartels faced a challenge in her warm-up as Sunrise had come strongly in season.  But she put that behind her as she headed into the packed arena.  “It was everything or nothing,” said Schellekens-Bartels.  “It was not the best form she ever had, but I was really happy.”

She performed to a specially composed rock piano piece by famed Dutch pianist Wibi Soerjadi, who traveled to Las Vegas to see the pair perform.  Sunrise spooked early on in the test at A, but Schellekens-Bartels didn’t let it ruffle her composure.

Floriano also looked a bit timid coming into the arena to 11,925 screaming fans, but Peters kept him together.  He asked the audience to quiet down for the beginning of the test, so he could nail his initial halt. 

Riding to Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,” John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Supertramp, Peters and Floriano were able to impress the judges with their transitions from powerful impulsion in the extended gaits directly into collection.  He added one-tempis on a serpentine to increase the difficulty of his test. 

One risk backfired though when Peters attempted a one-handed passage into piaffe on centerline at the end of his test.  “He anticipated the final halt,” explained Peters.  “He knows exactly that he’s close to being done.”

The piaffe failed, but Peters was nonetheless enthusiastic about his 17-year-old partner’s desire to perform.  “He is still so fit, sound and happy,” he said.  “He’s so willing to do it.  Only Floriano can tell [how much longer he’ll compete.]”

Courtney King, who spent the last few weeks training with Peters, couldn’t have been happier with her sixth-placed finish on Idocus (73.20%).  “Idocus was absolutely awesome out there,” she said.  “After having weeks of hard work, he absolutely rose to the occasion, and I think we both had fun out there.”

King decided to add a line of one-tempi changes to her final centerline to make up for a short change earlier in the test.  But the changes didn’t go as she hoped.  “I made a last minute decision to throw them in there, and I think he wasn’t expecting it, and I wasn’t completely prepared,” she said.  “But everybody told me coming into this to just go for it, no holds barred.  I wanted to go for broke, and that’s what I did.  I tried to make up that little point and get a big point, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

It was King’s first chance to represent the United States, and the same was true for Catherine Haddad who placed seventh with Maximus JSS (69.65%).  Her test started with dialog from the movie Gladiator, which elicited an appreciative sigh from the audience.

“Max and I have heard a lot of applause over the years, but this is the first time we’ve heard American applause, and it was really nice,” said Haddad.  “What I found here is that this crowd gave a gift back with their enthusiasm.  Prize money will be quickly spent, and ribbons and trophies will collect dust, but what’s unforgettable is the joy and appreciation that this audience showed for our work.”

The other U.S. rider in the Final was Leslie Morse and Tip Top 962.  They completed a lackluster test that landed them in 10th place (65.85%).  Tip Top had trouble in his piaffe and changed leads in the extended canter.

But her disappointment wasn’t as great as the Netherlands’ Edward Gal.  Two years ago he placed second aboard Lingh and won the crowd’s heart.  But this time Group 4 Securicor IPS Gribaldi didn’t want to play.  He scooted in his first piaffe and then almost reared when Gal tried again.  While he did piaffe at the end of the test, it was too late, and they finished in 11th place (64.90%).

Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson didn’t start the evening ride because Solos Carex spiked a small fever the morning of the competition.

Final results:
1, Warum Nicht/Isabell Werth/GER/84.25%
2. Sunrise/Imke Schellekens-Bartels/NED/77.95%
3. Floriano/Steffen Peters/USA/77.80%
4. Max/Kyra Kyrklund/FIN/77.50%
5. Briar 899/Jan Brink/SWE/76.45%
6. Idocus/Courtney King/USA/73.20%
7. Maximus JSS/Catherine Haddad/USA/69.65%
8. Problesk/Iryna Lis/BLR/68.85%
9. BMC Kigali/Marlies van Baalen/NED/68.05%
10. Tip Top 962/Leslie Morse/USA/65.85%
11. Group 4 Securicor IPS Gribaldi/Edward Gal/NED/64.90%

For complete results click here:  http://events.horses.nl/2007/lasvegas/results/014-res.htm