The Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen was in a class of her own as she claimed her second gold medal in two days by winning the Grand Prix freestyle at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Aug. 21.

She stayed super cool the day before when topping the Grand Prix Special, despite an error of course that might have unhinged many others, but today she was simply super-confident, ultra-professional and totally concentrated as she steered Jerich Parzival to a flawlesss performance that left the freestyle result beyond any doubt. 

“She did a wonderful job and was the clear winner of the day”, said Ground Jury President Ghislain Fouarge.

In a gripping competition filled with all kinds of possibilities, the spectators engaged with every competitor that came into the ring and expressed their opinion each time a result went up on the board. There was a huge roar from the home side when Cornelissen was awarded the winning mark of 88.83 percent, but it was almost matched by the approval registered for the 84.17 percent achieved by silver medalist Carl Hester from Great Britain, who has stolen the hearts of a whole new generation of dressage fans. Bronze went to Sweden’s Patrick Kittel, whose foot-perfect test with Watermill Scandic was awarded 83.42 percent.

The Halfway Mark

Germany’s Isabell Werth held the lead after the first eight of the 15 starters had taken their turn. Riding El Santo NRW she posted 80.53 percent to overtake Hester’s protege Charlotte Dujardin, whose performance with Valegro didn’t altogether meet with the approval of her boss.

“For the first time she was nervous today, and she went in and lost her way—she missed every turn. She’s not experienced enough to put it right when it goes wrong, and I nearly fell over myself I was so annoyed with her!” Hester said with a twinkle in his eye. It was a testament to the quality of the horse’s obvious potential, however, as Valegro’s score of 79.35 percent still left the 9-year-old gelding and his promising but inexperienced rider in ninth place at the end of the day.

With just six left to go, Spanish showman Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz set the arena alight with a truly entertaining performance from his gray stallion Fuego de Cardenas that included fabulous one-tempi changes on a left-handed circle and a dare-devil one-handed one-tempi parade up the centerline. The spectators couldn’t contain themselves even though there was plenty more of the test to come, and they broke out into spontaneous applause in time with the music.

His leading score of 80.98 percent held for only a moment however, as Kittel quickly swept it away with a stunning ride on Watermill Scandic HBC. The 12-year-old stallion has often shown rhythm and precision, but this test took those elements to another level altogether as horse and rider blended into a single unit that was completely in harmony with their Depeche Mode musical score. Scandic looked like he could do perfect passage all day long and that, accompanied by wonderful piaffe, helped achieve a personal-best score of 83.42 percent.

The Stuff Of Dreams

And then came Hester with Uthopia, whose extended trot is the stuff of dreams and whose potential seems limitless. With floating half-passes and great piaffe, combined with the happiest, bounciest canter imaginable, they registered 84.17 percent to put it up to the remaining three.

Hester’s teammate Laura Bechtolsheimer couldn’t overtake him, despite the fact that she nailed the piaffe with Mistral Hojris this time out. The tension was palpable as Cornelissen set off with Parzival, but there was no cause for concern. They were right in the zone from the very beginning of a performance that was almost totally perfect. The big gelding produced the most delightful passage and piaffe as he danced his way to a new high of 88.76 percent.

Only Germany’s Matthias Alexander Rath and Totilas could prevent the Dutch duo from scoring an individual double of wins. But the glory would remain with the host nation as the German duo posted 83.01 percent, only good enough for fifth place behind Bechtolsheimer.

“Yesterday Totilas was too short in the neck and a bit tense, and it was similar today,” said Fouarge. “They’ve only competed together five times, and the combination needs more time to come together. Matthias is a good rider, and everyone knows Totilas!”

Good From The Beginning

Cornelissen said her test today felt good from the very beginning. “And today I was also good!” she said. “When I started the test he put his head up and his ears forward, and I had to say, “No, don’t enjoy yourself too much, we have to work now.

“It felt particularly good in front of my home crowd, but I had to tell myself to concentrate because, after yesterday, I didn’t want to forget my program,” she admitted.

Hester reflected on the spectacular results he’s achieved in the past few days—team gold, and silver in both the Special and freestyle. “I didn’t think, six weeks ago, that it could be possible to win an individual medal here. My horse has improved beyond all recognition. At Hickstead he found a new gear, and now here I am!” he said.

Kittel claimed Sweden’s first individual medal since Jan Brink and Briar took silver at Hickstead in 2003, so it was a special achievement. “I’m so happy sitting here with a medal around my neck!” he said. “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a kid, and it’s very special. Today my horse went better than ever, and because I went early, I was sitting there waiting to see everyone else. Watermill Scandic is unbelievably good at the moment. When he was doing his last piaffe/passage today I was thinking, ‘Is this real?’ “

Now it’s time for Cornelissen to give Parzival a break and to celebrate an extraordinary year in which claimed the Reem Acra FEI World Cup title along with European Grand Prix Special and freestyle gold, as well as team bronze. Quite an achievement. 

And her next goal? “I only have to complete two World Cup qualifiers to get to the World Cup Final next year and then, after that, well then there’s London!” she said.

Freestyle Results

1. Jerich Parzival, Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) 88.83%

2. Uthopia, Carl Hester (GBR) 84.17%

3. Watermill Scandic HBC, Patrik Kittel (SWE) 83.42%

Full results at www.ecdressage2011.com/

Tidbits

• The Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix attended the freestyle final at the FEI European Dressage Championships. The Queen competed herself at CHIO Rotterdam (the Netherlands) when she was 18 years old. 
• The Grand Prix freestyle was first introduced to the FEI European Dressage Championships at Donaueschingen (Germany) in 1991.  Germany’s Isabell Werth won on that occasion with Gigolo, and they repeated their success two years later at Lipica in Slovenia. 
• Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin had never performed a freestyle test with Valegro prior to today. She described her musical score as “Epic!”
• Exquis Nadine, the 16-year-old chestnut mare ridden to multiple achievements by the Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud, did her last test in the freestyle before being officially being retired in the arena at Rotterdam.The partnership finished 11th.