17/10/2009: Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven was greatly superior in the FEI World Cup Grand Prix at the JBK Horse Shows on her Olympic horse Salinero. Fellow Dutchman, European Champion Edward Gal, finished second on the mare Sisther de Jeu and Monica Theodorescu on Whisper finished third. Andreas Helgstrand on Tannenhof’s Carabas was the best of the Danish particiants.
Any van Grunsven won at the last minute
Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven and her top dressage horse Salinero was the last equipage to enter the arena. Their performance was a demonstration of elegance and routine. It was rewarded with a total score of 73.702 percent and a loud applause from the audience in the packed arena. Even though the performance ensured the equipage a superior victory, Anky van Grunsven was not completely satisfied:
“I had too many faults today because the horse lost its concentration. We had a good beginning, but during the extended trot he lost his focus and then we made more mistakes. Salinero needs two competitions before he is fully concentrated,” Anky van Grunsven said. She is looking forward to the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at the JBK Horse Shows in Odense Congress Center Sunday 17 October.
European Champion Edward Gal Finished second
Anky van Grunsven’s countryman and former pupil, reigning European Champion Edward Gal, finished second on the promising mare Sisther de Jeu. The equipage received a total score of 71.659 percent. The European Champion was very pleased with the mare’s performance:
“This is my first World Cup on that horse, and she was much more relaxed than yesterday,” Edward Gal stated afterwards.
Edward Gal og Sisther de Jeu, JBK 2009 (Ridehesten.com)
Monica Theodorescu came third in the FEI Grand Prix
With a total score of 71.404 percent, German Monica Theodorescu finished third in the FEI World Cup Grand Prix at the JBK Horse Shows. Theodorescu had a confident performance on the eleven-year gelding, Whisper. The strong German equipage thus qualified for the freestyle Sunday 18 October.
Andreas Helgstrand finished as best Danish rider
When Andreas Helgstrand entered the arena on Tannenhof’s Carabas it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Andreas Helgstrand finished as the best of the Danish riders as he received a total score of 67.063 percent which landed him a position as number nine.
“I am not happy with my performance today. I had too many faults and I had problems with the horse. Practice is going well, so I just have to keep going. I am hoping for a good performance tomorrow. I consider it as part of the horse’s training. I don’t know when it will peak, it always takes a while with horses,” Andreas Helgstrand stated.
Andreas Helgstrand på Tannenhof's Carabas, JBK 2009 (Ridehesten.com)
Sune Hansen’s first FEI World Cup qualifier
With a total score of 66.127 percent Sune Hansen finished eleventh on Gredstedgaards Casmir, thus finishing as the second best Dane. He was not entirely satisfied with the day’s performance, his very first FEI World Cup qualifier:
“I am not completely satisfied with my performance today. A lot of things have to be improved upon. This is due to the fact that I lack the routine. I end up being too passive and the horse gets nervous. My goal for to-morrow is that I do better than today. I think I will,” Sune Hansen stated.
Sune Hansen på Gredstedgaards Casmir, JBK 2009 (Ridehesten.com)
Great meeting in Odense
The FEI World Cup qualifier at the JBK Horse Shows in Odense is the first meeting of the indoor season. Anky van Grunsven was pleased with the conditions in Arena Fyn:
“The arena in Odense is a good place to ride. The big screens might have caused problems, but they didn’t. This is the first meeting of the season, and that is always a difficult one. The horses need to get used to the audience,” Anky van Grunsven explained.
Edward Gal was also happy with the conditions in Odense Congress Center:
“Odense is a great place to ride because there is a lot of space. The audience is sitting very high which might have made the horse nervous, but that didn’t happen,” Edward Gal said.
Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein withdrew
As the reigning Danish Champion, Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was the Danish favourite. On Rigoletto she began a beautiful ride, gaining lots of sevens and eights. Unfortunately this only lasted until Rigoletto became startled by the curtain at the entrance to the arena. The experienced rider managed to continue through the passage and the collected canter. During the canter towards the entrance, however, Rigoletto became fright-ened once again. He stalled and subsequently refused to go on. To refrain from pushing the horse too much, Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein chose to withdraw.
Information on the FEI World Cup
A total of 15 equipages will qualify for the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday 18 October. Apart from Andreas Helgstrand and Sune Hansen, Anne Troensegaard has qualified for the freestyle where the World Cup points will be awarded.
Photo: Anky van Grunsven på Salinero, JBK 2009 (Ridehesten.com)