FEI World Cup Dressage – Freestyle Final

s’Hertogenbosch (Ned), 28 March 2010 – The Netherlands’ Edward Gal and the super-stallion Moorlands Totilas overcame all the pressure and tension to claim the 25th anniversary FEI World Cup Dressage title in s’Hertogenbosch this afternoon.  Gal’s stallion was tipped to take the honours throughout the entire 2009/2010 FEI World Cup Dressage season during which he secured his third record-breaking score of 2009 at London Olympia last December.  But two days ago fellow Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen took advantage of an edgy test from her team-mate to win the preliminary Grand Prix with a great performance from Jerich Parzival, and for the first time in a long while, Gal’s stallion began to look vulnerable.  Today however he was considerably more composed as he strutted his way to victory by a margin of almost seven percentage points – “when I came into the arena I thought it could be better – and it was!” said the relieved 40 year old rider who clinched the trophy for The Netherlands for the tenth time.

WORTHWHILE
Brett Parbery made his trip all the way from New South Wales in Australia worthwhile when opening the Freestyle to Music finale with a great rhythmic test from the 14 year old Victory Salute which earned a mark of 70.55%, but, second-last to go before the half-way break, Germany’s Carola Koppelmann and her veteran 17 year old Le Bo put 73.20% on the board.  However it was Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein who was in the lead going into the second-half of the competition after producing a relaxed, pleasing performance from Digby that achieved a score of 75.15%.

That remained the target until Cornelissen and Parzival set off four horses later, and the chestnut gelding’s easy elevation, natural rhythm and powerful movement was complemented by a creative new routine that particularly highlights his athleticism in pirouette.  However Cornelissen admitted afterwards that she had only practised the routine once before today’s competition, and that her mistake in the one-tempi changes, when Parzival simply stopped executing them, was entirely her own.  “It was quite a risk, I kept thinking about where I was in the test and I stopped asking him to do the changes so he stopped doing them, but then I remembered again and he continued – it wasn’t his fault, it was completely mine!” she insisted.  However she finished with a dramatic flourish when following a canter pirouette to the right with another to the left and her score of 82.85% put her well out in front.

ACCURATE
Isabell Werth’s settled and accurate test from Warum Nicht left the German double World Cup champion temporarily in runner-up spot with a mark of 79.85% but she was immediately demoted by The Netherlands’ Imke Schellekens-Bartels whose elegant mare, Hunter Douglas Sunrise, has been performing at her very best this season.  “She was so good and so loose, she has never felt better and I am so happy – she has been in the best form life this year,” the rider said.

Sweden’s Patrik Kittel was the penultimate rider to take his turn and, a big hit with the s’Hertogenbosch spectators this week, rode a test they again thoroughly enjoyed although, to their dismay, it only put a score of 76.55% on the board, so when Gal and Totilas set off it was the target set by Cornelissen and Parzival they were chasing.  Gal was concerned that his horse would again become over-excited as he passed the crowd on his way into the arena as had happened two days earlier, but to his delight Totilas was much more concentrated and began with extended trot that displayed all of his trademark extravagance.  “I could feel it was going to be better, and in the middle of the test I started to breathe again and it was much more relaxed,” he said afterwards.  He sets such high standards for himself and this horse that nothing less than excellence will do. “That’s part of the pressure of riding him,” he explained later. As his mark of 89.80% went up on the board however he knew he had done more than enough – the 2009/2010 FEI World Cup Dressage title was safely in his hands.

HIGH STANDARDS
Isabell Werth has high standards too, but she acknowledged today how high the bar has been raised in the sport over the past 12 months.  “”The Dutch riders are strong, but we don’t give up – we will just fight to get closer and closer to them” she said.  Ground Jury President Mrs Francis Verbeek commented “the riders all did a super job and I was so pleased for Edward that he could come back from a not-so-good test on Thursday but I also want to congratulate our local hero Imke Schellekens-Bartels who did so well”.  Imke explained that her challenge with Sunrise is to ride the thin line between relaxation and impulsion – “I believe I can still improve on that, and I must try if I want to keep up with my other Dutch team-mates!” she said.

For Gal however today’s win made up for the deep disappointment of Thursday’s Grand Prix result and put Moorlands Totilas back in his rightful place.  “I know he’s special and he deserves to win, and on Thursday I was so upset for him and so surprised when he was tense because he’s not usually like that.  The thing about him is that he has so much power, and sometimes he can use it against you.  Today he worked with me instead and I am very, very happy!” he said.

For further information check out website www.indoorbrabant.com or contact Press Officer Denise van der Net at +31 627 03 16 74 or email denisene@xs4all.nl.

RESULT: 1, Moorlands Totilas (Edward Gal) Ned 89.80%; 2, Jerich Parzival (Adelinde Cornelissen) Ned 82.85%; 3, Hunter Douglas Sunrise (Imke Schellekens-Bartels) 82.15%; 4, Warum Nicht (Isabell Werth) Ger 79.75%; 5, Watermill Scandic (Patrik Kittel) Swe 76.55%; 6, Digby (Nathalie Zu Syan-Wittgenstein) Den 75.15%; 7, Le Bo (Carola Koppelmann) Ger 73.25%; 8, Triviant-Unicef (Matthias Alexander Rath) Ger 72.05%; 9, ApolloVan Het Vijverhof (Jeroen Devroe) Bel 71.85%; 10, Victory Salute (Brett Parbery) Aus 70.55%; 11, Edwador (Katarzyna Milczarek) Pol 68.90%; 12, Favourit (Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven) Swe 68.25%; 13, Randon (Michal Rapcewicz) Pol 67.10%; 14, Cointreau (Peter Gmoser) Aut 66.45%; 15, Samba (Luiza Almeida) Brazil 61.55%.

FACTS AND FIGURES:
Today’s series victory by Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas is the 10th for The Netherlands – the previous nine were achieved by Anky Van Grunsven.
The oldest horse in the competition was the 17 year old Le Bo who finished seventh for Germany’s Carola Koppelmann
The youngest rider was 18 year old Luiza Almeida from Brazil who slotted into 15th position with her Lusitano stallion Samba.
The Ground Jury for today’s final included – at E: Dr D Schule (Ger); at H – Mr L Tornblad (Den); at C – Mrs F Verbeek (Ned); at M – Mr G Rockwell (USA); AT B – Dr V Truppa (Ita).
The President of the Ground Jury was Mrs F Verbeek (Ned).
The first two horses were from the KWPN studbook – Moorlands Totilas by Gribaldi and the gelding Jerich Parzival by Jazz.  The next two placings were filled by Hannovarians – Hunter Douglas Sunrise by Singular Joter in third and Warum Nicht FRH by Weltmeyer in fourth.
In total there were four KWPN horses amongst the 15 starters while the Hannovarian studbook was represented by three.
The winner’s purse in today’s final was 56,000 euros, while second place was worth 42,000 euros and third 28,000 euros.

QUOTES:
Adelinde Cornelissen – “My new musical score is created by Pyntago – it is a medley of Tchaikovsky.  I left it to them to decide what music to use because I like every style of music from rock and roll to classical to country music – they have done a great job because I felt Parzival needed lighter and happier music to match his personality and this is great!”
Sven Holmberg, FEI First Vice-President – “Before this final took place we knew it was in good hands – it would be hard to find better hands than Frank Kemperman and the s’Hertogenbosch team, and today we saw great sport at its very best.”

WEBSITE: www.indoorbrabant.com.

Western European League Calendar 2009/2010:
1 Odense (DEN), 17-18 October
2 Lyon (FRA), 29-30 October
3 Stockholm (SWE), 28-29 November
4 London Olympia (GBR), 15-16 December
5 Frankfurt (GER), 19-20 December
6 Mechelen (BEL), 26-27 December
7 Amsterdam (NED), 22-23 January
8 Neumünster (GER), 20-21 February
9 Göteborg (SWE), 26-27 February
FINAL ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED), 25-27 March

FEI World Cup Dressage, the only worldwide series in this discipline, has entered its 25th season. The series, created in 1985, comprises four leagues: Western European, Central European, North American (including Canada) and Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). Each FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier consists of a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.

Technical Note: The FEI World Cup Dressage Champion does not earn points in his/her starts but is automatically qualified to the next Final with two FEI World Cup Dressage qualifiers completed. Riders not belonging to the Western European League (WEL) or Central European League (CEL) cannot earn points in the WEL unless they have declared to compete in the WEL 2009/2010. These riders may however transfer the results from a maximum of three (3) WEL qualifiers to their own League. Points earned by CEL riders will be transferred to the CEL standings.

THE COMPLETE RULES CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM www.feiworldcup.org.

Click here for the complete list of World Cup Dressage champions from 1986 onwards.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes – horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.

Media Contact:
Denise Van der Net
denisene@xs4all.nl
+31 62703 1674

Malina Gueorguiev
FEI Communications
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

Tags: dressage, equestrian competitions, equestrian disciplines, FEI, FEI World Cup

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