2005 Dressage at Devon

Lars Petersen and Success Win Grand Prix Special

Danish Lars Petersen has won the Grand Prix Special on closing day Sunday at 2005 Dressage at Devon. Aboard his Danish warmblood gelding Success (by Silver Moon x World Cup I), Petersen was able to ride a more relaxed and controled Special compared to the Grand Prix.

The temperamental grey was warmed up to the right temperature and Petersen skilfully steered his horse through the test. The first trot half pass to the right stilled edged on passage, but the extensions were more expressive and were actually extensions, the tempi changes were ground covering and the piaffe passage was extremely rhythmical and off the ground. With a score of 71.88%, Petersen won the Grand Prix Special.

Right on Petersen's heels were Katherine Bateson and the 17-year old Baden Wurttemberger gelding FBW Kennedy (by Tiro x Karat). This new duo finished in second place, closely behind Petersen, with a 71.20% score. Though her Grand Prix was still full of mistakes, in the Special Bateson had her act together and rode the chestnut gelding with much elegance. A mistake in the two tempi's was the only big issue in her ride. The walk had almost three hooves overstride but it could have been more active. The pirouettes were good and the piaffe was lovely. Bateson took over Jane Clark's FBW Kennedy from Robert Dover after the 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.

Ashley Holzer and her NRPS branded stallion Gambol (by Gabor) landed a third place earning a score of 72.275%. The black stallion is quite a handful to handle but he makes a big impression in the show ring. Especially his canter work is his forte. The Dutch Riding Horse stallion has outstanding tempi changes and can do lovely pirouettes. In the trot work he can loose his bounce off the ground and be a bit runny, but when Holzer picks up the collection and moves to a passage or piaffe, Gambol shows good engagement and spring.

Arlene Page and her Danish bred Hanoverian Wild One (by Wanderer) placed fourth with 68.420%. Page was able to keep her lovely bay in a nicer frame in the Special and the passage, which shows huge potential because of a super active hind leg, was more even than in the Grand Prix. Wild One has much talent for the future and once he gains more strength and muscle, he'll be able to carry himself more and be more balanced in all movements.

by Astrid Appels

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