Laura Graves and Verdades Win Aachen Grand Prix Putting the USA in the Lead For the Nations' Cup - For Now

Laura Graves and Verdades ©Mary Phelps

Laura Graves, came to Aachen with a clear goal in mind: To win. She succeeded with her own Verdades a KWPN (by Florette As), a horse she has owned since he was a foal with an 80.606.

In winning the Grand Prix of the Prize of the Tesch Family, the test also put the USA in the lead in the first half of the Nations' Cup Race, still to be determined after Grand Prix Spécial, the MEGGLE Prize.

Isabell Werth and Emilio Surprised the Home Crowd
It was a good score, but Isabell Werth and Emilio, the last to go, would determine whether it was to be the day for Graves and the USA. The Westphalian-bred gelding had to fill in for Werth's World Cup winner, and the horse that beat Grave and Verdades, Weihegold. This was a decision the German Dressage Committee took looking ahead to the World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

A disappointed Isabell Werth

Emilio did not play along at all today, like he usually does. Futher mistakes followed, Which Ultimately led to a final score of 72,516 percent finishing in 17th place.

Second place went to the bronze medalist of the European Championships Cathrine Dufour (DEN) with her Caprimond son, Cassidy (78,494 percent). Although she had a big slip-up when the 15-year-old gelding spooked after the transition from collected walk to passage and leaped forward, he found his concentration again. "Otherwise the test went very well for us," she stressed later.

German Girls are Tough
Just four weeks after the birth of her second daughter, Helen Langehanenberg (GER) finished third on her team European champion, Damsey. During the rider's maternity leave her "super team" kept him fit and tuned. So so much that national coach Monica Theodorescu surprised Langehanenberg and told her she did had been nominated for the team in the Lambertz Nations Cup instead of competing in the CDI4 * Tour. "I could not breathe for the first three seconds," recounted Helen Langehanenberg.

Helen Langehanenberg (GER) and national coach Monica Theodorescu ©Mary Phelps

But nerves have never been a problem for her: "I am not the type who gets nervous. And I can not do any better than ride well. A 77.034 percent was a personal record for Aachen and Damsey in the Grand Prix. Monica Theodorescu commented: "I can not really say, because I have never given birth to a child, but did she rode did well is amazing!"

Fourth place went to Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) with the Aachen debutant, Dalera BB (76,848). It was only the sixth Grand Prix in the eleven-year-old Trakehner mare's career. The way the young mare handled the atmosphere of Aachen amazed her rider: "She just went straight in and then rocked it!" She said elated after her successful ride.

A Rabbit in the Arena
The fourth member in the German team, Dorothee Schneider, came sixth with Sammy Davis Jr. (75,916). The pair performed a super test, until suddenly a rabbit hopped across the arena in the German Bank Stadium. Dorothee Schneider and Sammy Davis Jr. were concentrating so hard that they did not even notice it - The rabbit actually crossed the diagonal did Sammy was just doing his flying changes à tempi on. A murmur spread through the crowd which unnerved Schneider: "I simply did not know what what going on. I thought I must gone off course." The confusion led to Sammy Davis Jr. making a mistake in the flying changes. Nevertheless, the rest of the test went very well.

It Ain't Over Til It's Over

Kasey Perry Glass and Dublet ©Mary Phelps

United States took the lead in the Lambertz Nations Cup The Prize of the Tesch Family, the first part of the Lambertz Nations Cup of the dressage riders. The second part of the Nations' Cup competition is the Grand Prix Spécial, the MEGGLE Prize. So, nothing is DECIDED yet.

The guests from across the seas have taken the lead with a total interim score of 231,988, ahead of Germany with a score of 229,798 and 223,106 on Denmark. Not only the winner Laura Graves collected plenty of points for the United States, her teammate Kasey Perry-Glass, who came fifth with her Danish Diamond Hit son, Goerklintgaards Doublet, was awarded 76,801 percent after a very harmonious ride.

The US team is completed by Adrienne Lyle with Salvino (74,581 percent) and Steffen Peters with Rosamunde (71,351).

The team from Denmark, comprising of Cathrine Dufour with Cassidy, Anna Zibrandtsen with Arlando (70,434), Anders Dahl with Selten HW (70,093) and Daniel Bachmann Andersen with Blue Hors Zack (74,177).