Totilas Marches Through Grand Prix Classification and Leads Win Nations Cup of the Dutch

In Rotterdam, all eyes were on Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas, the natural dressage talent who in his first international Grand Prix scored a 79.15%. Moorlands Totilas the KWPN stallion (Gribaldi x Glendale) didn’t show any signs of being impressed by the crowd or impressive CHIO-entourage whatsoever. Gal and Moorlans Totilas topped teammate Anky Van Grunsven and Salinero, and  Imke Schellekens-Bartels with Hunter Douglas Sunrise to make a Dutch sweep of the Nation's Cup Class.
The whole Grand Prix with a score that could have been even higher, had it not been for that one mistake in the zig-zag  canter (79,149%). "My mistake", Gal admitted whole heartedly, "I was too early with my aids!".

 

Photo: Moorlands Totilas didn’t show any signs of being impressed Photo Credit: Claartje van Andel dressagedirect

Of the three chefs of the highest placed teams, it was only Dutch Sjef Janssen who expressed how extremely pleased he was with his riders. “Our average percentage of 75,234% seems good, but it can be 2-3% higher if Anky and Imke really ride what they are worth for. For now, this is good. If only it will happen then and there where it must happen this year, at the EC in England at the end of August”, Janssen so kept his team sharp.

In two weeks time, in Aachen, there will be another chance for better scores. Selected from the Rotterdam team, Anky with IPS Salinero and Sander Marijnissen with Moedwil will ride, completed by Hans Peter Minderhoud and Marlies van Baalen.

So Anky van Grunsven became second with IPS Salinero (73,447%). With a smile she said: "Ah, before entering the main ring, he was doing so fine. I had him nice and big and loose over there! Perhaps the judges can come and watch there next time!” The not halting two times and the mistake in entering the canter does of course show negatively in the general marks.

Photo: Anky van Grunsven became second with IPS Salinero Photo Credit: Marjon Hoen dressagedirect

Imke Schellekens-Bartels was very content with star mare Hunter Douglas Sunrise (Singular Joter x Werther), who had maintained her good shape from the NC up until Rotterdam and only ran into a minor fault in the two time tempi changes. “I remember thinking, wow, how large, and by then it was already too late…”, said Imke regrettably. She was given 73,106% for the third place. Just one place higher than KWPN-stallion Lancet with Emma Hindle (fourth with 72,468%). Hindle was the best of the British team that ended up second. Third was Denmark with as best result the new stable rider of Blue Hors Stud Sune Hansen with Gredstedgards Casmir, individually 5th with 69,702%.

Sander Marijnissen with Moedwil ended 6th (68,596%), after his less best test lately with a somewhat held back piaffe and passage in the beginning, but with no less than a nine for the walk. "This was my debut in a Nations Cup team. I am in the midst of a competition sequence and am trying all kinds of things, such as a more forward passage. I need to find a good mode here", said Sander, who is delightedly happy that Sjef Janssen is going to add him in the for Aachen. Anky with IPS Salinero, Hans Peter Minderhoud and Marlies van Baalen will also be sent off to Aachen.

Photo: Johannes Augustin aboard Norblin, one of the German competitors Photo Credit: Claartje van Andel dressagedirect

The average result of the Nations Cup win by the Netherlands now was 75,234%.

Due to the German championship last week and the Piaffe Förderpreis for young talents, the Nations Cup here in Rotterdam was not high on the list of team chef Schmezer. A team of professionals was delegated who managed to conclude the unusual low average of 64,977% and a fourth place in the country championship. Sweden ended up fifth with 63,049%.

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Loose BMC Kigali and Marlies Good for First Siege

Marlies van Baalen claimed the title of the very first feature at the 61st CHIO on Wednesday. She won the national Grand Prix with KWPN stallion BMC Kigali DVB (70,681%).

“Isn’t it wonderful!” the rider beamed. “BMC Kigali is still improving at the age of seventeen! He is such a character horse, amazing. He is awfully loose and moves so too. Everything I have been working on with my mother Coby, my regular trainer Johann Hinnemann and bonds coach Sjef is now showing. We have been focusing on a more forward passage and it worked! We had a flawless test today!” For a moment Marlies’s former World Champion Jumping young horses BMC Kigali was surprised by a large tree trunk on their path. “Yes, Kigali’s eyes lit up and I could just feel him thinking! Are we going to jump that or must I pass?, Marlies laughed. But he was allowed to pass. I don’t think I’ll risk jumping with him. I’ll leave that to my jumping colleagues.”

Having won with BMC Kigali, she was rung out with her second horse BMC O’Jay. “Strangely enough BMC O’Jay’s mouth foam turned red, and that can mean only one thing: exclusion

Photo: Marlies van Baalen won the national Grand Prix with KWPN stallion BMC Kigali DVB Photo Credit: Marjon Hoen dressagedirect

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Grey Hair Blond Again

On Thursday evening in the arena of the magically lit CHIO woods, Stéphanie Peters with Jeff won the Grand Prix Special with 71,167%. Quite a godsend for the blond amazone who last year sighed she was turning grey from her talented yet o so difficult Jeff. The now 14-year old Jeff is a true problem child. After an injury of the tendon, skin problems occurred in the pastern. During Indoor Brabant Jeff finally excelled again until the next day he failed to appear due to strange skin bumps on place of the saddle. Recovered, two weeks ago Jeff decided the screen at the NC was so scary that he refused to continue his Grand Prix test. Stéphanie Peters was allowed into the ring the next day as a quinea pig, in order to restore the confidence.

During the national Grand Prix at the CHIO this had been thin indeed. But Thursday evening in the Special, Jeff was back! The elegant pair won, leaving the second place for another combination that could well use the restoration of trust after a long pause, the super CHIO co-speaker Laurens van Lieren and Hexagon’s Ollright (69,167%).

Photo: Stéphanie Peters with Jeff won the Grand Prix Special Photo Credit:  Marjon Hoen dressagedirect

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