In the final for six-year-old dressage horses, the Kreissparkasse Verden Prize, the Danish Farrell/Sezuan son Faustino G secured the gold medal. Silver went to the Danish mare Dizzy, and bronze was awarded to the Hanoverian stallion Sir Gribaldi.
They were the last pair to enter the arena; the pressure of expectation was palpable, but Bettina Jaeger was full of confidence in her Faustino G. “He loves to work, sometimes a little too much, but we’ve got that under control now, and he’s so incredibly supple and – really – he just gets better and better every day.” Last year, Faustino G had already placed fourth in the World Championship final for five-year-olds; this year, he claimed victory, and breeder and owner Helene Geervliet of Stutteri G. knows why: “You have to breed with all your heart and listen to good advisors,” she emphasizes. “And for the best horses, you also need the best riders.” Faustino G is a horse from her own breeding program in the fourth generation, which makes the breeder particularly proud. Even a little prouder than winning the title last year with Quinn G, who became a three-time world champion. Quinn G, however, was “only” from her second generation of her own breeding.
With a final score of 9.1, the impressive dark bay took the lead in the World Championship field. His individual scores: 9.7 for the trot, 8.7 for the walk, 8.8 for the canter and submission, and 9.5 for potential. Commenting judge Knut Danzberg raved: “The horse is so well-balanced in his trot work; we saw a great deal of elasticity and engagement.” Danzberg highlighted the flow of movement, the propulsive power, and the willingness to carry weight in the trot. He praised the walk and the canter and was thrilled by the horse’s submission; grinning, the judge added: “There was only one brief moment when we had to deduct a little for submission – that was the slight kick during that one flying change.” With a score of 9.5, the entire judging panel affirmed that the new world champion has first-class prospects for the future.
Vice World Championship Dizzy is a daughter of Hesselhøj Donkey Boy, out of a Blue Hors Zack dam bred by Hesselhøj.dk ApS and owned by Helgstrand Dressage. Merita Hagren has been riding at the Helgstrand stable for a good six years and knows Dizzy very well. “She’s so honest and gives her best every day – not just at home, but also in the competition. She shines every day; she’s my absolute best friend. It’s as if she just takes me by the hand and says, ‘Mommy, let’s do this!’ She’s a YES-girl.” The rider was brimming with enthusiasm as she spoke about the inner qualities of her chestnut mare, noting that her “enormous Donkey Boy walk” was fantastic, as was her completely natural trot. For her walk, the World Championship silver medalist received an excellent 9.5; 9.0 for prospect; 8.8 for submission; 8.5 for her trot; and 8.3 for her canter, giving Dizzy a final score of 8.82.
The final score of 8.64 earned the Hanoverian stallion Sir Gribaldi the bronze medal. Beatrice Arturi has been riding the Secret son since he was three years old. “He may be a stud, but he’s so sweet. He has a heart of gold.” Bred from an All Inclusive dam by the Aronis and Janßen breeding partnership and owned by Gestüt Sprehe.
“The FEI WBFHS Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses have been held here in Verden for many years,” emphasizes Jan Pedersen, president of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH). “This event has developed and grown right here in Verden. That’s why I have a special soft spot for Verden. It’s really nice to be here. The organization has always been good, but I feel like it gets just a little bit better every year.”
“Like kids in a candy store”
Judge Knut Danzberg’s conclusion after the World Championship final for six-year-olds: “Even last year, one of my colleagues said that judging the finals at World Championships is a bit like children walking into a candy store. You just love every horse. And then it’s really fun to evaluate this high level of quality. In the six-year-old age group, we see significant differences in the tests. In the qualifier, there are only two flying changes. So if one doesn’t go well, you think, ‘Okay, that’s just how it went today.’ But if two changes in one direction don’t work out in the final, there might be a problem. Additionally, in the final test, we have walk pirouettes, and we required a collection before the walk pirouettes. This is also a change from the previous test, in which only medium and strong walk were required. I’m therefore quite surprised that the same horses as in the first test are on the podium today. Especially with the six-year-olds, things can change slightly from the first to the second test. And every test is different every day for every horse, but especially for the young horses.”
Three-Year-Old Champions
Today in the Co-Lo Trans-Arena, the three-year-old Hanoverian champions were crowned in the DEKRA Prize. Be Gold by Bon Vivaldi, bred by Günter Wellmann from a Best of Gold dam and owned by Heinz Ahlers, secured victory among the fillies and geldings with a final score of 8.8. Eike Bewerungen presented the new champion, who scored particularly high in the trot with a 9.5.
Among the colts, Varido wowed the judges and spectators. The son of Von Und Zu received the top score of 10 for his walk – an extraordinary achievement. Overall, the colt was rated 9.3. Janina Tietze presented the champion; the breeder is Friederike Pelzer, and the owner is IB Berger Reit- und Turnierpferde GmbH.
Final Day in Verden
Tomorrow is the big final day in Verden, featuring the World Championship final for seven-year-old dressage horses starting at 9:30 a.m. and the final for five-year-old dressage horses starting at 1:30 p.m.
Immediately before the five-year-old final, a charity auction will take place in the HORSE24 Arena. Up for auction is a Breyer® model of the Hanoverian Olympic horse Salvino, autographed by German championship riders. Proceeds from this auction will support Familienhafen Hamburg, an outpatient children’s hospice service for Hamburg and the surrounding area.