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Svenska Ridsportförbundet genomför just nu en roadshow på en rad orter i landet, där man bjuder in tävlingsryttare till en föreläsning om hur man kan nå större framgångar på tävlingsbanorna. På plats finns en rad experter, bland annat Elisabet Lundholm och Lars Roepstorff.
Text: Anna Nordin |
![]() Elisabet Lundholm. ![]() Det är viktigt att du har rätt häst för de mål och ambitioner du har. ![]() En kapacitetsprofil hjälper er att komma vidare. |
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2010 World Cup Finals Edward Gal and Totilas Win 25th World Cup Finals March 28, 2010
Though the point difference with second placed Adelinde Cornelissen was considerable (82.850), winning title was not Gal and Totilas' usual walk in the park. The sympathetic 40-year old Dutch rider definitely felt the pressure after oddly 'losing' to Adelinde in the Grand Prix. "When I went in the ring, I was really terrified," Gal admitted to the crowds during the prize giving ceremony. He was unsure whether Totilas would be a hot tamale as he was in the Grand Prix or not. But as the test progressed and level of greatness were being reached, Gal felt more relaxed and was able to enjoy the ride.
The Harskamp based rider confirmed that his horse is gaining in strength and fitness but that it also involves more skilled riding. "It's getting easier for him. When he has lots of power in the ring, he can also use it against me and then I'm in trouble."
His second place in the World Cup Grand Prix has created windows for the competition to beat the so-called "unbeatable" horse. Gal remains very realistic in his outlook on the future. "I never had the feeling that we were untouchable," he admitted to Eurodressage. "I want to have competition, otherwise we'll be standing still. I need to stay focused." Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival cracking nuts
The entry-halt-salute was self-assured and followed by an extended trot. In the first piaffe, Parzival lost his forward drive, but the passage had great elevation. The zig zag in trot was excellent. The extended walk had good overtrack but the horse needed to stretch his neck more. The one tempi's were completely straight even though Adelinde had an unscripted break in them on the centerline. The highlight of the test were the pirouettes ridden totally 'n sync to piano music. Towards the end of the ride, Cornelissen was more hanging on the left rein and the quality of the piaffe went down a bit as the horse was pulling up his hocks instead of taking the weight on the hind quarters. The beautiful final movement was a piaffe pirouette at X fan-tailing from one direction to another supported by lovely bell tunes. In general Adelinde's new freestyle contained memorable new musical elements, but there was not a consistent story in it taking the viewer on a sentimental ride. Cornelissen scored 82.850% and became reserve world cup champion.
Cornelissen had only practiced her new freestyle once. When asked why she changed her music so quickly (her Parzival freestyle was one year old), she replied, "If I hadn't changed the kur, I would certainly not have won." Unlike some other riders who compete to the same music for at least six years in a row and bore the audience with their predictable repetition, Adelinde wants to stay new, fresh and exciting in her kur choice. Working on her new freestyle was not really been a strenuous process. "I hardly dare to say it but we only started to work on it in February," she said. Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Sunrise, Performance of a Lifetime
Riding to her delightful piano inspired Wibi Soerjadi freestyle, Schellekens and the Smarius family owned Sunrise (by Singular Joter x Werther) did not have an immobile halt and in the first extended trot there wasn't enough overstep. But it all went up from there as each musical segment built up to a new movement. The piaffe was rhythmical (maybe the first one a tiny bit too forward), the extended walk relaxed. Imke performed 19 one tempi's, all clean and straight.
"I'm very proud of my horse," Schellekens commented. "At home I felt this was going to be my best event of the season. She was so controlled, loose. This is what dressage is about." Imke has felt the improvement in her horse the last few months. "My horse is more settled and I'm more experienced. I am more sure when not to panic in the test. The border between relaxation and utter power is getting better. I hope that I will keep improving so that I can keep up with the other Dutch." Werth, Best of the Rest
The 14-year old Hanoverian Warum Nicht FRH (by Weltmeyer x Wenzel) was on a mission with his rider and did an excellent job. Some loss of rhythm in the first passage half pass was made up with brilliant trot extensions. Though one piaffe lacked impulsion, the rest was always very rhythmical and even. The zig zag was well regulated as were the one tempi's synchronized to great canter music. The two tempi's had to cover more ground.
"I was very satisfied with Hannes. He felt really good the whole test," said Werth. "I could take risks. I think I didn't get too many points. Both my horses were much better today. So we have to fight to come closer again." Werth also joked, "there are too many Dutch here." Werth will make her next show appearance at a local event in Hünxe, Germany, where she will compete her youngsters. Her first big outdoor show with her top horses is Mannheim. Kittel and Scandic Enthuse the Crowds
Kittel posted a score of 76.550% to finish fifth. The audience reciprocated with loud booing and most connoisseurs agreed that an 80% mark would have been more justified for such a ride.
Eurodressage went up close and personal with Patrik Kittel to ask about his partnership with Scandic and his future plans. "I just have to ride better and compete. The scores will get better. I ride to be a better rider. But the most important thing is to be happy and to have happy horses," he told Eurodressage. Scandic's major issues was his inability to stay uphill in canter but this was not the case at the World Cup Finals. "He gets more up by stretching him down in all positions. You have to variate the form." When asked about Scandic's sensitivity in the mouth, Kittel responded that "he feels very sensitive in my hands. The more through he comes, the more soft he will be. I never ride him with a whip because he gets responsive with small transitions. He never stops going and that's what I love about him." Judging the Kur
On the artistic level, Isabell Werth scored 81% with Tornblad and 93% with Verbeek. The same duo did not agree on Cornelissen's kur as the Dane scored it 83% and the Dutch judge 92%. Major discrepancies which are often ignored as the artistic score seems of minor importance to the appraisal of the test, yet decisive in the overall score. The general tendency is simple: a high technical score equals a high artistic one, no matter how synchronized the rider was to his music or how beautifully composed the kur was. Cut-and-paste cookie cutter or tailor made compositions, it hardly matters as long as the test is ridden well. Isn't it time for a clear system on how to judge the artistic part? Maybe the FEI can help the flustered judges by providing them with a helpful tool or at least clearer guidance on how to score it fairly, don't you agree?
Text and photos © A.Appels/Eurodressage.com |
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2010 CDI-W Goteborg Grand Prix
A tough battle is taking place at the final Western European League World Cup qualifier in Gothenborg, Sweden. Three Dutch riders (Adelinde, Anky and Imke) are fighting for one last entry ticket to the 2010 World Cup Finals hosted in The Netherlands. The Kur to Music is the decisive round, but in the Grand Prix it was Adelinde Cornelissen with Parzival (by Jazz) who reigned supreme. Though the panel of five judges were remarkably in unison in their assessment of the top ten combinations (their scores hardly varied more than two percent), Adelinde's scores went up and down. All judges placed her first though, no doubt, but Danish judge Baarup scored her ride 81,489% while Swedish judge Jansen Iacobeus had it on 75.957%. That's more than 5,5% difference. Cornelissen's ride was mainly error-free though build-up of tension in the first piaffe resulted in resistance from Parzival by rearing and turning round. Cornelissen was on the ball though and fixed the problem straight away. Grand Prix Kur to Music
Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival kept their cool under intense pressure to win the last qualifying leg of the 2009/2010 World Cup Dressage series in Gothenburg, Sweden tonight. Read More |
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