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This morning's Freestyle in the sold-out Aachen stadium ended with the same result as the 25th World Cup dressage final in Den Bosch: Moorlands Totilas, first; Jerich Parzival, second; and Hunter Douglas Sunrise, third. Judging chairman Dieter Schüle even remarked that the competitors demonstrated a higher level of riding than they did at Indoor Brabant. Furthermore, it was the first time for the top three freestyle placings in Aachen to be claimed by Dutch riders: Gal, Cornelissen, and Schellekens-Bartels.
Excitement grew with the last five rides of the historical competition. Schellekens-Bartels set the tone with her beautiful Wibi freestyle, in which the one-tempi's were wonderfully timed, and the emotional charge of the last passage and piaffe were fully conveyed. She was rewarded with 81.0%, first place at the time.
Isabell Werth and Satchmo surprised all with an entirely new freestyle - no emotion and tranquility but loud vocals from a sort of hit song festival. Although German spectators certainly enjoyed the music, is such a freestyle the intent of dressage? The pair scored 80.786% for a test with a mistake in the flying change and the piaffe, but Werth was very content.
Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival (Jazz x Fidora ster prest s.Ulft), bred by the Beyer-de Klein family of Puiflijk, performed one of the best tests of their lives. For their outstanding freestyle performance which demonstrated abundant expression and elevation, the pair earned 85.607%. "In Windsor, I had 87%, but this time, a lot of the small problems were gone," said Cornelissen contentedly.
Bred by Jan and Anna Schuil of Broeksterwoude, the KWPN-recognized stallion Moorlands Totilas (Gribaldi x Lominka elite pref prest s.Glendale) and Edward Gal captured the grand prize (90.964%). The black stallion still wants to do almost too much at times, and Gal too, which he said afterwards. Enough is enough. Although he did not achieve another personal or world record, he did come quite close with Kees and Tosca Visser's stallion, who still surprises him each day. "I'm just speechless," sighed Gal happily.
Gal still does not know if he will compete Moorlands Totilas in Hickstead. Schellekens-Bartels is also looking for a different show at the end of August. Cornelissen as well as Hans Peter Minderhoud with Exquis Nadine (TCN Partout x Charites ster pref prest s.Roemer, breeder: Gerard Vervoorn of Brakel) will compete in Hickstead.
For now, the Aachen dressage results look unbeatable with the Dutch team competition win and Gal's Grand Prix victory. In 2004, Anky van Grunsven and Salinero won the Aachen Grand Prix.
(Photo: www.hippofoto.be)
