It was almost a certainty, Isabell Werth and the Don Schufro-daughter Weihegold OLD won the World Cup Finals in Omaha. But it was Verdades who was ‘best of the rest’ in his home-country. And not only that, KWPN horses reigned overall finishing in second to sixth place in the Freestyle.

The American public responded ecstatic to Laura Graves and her Florett As-son. With a big smile on her face the rider saluted the judges, who rewarded her with a super 85,30%, good for second place. The De Crum-family from Herveld bred the impressive Verdades out of their harness horse mare Liwalarda ster prest by Goya. The pair scored with well bend half-passes and lots of expression in all the exercises. The high grade of difficulty is obvious when Laura Graves rides from the two-time-tempi’s effortless into the one-time-tempi’s, not once, but twice! “You don’t need to win the title to achieve victory. He felt quite tense but still did his job. I was very happy with my test”, Graves said afterwards.

High difficulty

With a very difficult test, Nip Tuck was rewarded 83,75% which got him bronze. The son of Don Ruto is the epitome of a well-educated horse and shows beautiful harmony with his British rider Carl Hester. Paardenfokkerij en Melkerij J. van Breemen from Bavel bred the bay out of the Animo-daughter Ireen.

Fourth place for Vancouver K

The fourth place was, just like fifth and sixth again for a KWPN-horse. The Jazz-son Vancouver K (out of Phantastia from Ferro), ridden by Irish rider Judy Reynolds was rewarded 79,57%. Bred by G.M. Korver from Harmelen, the expressive black eyecatcher showed a nice test with lots of well ridden transitions that just got him in fourth place.

Beautiful Freestyle for recognized stallion Cennin

The Vivaldi-son Cennin already went in before the break and stayed in the lead until after the break. The breeding product of the Cuppen Family in Someren had a spook in the beginning, but after that showed a lovely test. The walk has great quality. The last line, with a piaffe, followed by extended trot and again piaffe made the crowd applaud. The son of international Grand Prix horse Vitana V (s.Donnerhall), received 79.04% which was good for fifth place. His rider Madeleine Witte-Vrees was ecstatic: “I’ve got the best horse ever, I can only be so happy with him.”

Voice gives in two places

Beautiful extensions and nice half-passes bring the KWPN stallion Voice (De Niro out of Rohbria prest by Rohdiamant, breeder Wil and Isabel van Gisbergen from Hooge Mierde) to a score of 78,92%. That left him behind Cennin and made that Edward Gal had to give in two places in comparison to the Grand Prix.

SR/YBF for KWPN