Two-time World Champion Red Viper had already won the opening round of the Anemone Horse Trucks Dressage Stallion Competition last month. This evening in IJsselmuiden, he once again lived up to his favorite status, scoring an impressive 93.6 points under Dinja van Liere.

Red Viper (Romanov Blue Hors out of Zolena elite pref EPTM-dres sport-dres PROK by Sir Sinclair, bred by C. Kerbert from Enschede) continues to impress with his trot. Today, this was once again a highlight, earning a 9.8, while he also received two scores of 9.5 for harmony and overall impression. “This was a very enjoyable test to watch,” said Brecht D’Hoore, also on behalf of Hans Peter Minderhoud and Patrick Berends. “This horse has a great deal of presence and allure. The walk is very pure in four-beat rhythm, with a nice overtrack and a relaxed demeanor. If we were to note one thing, he could remain just a fraction more active in the collected walk. The trot presents a beautiful picture — the short sides from C were truly outstanding. He stays nicely uphill, active from behind, and moves very well through the lateral work. Because the second extended trot did not begin quite as well as the first, we did not score higher. The canter has a lovely silhouette and is performed with great ease. Throughout the entire test, this horse maintains a pleasant contact and works willingly and kindly.”

Upward trend for Extreme U.S.
Under Renate van Uytert–van Vliet, the Escamillo son Extreme U.S. (out of Viva Contana PS by Vivaldi, bred by Gestüt Lewitz from Steinfeld, GER) had finished third in Kronenberg; today, the combination moved up to second place. They scored 89 points, including a 9.6 for the trot. “This test had many highlights, but also a few small issues. The walk is active and pure in four-beat rhythm, and in collected walk he continues to step nicely through the body. In trot, we see an uphill frame with a lot of suppleness and ability to adjust the stride. In the extensions, he continues to engage well from behind, and the quality of the trot is maintained in the lateral movements. We also saw that uphill tendency in the canter, which shows a lot of jump and activity. This horse was very focused on the upcoming flying changes, which resulted in an error in the counter-canter and not all changes coming through. That has been reflected in the canter and harmony scores.”

Good walk
Lara van Nek and Obsession Taonga (Vitalis out of Jatilinda elite pref IBOP-dres sport-dres PROK by All At Once, bred by Stal 104 BV from Wijdewormer) finished third with 81.6 points. “This stallion has a lot of quality in all three gaits, but today may not have been his best day. He could have been more in front of the leg to show greater impulsion and ease. The walk shows a lot of use of the body. In trot, we saw nice leg technique, but he did not always maintain enough carrying power in the lateral movements today. The canter has a good jump, and towards the pirouettes he showed clear talent for taking weight on the hindquarters. Here too, he could have been a bit more responsive to the leg today.”

More information stallion competition 2025/2026

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Photo: Wilma Frentz