Werth, who was forced out of the competition two years ago (her horse was withdrawn due to medical conditions), came back this year and put down an emotional freestyle complete with great control, strength, impulsion and power to claim her prize on a score of 84.25. This was the rider’s second World Cup champion title to date. Riding to a medley of “Pomp and Circumstance” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Werth displayed excellent use of the arena highlighted by strong pirouettes. The pair also took the top spot in the grand prix earlier in the week. At the end of the ride, Werth was visibly thrilled as she pumped her fist in celebration of a truly stylized and memorable ride.
“I didn’t expect him [Warum Nicht FRH] to be so relaxed,” said Werth. “I could start from the first second and take my risks and do what we had to do to. It was really super today…it was such a great feeling…today, he was just brilliant.”
Second place was awarded to Dutch rider Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Sunrise, a 13-year-old Hanoverian mare, with a score of 77.95. Their freestyle was set to a wonderful composition written specifically for the rider. It was a presentation complete with well-executed piaffes, passages and half-passes.
“I was very happy, as well, with my ride,” said Schellekens-Bartels. “My preparation was not that easy today, as she [Sunrise] was already in season before the grand prix. So, I had a really difficult warming up, and the feeling at the end was that I’ve got to do everything or nothing. So, I gave everything, and I was very pleased with the ride compared to warming up. I didn’t have a lot of mistakes. It was not the best form we’ve ever had. She can do a lot better, but for today, I was really, really happy.”
But it was third-placed Peters, who put in a score of 77.80, who received perhaps the night’s warmest welcome to the arena. Performing to a medley of classic rock songs including Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon and Supertramp, the pair’s ride included good extended canters and a very nice piaffe-pirouette. Toward the end of their ride, just before the halt, there was a bit of a gaff, but it couldn’t take away a very nice showing before the packed crowd.
“I was really excited for a horse that is 17 years old and still wants to put so much effort into it. Certainly it has crossed my mind that there were many questions about the future of Floriano,” said Peters of his partner. “It [the freestyle] started out really good. I was extremely happy with the flying changes and the half-passes, and the passage half-pass to the right was quiet good. He was very relaxed in the walk, and those are his strong points. He was just a little bit tired in the end. Those are little things that we can iron out.”
Peters spoke candidly about the competition future of Floriano, who has climbed to the top echelons of the dressage world with the rider. He said that if the horse still acts like he wants to continue competing, then they will. But, he added that it was something that they will take month-by-month.
Venerable Finnish dressage rider Kyra Kyrkland and the Swedish Warmblood gelding Max came in at fourth in the freestyle on a score of 77.50. The 1991 World Cup champion seemed thrilled with the pair’s ride. A selection of songs from the Broadway show “Cabaret” served as their musical score.
Following Peters was the remaining the three Americans – Courtney King (sixth place), Catherine Haddad (seventh place) and Leslie Morse (tenth place).
King and her partner Idocus performed to a selection of Broadway show tunes. The stallion looked relaxed and happy during the execution of the well-designed choreography. The pair’s score came in at 73.20. Idocus is owned by Christine McCarthy.
Haddad, who lives in Germany, and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (owned by the Janet S. Schneider Trust), finished their work with a score of 69.65. They performed to a selection of music from the film “Gladiator.” While there were some technical problems with the freestyle, including a rather off-center halt, the rider’s dramatic freestyle was a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.
The fourth American, Morse, aboard her Tip Top 962, scored a 65.85. Their freestyle was filled with tricky transitions and nicely done pirouettes. However, the performance was not helped by the fact that only the basic requirements were fulfilled, thereby reducing the performance’s level of difficulty. This was Morse’s fourth World Cup appearance.
With four Americans making the grand prix freestyle, it can easily be said that this was one of the most successful World Cups for the American dressage program. The Netherlands had three riders competing in the freestyle, while Germany, Finland, Sweden and Belarus had one rider each.