Longines/FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses – Ermelo, The Netherlands, 2022

From the 8^th to the 11^th of September, the Longines/FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses 2022 took place at the NHC (Nationaal Hippisch Centrum) in Ermelo. The best young dressage horses of the world come to this event, that has proven to be a real predictor of future Grand Prix super stars.

Andries van Daalen, chairman of the KWPN and member of the Foundation Board of the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, looks back on four days of beautiful sport with fantastic dressage talents during the closing press conference: “This World Championship for young horses is a breeding ground for future medal winners, as is proven by Glamourdale and Hermes, who won as young dressage horses and recently took gold and bronze in the Grand Prix at the World Championships in Herning with their amazons Charlotte Fry and Dinja van Liere.”

The Longines FEI/WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships is a sporting battle between the various studbooks. No less than 26 studbooks were represented in Ermelo, with the KWPN and Oldenburg as main suppliers. In total there were 175 horses at the start of which 125 horses competed for the world titles, for 26 countries. Over four days, approximately 21,000 visitors enjoyed great sport and were able to visit 60 exhibitors. Around 350 people worked together in this event and about 60 press reporters were accredited for this World Cup.

This fantastic event will be on the calendar again in 2023, from the 3^rd to the 6^th of August in Ermelo. The show grounds will once again be full of the best that dressage horse breeding has to offer for four days.

We compiled and translated the published reports of the finals and an overview of the Top 5 results for you.

Sport Pro Horses

Final for 4-year-old dressage horses

In the final of the Sport Pro Horses Prize 4-year-old class, the black Hanoverian stallion St. Athletique (Blue Hors St. Schufro x Hofrat), owned by Hengstenstation Meyerhof, took the win. He was presented by Heiko Klausing from Germany. It was a close finish, with three horses scoring an average of 8.7.

The class for four-year-old dressage horses was an extra class on the program of the LONGINES FEI/WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses. “It was a beautiful section with a lot of quality,” responds Alex van Silfhout, who was responsible for the judging together with Bart Bax. “The horses were presented nicely, naturally, and neatly. When you realize how those young horses are already going around in here, it’s impressive. They were very obedient in this big entourage.”

The top three were very close together with only two hundredths of a point difference between the number one and the number three. Winner St. Athletique finished fourth in the qualifying round the day before, while Fall in Love (Blue Hors Farrell x San Amour) won the class on Thursday but finished third today.

“If you look at the top four, you just see horses that all really have a lot of quality. The final score is determined by the shape of the day,” explains Van Silfhout. “Whoever was first on Thursday was now third, purely because she was just a little less uphill than the other two.”

Judith Ribbels convinced all those present on Thursday and Saturday with the qualities of Nanny McPhee (Vitalis x Sorento), who she bred and owns herself. Nanny’s mother Fun Fun was also in Ermelo to participate with Ribbels in the CDI3*. Nanny came in second in both the qualification and the final, with a 9.2 in the final for canter and trot, the highest marks of all four-year-olds. Bart Bax: “Nanny McPhee is a horse with a lot of expression and a lot of quality, but unfortunately she had some tension today, so the transition to the canter was not so nice.”

“This competition is slightly different from a Pavo Cup,” adds Van Silfhout. “Here, the horses run a trial. The quality of the horse is very important, but riding the test was the deciding factor for the winner today.” In that regard, St. Athletique was the best today. The Hanoverian stallion went through the test with great concentration. “That horse just had the complete picture. He showed quality and the test was completely finished. He was really very stable throughout,” says Van Silfhout. According to the rider of St. Athletique, Heiko Klausing, this is also one of the qualities of the stallion. “He has a great character,” Klausing says proudly. “It is a stallion, only four years old and this was only his sixth competition; so he does a really good job.”

LONGINES

CH-M-D YH Final for 5-year-old-horses

The DWB mare Lyngbjergs St.Paris became world champion in the 5-year-old dressage horses at the Longines FEI/WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses on Saturday. She is bred by Bente Børjesson and owned and ridden by Victoria E Vallentin. Second place was for the impressive stallion Vitalos (Vitalis x De Niro) and third came the evenly impressive and very tall stallion Fashion Prinz OLD (Fürst Romancier x Sarkozy).

“What an elegant, light-footed mare and what a fantastic hind leg,” said judge Monique Peutz after the ride of Lyngbjergs St.Paris and Victoria E Vallentin. “The whole test was so elegant; the trot was light-footed and always with an active hind leg. The canter was uphill and jumped very well. There were a few tidbits that might have been a little sharper, but we gave this mare a 9.5 for perspective. With her elegance, great hind leg and extremely cooperative character, we think she has a great future ahead of her.”

Vallentin herself could still not quite comprehend it during the press conference. “When the crowd started cheering on the last AC line, I thought it might be a good thing. But I never expected this, this is a dream. She’s so easy to ride, I don’t even sweat,” she laughs. It is actually a bit of a fairy tale for this Danish rider with her own horse. “I ride a lot of horses, but she is very special to me. I bought her as a two-year-old in a pasture and I have always ridden her myself. We have decided to keep her for a long time. So this is all really very special to me.”

Vallentin Victoria E., DEN, Lyngbjergs St. Paris
Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses
Ermelo 2022
© Hippo Foto Media- Dirk Caremans
10/09/2022

In second place was the large-framed Vitalos (Vitalis x De Niro). He was bred by Josef Bramlage and scored a 9.8 for his trot with his rider Leonie Richter. “Vitalos is an extremely powerful and willing horse and Leonie rode a very nice test,” says Monique Peutz. “He always remains nicely straight, is beautifully connected and always keeps moving from the back powerfully. He seems to have a lot of talent for the collected work, and we think this horse has a great future ahead of him.”

Leonie Richter, the rider of Vitalos, rides the chestnut for Hengstenstation Helgstrand/Schockemöhle. “He is great. He was my dream horse from the first day I started working for Helgstrand. He is a breeding stallion, and he has been very busy last year, but he is such a nice horse and he has the best character you could wish for. He has a lot of power, but at the same time he is so relaxed and focused. And he always gives me everything he has.”

The Oldenburg stallion Fashion Prinz OLD (Fürst Romancier x Sarkozy), bred by Gestüt Lewitz and owned by Hof Kasselmann, won the qualifying test on Thursday with his rider Frederic Wandres, but placed third today. Monique Peutz: “This big boy is a fantastic horse. When he develops more power from behind, he will only get better. This horse also holds great promise for the future.” His rider Wandres said: “I am very happy with my horse. He is taller than 1.90m, so he needs a little more time to develop. But I know what he can do. He already makes me feel at home. We will prepare him calmly for next year and then we will go for gold!”.

Henning Lehrmann, the chairman of the jury, was full of praise for the quality of the 5-year-old horses and their riders. “It was an honor for us to judge such good horses. It was also an advertisement for horse riding. The riders were all riding very well. I think that dressage is on the right track with these combinations.

LONGINES

CH-M-D YH Final for 6-year-old-horses

After a thrilling final, Global Player OLD (Grand Galaxy Win T x Blue Hors Don Schufro) and Eva Möller won the six-year-old dressage horses class. The silver medal went to Hesselhoej Downtown (Hesselhoej Donkey Boy x Blue Hors Zack) and bronze went to Lennox U.S. (Grand Galaxy Win x Rousseau).

“A clear test”, Katrina Wüst (Germany), the commentating jury member called the presentation of the Oldenburg stallion who is jointly owned by Hengsthalthung Helgstrand and Schockemöhle and bred by Henrik Hansen. “An impressive horse with a very powerful trot, who showed a constant rhythm and strong hind leg. We couldn’t really say much negative about him.” This comment resulted in a 9.8 for trot from the stallion who just missed the stage last year. “The canter is uphill with a lot of suspension and ground covering, rider and horse work in perfect harmony with each other so that no mistakes were made. We have a lot of confidence in this stallion.” And with that comment, two more tens appeared on the scoreboard for submission and perspective.

The German Eva Möller is now very experienced in riding World Championships but winning never takes getting used to: “We were very close in terms of points during the qualifying round, and that puts extra pressure on you for the final. We really tried our best and when it works it’s great. Every time you go into the arena you get a special feeling; you never get used to that.” The rider and six-year-old stallion have been a combination for about three years now and have competed in several championships. “Global Player doesn’t really make mistakes, he not only has talent but is also very cooperative, in top condition and can effortlessly do breeding next to it. That’s really his strength, he stays focused on the sport and is super reliable,” said a proud rider.

Möller Eva, GER, Global Player OLD
Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses
Ermelo 2022
© Hippo Foto Media- Dirk Caremans
11/09/2022

The 2021 World Champion among the five-year-olds had to settle for second place this year, but still with a monster score and a very loud applause from the public. “We share the enthusiasm,” Katrina Wüst began her comment; “especially the light-footedness and ease in all gaits was a pleasure.” The Danish Warmblood, bred by the Hoeck family, trotted with a lot of panache and carriage, whereby the hind leg might have been allowed to step under a little more now and then. His walk was very regular with plenty of scope and relaxation and the canter stood out in activity and forward motion. But here too it was the cooperation and the future perspective for which the jury awarded the most points: a 9.5 and 9.8. “What a nice connection rider and horse have in this presentation, it really looks like he wants to work for you,” the jury commented on rider Jeanna Hogberg.

And then suddenly there was the 17-year-old Jill Bogers with the KWPN-bred Lennox U.S. on the stage at the World Championship. It was not a complete surprise, given the Dutch title in the M class and a fifth place at the European Championship for Juniors this summer for the combination. “I already had really good scores last season, but today everything fell into place. I’ve never ridden so well and then the points also correspond to the feeling, that’s really great!’, says the rider with enthusiasm. Despite the young age of horse and rider, the combination received a lot of praise for the harmonious presentation; “It is a wonderful partnership full of trust and cooperation”, the jury summarized the test, which was rewarded with a 9.5. There is a lot of confidence in the future of the stallion, who was bred by mr. Wilschut and in joint ownership of Paul Schockemöhle and Joop van Uytert. “Lennox has a good trot and kept his cadence throughout all parts. The walk could have had a little more shoulder freedom, but the stallion has an impressive, upward canter with a lot of body use and a good jump.”

We’d  like to add a mention of KWPN stallion (NRPS Approved) Gorgeous Latino and his rider Sabine Schut-Kery, who competed under the American flag. They were top qualifying 6-year-old in the USA and placed 4th in the Semi Finals at these Dressage World Breeding Championships on Saturday with a beautiful score of 83.4.

Gorgeous Latino (by Glock’s Toto Jr. x Rubiquil). KWPN Stallion (NRPS Approved), bred by Stal Hexagon, owned by Sandy Mancini. Rider: Sabine Schut-Kery. Picture credit: Digishots

LONGINES

CH-M-D YH Final for 7-year-old-horses

The great Kjento (Negro x Jazz) and his rider Charlotte Fry became world champion for seven-year-old dressage horses. The expressive KWPN stallion was bred by A.J. van Os and owned by Van Olst Horses. The second place was for Destello OLD (Dimaggio x Furst Fuegger) and in third place came Escamillo (Escolar x Rohdiamant).

The jury ran out of superlatives to comment on the trot of the black KWPN stallion Kjento. “What an exciting and well-moving horse,” said commentating jury Maria Swenessen from Australia. “A pleasure to judge, but with a trot with so much balance, upward urge and collection, the question arises: How high can you go?.” Only the very highest was enough, so the only 10 in the final was awarded. Kjento’s upward canter with a lot of power and ability to switch tempo and his active, tactile walk were also highly appreciated, which was reflected in his score. The fact that the jury has a lot of confidence in the seven-year-old stallion was apparent from the 9.8 for perspective that was awarded, which meant that the world championship title could not be awarded to anyone else.

The British Charlotte Fry could not help but shine after the final. “It was so exciting after my test, because there were still four combinations that had to ride. I’ve only been pacing but now I’m enjoying the win!” The 2021 FEI World Champion in the six-year-old dressage horses is a pleasure to work with, according to the rider; ”Kjento is super chill to handle, in the stable it is almost a gelding. But as soon as I pick up the reins, it’s on and he is super sharp. He is the perfect horse.” During the test, the combination really enjoyed themselves despite the pressure to maintain its favorite position after last year’s win. “We went for more power this test and it delivered everything I asked for. Of course, there is pressure to show that he is still as great as he was, but I really don’t have to worry about that with him,” Charlotte concludes.

Fry Charlotte, GBR, Kjento
Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses
Ermelo 2022
© Hippo Foto Media- Dirk Caremans
11/09/2022

Second place winner Destello almost hadn’t come to this championship; the participation of the elegant Oldenburg chestnut was a last-minute decision. “I didn’t come to win, just to show his quality. He has little experience in such an environment, so for me he is the winner,” says his rider, the German Beatrice Hoffrogge. Quality he has, this Hanover and Oldenburg approved stallion owned by Sophi Fabri, and bred by Stefanie Löhmann. He scored a 9.8 for his trot and a 9.5 for perspective. “An expressive and elegant presentation”, declared judge Maria Swenessen after the test. “An elastic trot with a lot of use of the hindleg but he stays collected at all times and does the side gaits with great ease. The walk was rhythmic with a lot of scope and the canter is great, very uphill. What a beautiful partnership was shown here.”

The impressive and easy moving Escamillo came not far behind Destello. The stallions were very evenly matched with very few difference in final score. “I had a hard time today,” laughs his Spanish rider Manuel Dominguez Bernal. “Escamillo was hot today, but there is so much quality in that stallion. I am very happy with our third place.” The runner-up of Verden 2021 had a strong entry in which his powerful trot with a lot of body use and suppleness stood out. The great work ethic of the Rheinlander stallion, bred by Gestüt Tenterhof and now owned by Kimberley Davis-Slous, was evident throughout the trial. Escamillo has a tactile step with a lot of ease and space but could show a little more activity in the collected work. The stallion has good use of his hind leg in all gaits and a very strong, upward canter. We see a lot of promise for his future”, Maria Swenessen summed up after the trial.

CDI3* Grand Prix

Charlotte Fry and the KWPN stallion Everdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro) won the CDI3* Grand Prix on Saturday. They scored 76.13% which was a difference of three percent with the number two.“Everdale felt really good,” says Charlotte Fry after her ride. “We’ve mainly focused on Glamourdale this season, so we don’t have a lot of competition routine this year. Everdale was clearly happy to be back and showed himself well. He has a lot of personality and clearly felt that now it was his turn to come along.”

Judge Christoph Umbach, about the Grand Prix this year: “The quality was high in this section, but some combinations had some bad luck along the way. Charlotte Fry shows a lot of experience, although she had some minor issues. Andreas Helgstrand has a very talented horse for the future with Queenparks Wendy, but it is a young horse that still lacks experience. Simone Pearce has only recently been combined with Fiderdance, but this duo shows a lot of improvement. We saw many horses in this class today that had already competed in the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, so the World Championships prove its value for the top sport. I see it as a sign of sustainability that these horses have developed from a young age to the international Grand Prix.”

The second position in this class was for Andreas Helgstrand and Queenparks Wendy, who scored 73.04%. This daughter of Sezuan also competed at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses as a five- and seven-year-old and received a bronze medal as a five-year-old.

The third position (71.60%) was for Simone Pearce and Fiderdance (by Fidertanz) from Australia. They are followed by Fabiënne Müller-Lütkemeier and Valesco (by Vitalis), who scored 71.32%.

Sisters Act MT OLD participated three times at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses. This daughter of Sandro Hit scored 71.23% under Dorothee Schneider and placed fifth. Lynne Maas and Electra were eighth and therefore the best scoring combination for The Netherlands. In 2016, this duo finished sixth in the final for seven-year-olds. Gerion, who finished as number nine, also a descendant of Jazz, took eighth place in the final for six-year-olds. Addict de Massa (by San Amour), Ironman H (by Bordeaux) and Great Lady TC (by Bretton Woods) previously competed at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, which made this section worth following.

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle

On Sunday afternoon, the Olympic KWPN stallion Everdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro), bred by P. Kluytmans, showed that the van Olst family and rider Charlotte Fry are blessed with a stable full of absolute top talents. After the two-time world champion won the Grand Prix on Saturday with Everdale and the World Title for seven-year-old dressage horses with Kjento (Negro x Jazz), she was also the very best in the freestyle to music of the CDI3* competitions.

With 84.335%, the gap with the score of the second-placed Simone Pierce with Fiderdance OLD (Fidertanz 2 x Blue Hors Don Schufro) was large: she scored 78.565% with the Oldenburger stallion owned by Gestüt Bonhomme GmbH & Co.KG, and bred by Friedrich Ekkehard. Third place was for Anna Kasprzak with the Portuguese sport horse Addict de Massa (San Amour OLD x Maestro JGB), bred by Sylvain Massa and owned by Hanni Toosbuy. The Danish rider scored 77.710% with the 12-year-old stallion.

The chairman of the jury, Maarten van der Heijden, very much enjoyed this class. “The audience is enthusiastic, the stages were full, the stadium is beautiful and the weather was great.” The scores between number two and six were fairly close together. We saw nice and good freestyles with a lot of harmony and high levels of difficulty there, but Lottie Fry stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was so powerful, so impressive, so strong, so huge off the ground, with a beautiful passage and piaffe in which she kept very nice tact and rhythm. And she had huge expansions. She may have won a silver Olympic team medal with this horse, but she still has to do it here. But she did. Lottie’s freestyle was, in one word, great.”

Lottie Fry herself could only smile and enjoy it. In Ermelo she has won every class she participated in. It seems impossible for the British world champion not to win. “I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts,” she replied humbly. She was very satisfied with her test with Everdale. “I think this was one of his best tests ever. He was so relaxed, yet so powerful at the same time. He thoroughly enjoys the stadium. I think he had been waiting for this moment for several months. He always had to stay home while I went out with the other horses. This was his moment to be in the spotlight again and he loved it. It was really nice that we could do this in front of all his Dutch fans, especially because he is also a breeding stallion.” Fry wants to keep improving for the foreseeable future. “There is always room for improvement, so we will continue to work on that. But for now, I’m very content. Hopefully Everdale can do a few World Cup qualifiers at major competitions next season and show off even more!”

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Andreas Helgstrand was the clear winner in the CDI3* Grand Prix Special on Sunday, this last day of the event, with DWB mare Queenparks Wendy (Sezuan 2 x Blue Hors Soprano). A wonderful confirmation that the best young dressage horses can be found at the World Championships, because in 2019 Wendy, bred by Kurt Gosmer, already won a bronze medal with Helgstrand in the five-year-old dressage horse class at the World Championships in Ermelo.

The large-framed black mare Queenspark Wendy was the only 8-year-old. “I’ve only competed her at Grand Prix a few times and this was my first time riding her in a Special,” said Helgstrand. “We are here for training, and I just wanted to give it a try. I know she’s an extremely good horse, so I was hoping for a good result, but I never expected her to do so well the first time around. She did an almost flawless test. There is of course still a lot to improve on, but that she is already getting this percentage is fantastic,” said Helgstrand.

Three years ago in Verden, the jury was already convinced of the qualities of Queenparks Wendy. They gave her a 9 for her forward and active trot, a 9 for her active walk, her uphill canter a whopping 10, her harmony a 9.5 and her talent a 9.6. The day before, Helgstrand and the mare finished second in the Grand Prix behind Charlotte Fry and Everdale. Helgstrand adds: “Her character is really incredible. She’s a hot lady and she’s always on, but she also knows how to control her temper. She stands still, walks well and just does her job. She is a huge collaborator. I’ve known her since she was a foal and I know I have to be careful with her, but all in all she’s doing great.”

Helgstrand scored 75.638%, which was more than three and a half percent difference with the second placed Sisters Act MT OLD (Sandro Hit x Royal Diamond 5) and Dorothee Schneider. This ten-year-old mare, bred by Silke Pelzer and owned by Gestüt Vorwerk, has also competed at the World Championships three times in a row, finishing in the top six every year. The third place this year was for Florine OLD (Foundation 2 x Lauries Crusador xx), bred by Klaus Gustenberg and owned by Elisabeth von Wulffen. She was ridden by Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock.

Would you like more information? You can find all the results & reports here:

https://www.longinestiming.com/equestrian/2022/longines-fei-wbfsh-world-breeding-dressage-championships-for-young-horses-ermelo

https://www.kwpn.org/wc-young-dressage-horses-2022?_ga=2.198674154.49046335.1662976807-2041316899.1662976807

Source: LONGINES/FEI press releases

This article was written by Liz van Woerden for KWPN-NA.