Germany's Heike Kemmer cemented her lead in the FEI World Cup Western European dressage league table with a close fought victory in Maastricht today. Less than one point separated Kemmer and Bonaparte, a now nine-year-old Hannoverian gelding found by her father Joachim as a foal, from local heroine Anky van Grunsven riding Gestion Salinero. This was the Olympic champion van Grunsven's first international grand prix competition in a year where most of her time has been spent recovering from a serious thigh fracture sustained in a training accident at home. With Isabell Werth, Kemmer's team mate on the gold-medal winning German European squad, in third place on her young talent Satchmo, the top three riders performed at a very high level on exciting young horses.

Ground Jury President Stephen Clarke (GBR) commented: " The top three were very close. Bonaparte showed beautiful basic work with wonderful extended trots, but could show more expression still in piaffe and passage. Anky and Salinero showed brilliant interpretation of the music and Isabell's Satchmo was so expressive - the test had real highlights."

Hubertus Schmidt, winner of the Berlin qualifier on the ten-year-old chestnut mare Wansuela Suerte, placed fourth here after a few mark-costing mistakes. But the German rider is well on course to gain a place at next year's World Cup Final in Dusseldorf (April 1-4) as he has climbed to third place in the rankings after just two competitions, behind British rider Emma Hindle.

Antoinette Falandt and Jarwo, the leading Dutch partnership at the European championships last summer, placed second in the qualifying grand prix but were disqualified from the freestyle for performing a triple pirouette, a movement disallowed in the rules for freestyle tests. Stephen Clarke explained that the rule was brought in to protect dressage horses from potential overstrain. "While it may be possible for the top riders to perform a triple pirouette, the rule is there to protect the not so good riders' horses."

Again the season's high standard was maintained here at the first of three Dutch qualifying shows. With four qualifiers to go, the next takes place at Mechelen, Belgium, from 26-30 December.

Grand Prix Freestyle

1, Bonaparte (Heike Kemmer) GER 80.175
2, Gestion Salinero (Anky van Grunsven) NED 79.975
3, Satchmo (Isabell Werth) GER 77.00
4, Wansuela Suerte (Hubertus Schmidt) 75.40
5, Barclay II (Sven Rothenberger) NED 73.125
6, Guinness (Louise Nathhorst) SWE 72.45
7, Idocus (Marlies van Baalen) NED 72.275
8, Gestion Lingh (Edward Gal) NED 72.25
9, Solos Carex (Tinne Vilhelmson) SWE 70.30
10, Mr G de Lully (Jasmine Sanche-Burger) SUI 69.25

Western European League Standings after 3 competitions

1, Heike Kemmer GER 72
2, Emma Hindle GBR 50
3, Hubertus Schmidt GER 33
4= Isabell Werth GER and Louise Nathhorst SWE 28
6, Nicole Ahlefeldt Laurvig Lehn DEN 26
8, Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff GER 24
9, Sven Rothenberger NED 23
10, Jan Brink SWE 21

For further information:

www.jumpingindoormaastricht.nl

www.horsesport.org
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Bernadette Faurie