The podium on Friday mirrored Thursday’s results in the Grand Prix test. But the remaining 12 of 15 starts who lined up for the Freestyle at the Longines Equita Lyon were eager to have their chance to wear a sash at the awards ceremony.
It looked good for Dutch athlete and 2016 World Cup champion Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Toto JR when he put 80.040 percent on the leaderboard, the first of seven pairs to break the 80 percent barrier.
Brilliant Basquin
Their lead held until Basquin’s turn in the ring as the third-to-last competitor. Her dance-themed programme got her a 10 from one of the judges for harmony with Sertorius. It also garnered a standing ovation from the crowd in the Concours Hippique International and moved her temporarily into the lead.
Patrik Kittel took over the top spot moments later with a James Bond-themed performance that showed off Touchdowns’s beautiful canter pirouette work and musicality.
Praise for Quantaz
But no one could beat the most decorated Dressage athlete of all time, Isabell Werth, who closed out the evening’s entertainment. Even with a spook in the middle of the extended canter, her programme with Quantaz put them nearly 3 percentage points above Kittel for the victory.
“I want to talk to that guy,” joked Werth of a man who apparently walked in front of the lights, which distracted her 14-year-old gelding. “He was really with me. But that happens, and we came back.”
“He was fantastic,” she said of Quantaz. “It was a super atmosphere coming in. It was a super Freestyle, I have to say.”
Before heading to the prize giving, Werth congratulated the team who organised the event, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, mentioning how thrilled she was to see the audience grow from the early years to its sold-out size today.
Minderhoud so close
In the end, Minderhoud had to settle for fourth place, followed by Sönke Rothenberger of Germany (Fendi). Dinja van Liere of the Netherlands (Hartsuijker), Larissa Pauluis of Belgium (Flambeau), Dorothee Schneider of Germany (Dayman 4), Devenda Dijkstra of the Netherlands (Hero), and Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier of Germany (Valesco 50) closed out the top 10.
Stuttgart (GER) is the next host for the series, as athletes battle for qualifying points to head to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final at Basel in April. Fans can enjoy all the excitement live on FEI TV!
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