Julien Epaillard: ‘Amsterdam is very special for me’/h3>

A year minus one day after his spectacular victory in the Amsterdam round of the World Cup, Julien Epaillard took that other top prize of Jumping Amsterdam in equally spectacular fashion: the Anemone HorseTrucks Grand Prix of Amsterdam powered by Stoeterij Sterrehof. With his other top horse, the Baloubet du Rouet daughter Dubai du Cedre, Epaillard was a size too fast for his ten competitors: 0/34.16. With two impressive rounds, Willem Greve was best of the rest on the debut of his mare Pretty Woman van ‘t Paradijs (0/36.57), third place was for Lars Kersten and the superbly jumping Funky Fred Marienshof Z (0/37.98).

 Greve to great second place

It was a thankless task to improve on Julien Epaillard’s improbably fast ride. Willem Greve did make an attempt, despite the fact that his brilliant Vigo d’Arsouilles daughter Pretty Woman was debuting in a 5-star Grand Prix. The rider from Markelo had to bow to the French force, but did stay ahead of Lars Kersten, who had Funky Fred (by Fantomas de Muze) jumping superbly.

Two super horses

Jumping Amsterdam has now won a special place in Julien Epauillard’s heart. “Winning the World Cup competition and the Grand Prix back to back is only possible if you have two super horses. And that’s how lucky I am with Donatello and Dubai.”

Rest after Geneva

His Grand Prix winner was given a short break after the top competition in Geneva, where she was fifth and eighth in the two main classes. “Two weeks ago in Oliva, I rode low classes with her again. The first round was difficult for me because she was still very fresh. But in the jump-off she was great. You have those barrages, they just run and then you can also take a lot of risk. The distances were easy. After the second fence I went for it. The line to the last fence also went well. She is in top form and always does her best in the ring. For me to ride her is fantastic.”

Rest

“I love this competition in Amsterdam. It’s a super atmosphere. Everything is well organised for the horses and riders. It’s nice that we can prepare in peace in the arena near the stables and then do the final preparations in the loose-riding arena. For me, Amsterdam is very special, I also won here once with Toupie de la Roque.”

Written by Eline Korving – In cooperation with Horses.nl

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Piaf and passage as von Bredow-Werndl takes over where she left off….

Marieke van der Putten won the highly competitive Prix st Georges class for the Onori Fashion & Gifts Prize on Friday evening. With her Glamourdale son Kuvasz RS2, Van der Putten scored 72.719%, edging Adelinde Cornelissen and Luqiedo (by Aqiedo) into second place (71.275%). Third place went to Dinja van Liere and her Millennium son Lowlands OLD (69.216%).

‘Kuvasz will go through fire for you’

“I never expected to win here,” says Marieke van der Putten after the award ceremony. “It was a really strong field of competitors and again, as the first starter, my score was not so high that you think you are going to win with that. But quite a lot happened, the RAI is a difficult hall for some horses. But that doesn’t bother you at all with Kuvasz RS2. She will go through fire for you.”

First time indoor

Still, poker Kuvasz RS2 found the hall of the RAI quite exciting. “It was the first time indoor for him in such a big entourage. I had some swings and some things that could really be improved. His bridle is a strong point of his. He constantly moves through the test. I can always keep him very nicely in front of me. Every stride in trot and canter is the same. That’s really a plus in him.”

Future horse

Kuvasz RS2 has been out of the running for a while, his last major appearance was at the World Championships in 2022.”He hasn’t been well for a while. He had stomach and intestinal problems. The training with him went very fast, he is a very work willing horse.I deliberately took him out for a year so he could have time to gain strength.He really is a future horse for me.He has a lot of potential for higher work.I think it is very important to give him time.”Stable character

For Marieke van der Putten, the preparation for Jumping Amsterdam was no different than usual.”I rode the selections and I still took him to a clinic.He has a very stable character.”

Grand Prix

“After this I’m going to take the time to work with him towards the Grand Prix.I feel he is really ready for this.I hope to start him Grand Prix at the end of this year.”

First starter

Van der Putten had to start first. “But I never found that a problem. You have to put down a good test right away. It doesn’t matter to me when I start.”

Dutch party

“I think Jumping Amsterdam is a fantastic competition. It’s always very busy for the horses though. They learn a lot from this, of course. It really is a Dutch party.”

Written by Eline Korving – In cooperation with Horses.nl

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Piaf and passage as von Bredow-Werndl takes over where she left off….

To the strains of a brand new French-themed musical score embracing Edith Piaf’s “je ne regrette rien”, reigning Olympic, European and World Cup champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the fabulous mare TSF Dalera BB claimed a definitive win at the second leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League in Lyon, France today.

On the crest of a wave of success, the 36-year-old German rider clinched the 2022 World Cup title at Leipzig (GER) in April before taking a break ahead of the birth of her baby daughter, Ella Marie, in August. And her comeback today was nothing short of sensational. 

A score of 90.140 left her ahead of compatriot and five-time World Cup champion Isabell Werth who finished second with Emilio on a mark of 87.945 while Sweden’s Patrik Kittel lined up in third with Touchdown and von Bredow-Werndl’s brother, Benjamin Werndl, finished fourth with Famoso OLD. 

Jessica was delighted with the result that stamped her authority back on the sport she has dominated for some time now. And she was relieved this evening too. 

“Coming back with a new Freestyle after riding one 90% score after another I knew I was pushing myself. I really wanted to get above 90 to be honest, and that I managed to do it is really cool because it’s what I wished for and prepared for!”

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER)

New lead

There were 13 starters in today’s points-deciding Freestyle and, first to go after the break, The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra looked set to forge a new lead with the high-stepping nine-year-old stallion Hexagon’s Ich Weiss who was really fun to watch. 

But the pair performed a 2.5 canter pirouette to the left which brought her Degree of Difficulty and Choreography mark to a 5.5 because it is a breach of the rules. So it was the 77.255 posted by the host-nation partnership of Morgan Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall ll OLD that was holding the lead when von Bredow-Werndl entered the ring.

From the moment the German pair set off the crowd were spellbound however, and they burst into applause when the score was posted. The music was captivating, and the floorplan allowed Dalera to show off her pure class. Clearly the golden girl of German dressage had it in the bag.

Coincidence

Asked about her new French-themed Freestyle, von Bredow-Werndl insisted that “it is just a good coincidence that coming up is Paris 2024! 

“My mom actually suggested to use this music. It feels like it fits perfectly to Dalera, right from the first time I rode it. And she loves it! It’s a love story between Dalera and me that’s made in France!”

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER)

 

“The floorplan is perfect for her because we have developed together over the last four and a half years and we’ve been using the previous Freestyle all that time so I think it’s time now to adapt and move on. I spent a lot of time working on the new choreography and it is difficult, but not for Dalera. Today she made it feel effortless, easy and still expressive. I rode this version last week on Wednesday and I just I knew this was it!”, she pointed out.

As best French finisher, having lined up in sixth in the final analysis behind Sweden’s Nanna Merrald Rasmussen and Atterupgaards Orthilia in fifth, Morgan Barbançon attended the post-competition press conference. She was happy with the performance of her great stallion Sir Donnerhall who has bounced back from a scary accident some years ago and who drew gasps of delight from the crowd when setting off in extended canter at the very beginning of his test.

Happy

“I am happy to see that he is still in a very good shape at 16 years old. It makes me happy to see he still wants to go in the ring, and Lyon is really my heart show – the best public is here!” And asked if she might think of changing her own Freestyle ahead of the Olympic Games in two years time she said “yes, and I might make it more French than France!”

The FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League now moves on to von Bredow-Werndl’s home ground in Stuttgart (GER) in two weeks time where she will partner the 13-year-old Ferdinand BB. As defending champion she only needs two appearances during the season to qualify for the 2023 series Final which will take place in Omaha (USA) next April. 

And well on his way to qualification is her brother, Benjamin, who goes into the next leg at the top of the WEL league table.

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