Exclamation mark to start with
Austria's dressage team presented itself in excellent form at the start of the World Championship qualification tournament at the CDI4* in Achleiten (Upper Austria). Above all, local hero Victoria Max-Theurer and Birkhof's Topas, who won the Grand Prix of the Special Tour with 75.261 percent.
Topas didn't let the brakes whizzing around stop him either, and in front of Max Theurer coach Isabell Werth, after the Grand Prix Special in Munich, he clinched his second international victory in a row. "We have a great connection," said Austria's four-time Olympic participant, cheering about her new 11-year-old sports partner, with whom she has contested four national Grand Prix and now the second international Grand Prix. "It was a great lap, Topas was super motivated, it's really fun to ride. The pirouettes, piaffes and passage tours were very nice, as were the changes and traversals. He's got so much talent and we're getting to know each other better and better in the exam."
Then Max-Theurer verbally took off her rider's helmet in front of her team: "Thanks to the Casper family from Birkhof Stud, who is always happy to share us with us, to my trainer Isabell Werth and to Stefan for the support." His partner Stefan Lehfellner took part in the Grand Prix Roberto Carlos MT was 3rd with 71.848 percent. For the first time the couple stood on the podium together at an international Grand Prix – of course there was also a kiss of victory. Florian Bacher took second place with Fidertraum and with 72.63 percent finally got his ticket to the World Championship: “I am very happy with the round, he was great to ride, and the points were good too. It's great that there were so many good laps over 70 percent and that we as a team were able to show that we have a strong team for the World Championships." In addition to Renate Voglsang with Fürst Ferdinand zur Fasanenhöhe (4th place with 70.565), Christian Schumach and Donna Karacho also managed such a 70 percent round. The 70.565 percent even meant the third Achleiten victory in a row in the Grand Prix of the Freestyle Tour. “I am very happy that the mare always delivers like that. The last 8 tournaments were always over 70 percent. So is a reliable partner with a lot of character and spirit, her consistency is impressive and it's always a pleasure to get started with her," emphasized the Carinthian.
