Hagen: Sönke Rothenberger wins Louisdor-Prize
Hagen a.T.W. (fn-press). The Louisdor Prize has started the new season. At the “Horses&Dreams” tournament at Hof Kasselmann, twelve couples presented themselves to the judges. The first winners to leave the arena were Sönke Rothenberger (Bad Homburg) and the Danish stallion Fendi. Second-placed Frederic Wandres (Hagen a.T.W.) also qualified for the final of the series with the Hanoverian Harrods.
The Louisdor Prize, the renowned series of tests for eight to ten-year-old Grand Prix horses, leads over five tournaments to the final in the Frankfurt Festhalle. The riders were able to get their first two tickets at the “Horses&Dreams” tournament in Hagen a.T.W. to solve. This was achieved by Sönke Rothenberger and Frederic Wandres. Rothenberger presented the stallion Fendi. The Franklin son, bred in Denmark, already knew the Hagen square, because last year he competed in the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal. Now the eight-year-old horse has arrived in the Grand Prix class. dr Dietrich Plewa, who commented on the test for the public, was enthusiastic: “The championship squad sends its regards, Fendi is a world horse. The last center line was really world class.” Sönke Rothenberger also reacted enthusiastically: “I'm incredibly happy with how the horse performed here. Now he deserves a break.” The top result of the day was 76.68 percent. The two had also won the warm-up test with ease.
Frederic Wandres took second place. The chief trainer at Hof Kasselmann led the nine-year-old Hanoverian Harrods (by Hochadel-Rotspon) to 72.765 percent. Plewa praised the good load acceptance and frame extension, but criticized the piaffe, which was not as good as in the warm-up test. Wandres said: “It is always crucial how you get into the piaffe. That didn't work out so well today.”
Marcus Hermes (Warendorf) took third place with the ten-year-old Hanoverian Facilone FRH (by Fürstenball-De Niro). He has been riding the bay gelding, which impresses with its enormous elasticity and dynamics, for nine months. Hermes: “I'm really excited about this horse, but I was skeptical about starting here at all. With Facilone, a lot is still not so sure.” How good that Hermes has made its way to Hagen, because as Dr. Pleva: "What more do we want? That was a really great test!” The result was 72.127 percent.
As of this season, the riders present their horses in a new task. While the Intermediaire II dressage task and the Short Grand Prix were previously ridden in the individual stages of the Louisdor Prize, the special task "Louisdor Grand Prix" now takes the place of the Short Grand Prix. Instead of twelve to 15 steps in the piaffe, this now only requires eight to ten, and the canter tour has also been made somewhat more equal. The reason for this was the criticism from some athletes that the jump from the Intermediaire II to the Short Grand Prix was too demanding for young horses.
The next stage of the Louisdor Prize takes the riders to the Whitsun tournament in Wiesbaden (June 3rd to 6th). It continues to Kronberg for the Schafhof Dressage Festival (July 14th to 17th), to Donzdorf to the Birkhof Stud (July 28th to 31st) and to Ising to Gut Ising (September 1st to 4th). The finale of the series is to be held in the Frankfurt Festhalle (December 15th to 18th). hen
