For the seventh time, Isabell Werth won the Grand Prix Freestyle, the Prize of Almased Wellness GmbH, at the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF). The pair dominated the starting field with a score of 85.845 percent, Werth was highly satisfied: "I don't want to say that Emilio has never been as good as today, but he is definitely in good shape at the moment. I am very very satisfied. He was already in top form in Ludwigsburg and Lyon and has mastered the whole winter season well so far. Now we'll see if we can qualify for the World Cup final in Omaha and if Quantaz or Emilio will ride then." Exactly six years ago, in December 2016, the 16-year-old Ehrenpreis son rode his first international freestyle, and since then he has very consistently delivered top performances. Seven years ago, Emilio had already celebrated a significant victory in the Festhalle. At that time he won the final of the Louisdor Prize. The Festhalle as a springboard to the big sport!
With seven freestyle and five Grand Prix victories in Frankfurt, Werth is just as much a regular in the Festhalle as Dorothee Schneider. Schneider had saddled her European Championship partner from 2021 this year and earned second place in the freestyle with a new best result on Faustus. "I am very happy with Faustus because he always hides his light under a bushel and today he really came out of his shell. I congratulate the horse for presenting himself the way he is today." The top result of the two: 82.870 percent. Laughing, Schneider added: "Faustus apparently needs this great hall here in Frankfurt to present himself at his best."
Third place in the freestyle this year went to Juliane Brunkhorst and Aperol with 77.620 percent.
Fendi wins the Louisdor Prize - with the best result ever
79.90 percent - that is the best result ever to win the final of the Louisdor Prize at the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF). Fendi wrapped spectators and judges alike around his finger on Sunday morning. Sönke Rothenberger described him as a "very special overall package" and declared: "I enjoy this horse every day when I get on!" This was exactly what was seen at the two performances in the Festhalle.
Dr Dietrich Plewa, dressage judge and expert commentator of the Louisdor Final, raved about Fendi. The first 'wow' that the expert admiringly expressed was for the backward dressage. "Reversing is a criterion for permeability, obedience and looseness in the neck and back and this horse goes diagonally from the first kick in consistent very nice lean and totally happy in the mouth. That was probably the first 9 he got, but not the last for this presentation." The entire test was peppered with highlights - not least the pirouettes. "They don't get much better than that! That's what you strive for to get close to the ideal - compliments!"
For Sönke Rothenberger it was the second horse he presented in the Louisdor Final. He already took part in 2015 with Cosmo, came second in the final and eight months later was part of the golden Olympic team of the German dressage riders.
Second place in the 16th Louisdor Final - the series for eight to ten-year-old Grand Prix youngsters was launched as a pilot project in 2007 - went to Ann-Kathrin Lindner and the ten-year-old Lingh son FBW Lord of Dance with 73.240 percent. The pair scored primarily with great correctness and harmony. Third place went to Dr. Svenja Kämper-Meyer and her homebred Amanyara M with 72.080 percent. Since 2012, this Grand Prix young rider series has been held under the name Louisdor Prize, and since 2012 it has been the Liselott and Klaus Rheinberger Foundation that supports this series. "It was a great final with a sensational result for the winner," Dr. Evi Eisenhardt, member of the foundation's board of directors and also a member of the jury in the Louisdor Final, was pleased to say and announced while still on site in Frankfurt: "We will definitely continue in exactly the same way. We are absolutely convinced of this series and its importance for the sport, that's why it will continue in the familiar form in 2023!"
The Louisdor venues for 2023 are already fixed: Hagen, Wiesbaden, Donzdorf, Kronberg and as the fifth venue an indoor tournament will be added again, so for the first time Guxhagen in Northern Hesse will be the venue of the Louisdor Prize. The final will take place as usual in December in the Festhalle in Frankfurt.
Conclusion with a Christmas bonus: CSI4*
On Sunday afternoon, Show Director Matthias Alexander Rath drew a first conclusion:"We have seen super sport in all dressage competitions. We were very pleased about that as the organisers. In terms of spectator numbers, we will achieve pretty much the same figures as in 2019, i.e. around 50,000. What pleases us most of all is that we have already started selling tickets for 2023 here on site this year and have already sold many times more than in 2019 for the following year. Looking at the whole situation, also looking back at the last two years, that's not to be taken for granted." Rath had high praise for his entire team, especially Jessica Stommel and Fabiana Hesse, who pull the strings in the Schafhof office, and Carsten Rotermund and Thomas Münch, who were involved in the organisation during the tournament.
For the coming year, Rath has announced some more changes in terms of 'decoration'. "In the arena and in the exhibition everything is decorated very Christmassy, we want to extend that in the warm-up area as well to create even more Christmas atmosphere there."
At the very end, Rath gave a 'Christmas bonus' along the way: "We have already raised the dressage to five-star level. Since then, we have always said that we would also like to follow suit in the show jumping. Next year, for the 50th anniversary of the tournament, we will hold a CSI at four-star level for the first time and thus upgrade the show jumping at the Festhalle Tournament even further.
