The best for the end: The World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Ermelo, the Netherlands, ended with a gold medal for the six-year-old Oldenburg stallion Global Player OLD and his rider Eva Möller. This increased the success of the German horse breeding to a total of five out of nine possible medals after two silver and two bronze medals in the five- and six-year-old horses.
Even when breaking in, you could tell that something was happening here. "We are very happy to have been part of this afternoon that ends with such a performance," Katrina Wüst continued to comment on the judges' group after the performance of Global Player OLD (by Grand Galaxy Win - Don Schufro) as the last starter. The judges had little to complain about in the trot (8.9), for the clear walk and the uphill canter they awarded a 9.5. However, they particularly emphasised the permeability of the elegant black stallion, who was excellently presented by his rider Eva Möller. Only once did Global Player OLD briefly slip at the end of the otherwise flawlessly presented test. A reason for the judges to give him the highest score: an even 10 for the permeability and because it was so beautiful, also for the overall impression and perspective of the stallion as a dressage horse. With an overall score of 9.76, the Oldenburg Champion Stallion, bred by Henrik Hansen (Denmark) and owned by the Helgstrand/Schockemöhle stallion station, crowned his career to date, which began with the licensing victory in Oldenburg. As a five-year-old, the stallion bred by Henrik Hansen (Denmark) was National Champion and Vice National Champion and took fourth place at the World Championships in Verden.
At that time he had to give way to his station mate from Danish breeding, Hesselhoej Down Town, ridden by the Swedish Jeanna Hogberg. In Ermelo, last year's World Champion finished in silver place with an overall score of 9.38 points. Surprisingly, the only 17-year-old Dutch rider Jill Bogers, team silver medallist and sixth of the Junior European Championships in Hartpury this year, came third with her championship horse Lennox U.S, another son of Grand Galaxy Win. The harmonious performance of the young rider and the KWPN stallion was rewarded with high scores for canter and permeability and ended with an overall score of 8.9 and the bronze medal.
Two very different German horses finished the final in sixth place with the same score of 8.58: the paint-black Portuguese-bred Hanoverian Zonik - Hohenstein offspring Zonik Plus, presented by his Belgian rider Justin Verboomen, and the Hanoverian dark chestnut mare Belinda (by Bon Coeur - Royal Blend) bred by Wilfried Putz and owned by Maria Putz from Wiesentheid in Bavaria. Belinda, with her rider Lena Waldmann, had moved up as the winner of the Small Final and was able to score points in particular with a very good walk tour. With her second horse Dancing Brave, a Hanoverian stallion by Don Juan de His - Lemony's Nicket bred and owned by Axel Windeler from Verden, Lena Waldmann was also able to take tenth place. An "athletic and strong horse" with good prospects, who should only improve a little in the canter, according to the judge's verdict. Final score: 8.28.
Great success for German horse breeding
A total of 43 horses from German breeding competed at the WEG, 21 of them took part in the finals and secured five out of nine possible medals for the German horse breeding. The Oldenburg Verband had the largest share. Not only did they provide nine finalists, but they also won a complete set of medals - one in each age group: Gold for Global Player OLD in the six-year-old class, silver for Destello OLD in the seven-year-old class and bronze for Fashion Prinz OLD in the five-year-old class. The Hanoverian Verband was represented by seven finalists in Ermelo, including the five-year-old silver medallist Vitalos, plus the seven-year-old Rhineland stallion Camillo, who provided a bronze medal. In addition, four representatives of the Westphalian Stud Book were able to recommend themselves for the Final."It was again a really well organised event, with a full house at the weekend and a great atmosphere. For the first time we had riders from 24 nations and horses from 25 breeding associations affiliated to the WBFHS at the start. This has never happened before. This is where it pays off that the federations were requested by the rules and regulations to nominate domestically bred horses," Dr. Klaus Miesner, Managing Director of the Breeding Division of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), summed up. "For the German Horse Breeding itself, these World Championships were a great success, especially nice of course the gold medal at the end. The top was extremely close in all three age classes and in terms of quality the medallists were definitely on a par."
