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CHIO
Aachen |
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CHIO Aachen Impressions
by Brent Hicks
"There were 59 GP rides altogether, and 16 of them had 70% or better..mostly German, Danish, Dutch and Ferrer-Salat of Spain. I think scoring is going up, but also quality of rides really increasing.
Some of these horses I saw two years ago, in Rome, at World Equestrian Games. Overall, the general quality of gaits and training is higher now. I saw better extended trots -- maybe a sign of better and greater foundation. And there seems to be better, more specialized breeding -- Chacomo, Farbenfroh, Leonardo da Vinci - -these are super horses.
I think the quality of walks, especially the collected walk, is getting better.
GPS- five German horses, 75% or better..Germans are still favorites for team gold.
But we didn't get to see the Dutch A team..so that remains to be seen. Danes look like the bronze.
Warm-ups: Rusty was less spooky in the warm up than he was in the test..What a horse! His overall silhouette really shows just how 'through' he is--he epitomizes "active" "powerful" and "fluidity."
Gigolo -the piaffe looked more even and steadier in the warm-up..that's kind of expected. Occasionally, Isabell did passage in rising trot! I didn't see her do any of the extreme stretching exercises that she sometimes used to do..
Farbenfroh--sometimes warmed up in snaffle, sometimes double..
No matter which day they actually competed, most of the horses did two work sessions a day-- plus the test. These horses are really fit! No excess fat!
So they did a 'riding-in' session in the morning, where the horses are really gymnasticized and worked. And THEN they did what we usually do here -- ride and warm-up before the actual test.
Kyra Kyrklund has said that she does the same--even if it means getting up at 4 AM in order for the horse to have enough time between sessions.
Most of these riders are also very fit! Hardly see less than excellent athletes--correct position..they supple the horses a lot, they emphasize obedience to the aids, whether saying Go or Stop. Nearly everyone has a ground person. But, of course -- this is the best of the best -- it is Aachen, so one would expect a lot of this.
They ride much closer to each other in the warm-up rings than we do here! They are all obviously used to training in traffic<G>...people do extended canter into corners, and other riders pass close by without a glance..
When you're up this close, you can really see how much these horses push off the ground. Amazing elevation, especially in collected work. Canter pirouettes if fault, were too fast, almost never too slow. Some really spun, trying to stay on spot!
Frabenfroh still does not look finished..sometimes, he kicked out with both hind legs during warm ups..and they would 'argue' for a few moments..but what a horse! Wow!
Isabell ALWAYS looks centered. Never out of balance, always going forward with horse, no matter what the movement.
Kurs - no obvious classical music, with exception of Rusty maybe...the others were all much more pop or orchestral..
Quadrille was great!
Movements: horses all clustered around X, three rein back off X while one comes through on diagonal in full extended trot-way cool!
Thoughts: predominantly female riders everywhere..rain didn't seem to affect any of them.
Special exhibition--Hungarian bareback riders, galloping around, snapping the loudest bullwhips I've ever heard--horses totally unfazed, including Hungarian boy on HIS pony in the act!
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