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Minderhoud claims World Cup title

Mar 28, 2016

The Netherlands’ Hans-Peter Minderhoud fulfilled a life-time ambition when clinching the World Cup Dressage 2016 title, riding Glock's Flirt to claim the trophy and €50,000 winner’s cheque in Gothenburg (SWE). The 42-year-old team gold and GP Special bronze medallist at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen (GER), gave it his all to earn a mark of 82.357 in front of a packed crowd in the Scandinavium Arena.

He had wanted this win for a very long time. “It was really special for me”, the Dutchman said afterwards. “This was my sixth final and I’ve never been on the podium, although I was twice really close. I started off as a groom and it was always my dream to win it, so it’s very emotional. My horse is almost like a dog, you can take him everywhere. He’s very sweet and always tries for you, he’s a really good boy!”

The win came at the expense of home crowd favourite Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfen, who finished just 0.928 per cent adrift with Don Auriello in second place. Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the stallion Unee BB, third-place finishers in Las Vegas (USA) 12 months ago, once again stood on the same step on the podium this time around.

Minderhoud posted the 13th Dutch victory in the history of the World Cup™ Dressage series which this year celebrates its 31st Final. The last time the title went to Holland it was Minderhoud’s life-partner, Edward Gal, who claimed the honours with the much-loved stallion Totilas on home ground in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2010.

The spectators at Gothenburg Horse Show always play their part in every competition, creating a great buzz as they get involved with everything going on in the arena. And the intensity of it all certainly affected American rider, Gunter Seidel’s, gelding, Zero Gravity, who looked ready to explode with the excitement of it all when fourth to go. But the three-time Olympian produced a masterful ride to finish his test with the lovely 12-year-old gelding who still managed to demonstrate his huge potential.

This pair were followed by the only other US representatives, Charlotte Jorst and Nintendo, who really set the arena alight with a performance that oozed energy and fun. The big bay stallion has exactly the same attitude as his rider who smiled her way through the whole test that was set against a rousing musical score. And Jorst’s determination to complete on exactly the final note led to a sharp intake of breath, because she marched up the centre line and didn’t stop until her music finished, which left her right up against the arena boards and staring directly into the eyes of Ground Jury President, Sweden’s Gustav Svalling.

Her mark of 73.232 took the lead only to be overtaken by 73.589 from Australia’s Lyndal Oatley and Sandro Boy. But it was the last rider to go before the judging break, Denmark’s Agnete Kirk Thinggaard with Jojo Az, who held the lead at the halfway stage as they strutted their stuff to post 76.250 to the delight of the crowd.

They were immediately relegated to runner-up spot when the action resumed however by Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K who went out in front on a score of 77.339. It has been an historic week for the sport of dressage in Ireland, as this is the first time the country has been represented at an World Cup™ Final so the 34-year-old has been creating quite a stir. But Germany’s Fabienne Lutkemeier posted 78.411 with D’Agostino FRH when next to go and then, with just five of the 18 starters left to take their turn, Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven reset the parameters when producing the first result over 80 percent.

After rolling out another technically brilliant performance that included super-tough transitions with her 14-year-old gelding, Don Auriello, she put 81.429 on the scoreboard and that really piled the pressure on the four remaining riders. Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl challenged strongly when posting a mark of 80.350 with Unee BB despite a couple of errors, but, third-last into the ring, Hans Peter Minderhoud made no mistakes with his 15-year-old gelding, Glock’s Flirt, to go well out in front on 82.357 which would prove unbeatable despite a valiant last to go effort from host-nation heros Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic.

Source: FEI