BY JEAN LLEWELLYN (PRESS RELEASE)
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAFRENTZ
Warendporf recently played host to 82 young dressage horses contesting Germany’s first selection trial for the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses which will take place in Verden this summer.
As a result, the selection committee has invited 42 of the first-round participants to the second selection on June 30, securing their spots on the shortlist of candidates. Preparations for the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden are already in full swing.
German national coach Monica Theodorescu is eagerly anticipating the upcoming World Championships, which will take place in Verden from August 5–9: “Overall, the quality of the horses presented to us in Warendorf was very, very good. In terms of numbers, this was even more evident in the five-year-old class than in the other two age groups, but that is almost always the case. The standard of these young horses is truly fantastic.”
With 30 candidates, the five-year-old class was the largest, alongside 25 six-year-olds, and 27 seven-year-olds. Initially, all combinations underwent a short compulsory training session under the watchful eyes of the coaches. The coaching duo on site included the national coach herself, alongside the national coach of the German youth riders, Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen.
On the second day, the World Championship candidates contested the opening qualifier of the World Championships for their respective age groups. They were evaluated by the coaching team alongside judges Reinhard Richenhagen and Pascal Strohbücker. As a result, invitations to the second and final selection trial in Warendorf on 30 June were extended to 17 five-year-olds, 12 six-year-olds, and 13 seven-year-olds. Following this final trial, the definite entries for the World Championship will be nominated.
Who can hope to compete in Verden’s World Championship stadium, the Horse24 Arena? How are they judged? “Naturally, that is determined by the judging rules,” explains Theodorescu. “For the seven-year-olds, in addition to walk, trot, canter, submission, and prospects, the technical execution of the Advanced (S-level) test is also evaluated. It is different for the five- and six-year-olds, where the focus is on the basic gaits and then submission or rideability and prospects.”...
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