Dhe dressage rider Isabell Werth also won the freestyle at the end of the international Maimarkt tournament in Mannheim with the gelding Emilio after the Grand Prix. On Tuesday, the couple from Rheinberg led the rankings with 82,630 percent. Dorothee Schneider from Framersheim took second place with the mare Sisters Act (79,665). In the Grand Prix the day before, the result was closer: Werth won with 73.718 percent ahead of Schneider (73.217).
It was a meeting of generations in the dressage arena – at least as far as the horses were concerned. Isabell Werth (53) and Dorothee Schneider (54) are the most experienced riders in the German dressage squad. In recent years, they have won team gold at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships. Although Werth did not compete with her current championship horse Quantaz in Mannheim, she brought a worthy representative with her in Emilio.
“Always a little in the shade”
The now 17-year-old gelding competed in his first Grand Prix in 2015, but according to Werth, he has “always been a bit overshadowed” by her successful horses Bella Rose and Weihegold, whom she said goodbye to in sporting retirement in 2022. But Emilio was always available as a reserve player, should one of the mares drop out at short notice. And he’s still at his best. He regularly achieves results in excess of 80 percent in freestyle tests, which is considered the threshold to world class in dressage.
In Mannheim, Werth played to the full of both of their experiences, making the lessons look easy, accompanied by Italian opera music. “I’ve had Emilio practically since I was a child. He’s a real character horse,” said Werth about the loyal gelding, adding: “We’ve come to terms well over the past twelve years. I’m proud of him.” At the end of the year, Werth announced that she wanted to send Emilio into his well-earned retirement.
Successful premiere
Schneider’s eleven-year-old Sisters Act, on the other hand, is at the beginning of her career and competed in her first Grand Prix freestyle in Mannheim – to music from the “Sister Act” films with Whoopie Goldberg. With only one fault in the canter changes, it was a convincing debut. The rider was accordingly satisfied afterwards: “The music fits perfectly and I’m really proud.” Even before the last salute, the end of the test, Schneider could see the joy: “I was already looking forward to the test and was able to really enjoy it .”
Since last year, the Maimarkt tournament has been, along with the CHIO Aachen, one of only two horse shows in Germany where a Nations Cup in show jumping is held. In this team competition, which will be held in Mannheim at three-star level and in Aachen on June 29 at five-star level, the German team took second place behind the Netherlands on Sunday.
A Dutchwoman also won the Grand Prix of Mannheim, the “Badenia”, on Tuesday: 25-year-old Sanne Thijssen with Con Quidam. Behind the Swede Henrik von Eckermann with Dzara Dorchival, Stefan Engbers took third place with Baju as the best German rider. It was a successful Maimarkt tournament for the couple from Westphalia: On Sunday, the two contested their first Nations Cup with the German team and even contributed a clear round to second place.