Top riders and drivers hone their skills for this fall's world championships at prestigious German show
From now on, it's all about the WEG, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games set for Sept. 25-Oct. 10 in Lexington, Ky. Teams are getting close to the final stages of selection, and the Aachen, Germany, show that ends today offers good insight, but only a few surprises, into how things might go at the WEG.For America, the WEG has more than its usual great importance, because this once-in-a-quadrennium collection of world championships is being held outside Europe for the first time since its inception two decades ago.
Two U.S. riders competed in the dressage at Aachen, acquitting themselves well, if outside the limelight in the Grand Prix, which was monopolized as usual by perhaps the discipline's best horse ever, the Dutch entry Moorlands Totilas ridden by Edward Gal. The stallion's 83.860 percent was far ahead of another Dutch star, Adelinde Cornelissen on Jerich Parzival (78.541). The Netherlands is the heavy favorite for team gold, and they dominated with three entries in the top five. The early line has Germany taking WEG silver and the British earning bronze, though Dutch domination seems to be the only certainty.
Tina Konyot with Calecto V was the higher-placed American, finishing 14th on 68.602 percent after losing points in the final passage to wrap up an otherwise a consistent test. Todd Flettrich, 17th with Otto (67.812) made a good case for himself and his horse.
In yesterday's Grand Prx Special, another Totilas victory (86.458) that set a world record for that event, Konyot moved up to 10th (70.333) while Flettrich lost point in the one-tempis and several other movements to finish 21st.
Both Konyot and Flettrich may well wind up on the U.S. team, which will be selected after trials in Gladstone next month. The USA's top dressage combination, Steffen Peters and Ravel, did not compete at Aachen, though Peters showed up to give his countrymen encouragement.
In show jumping, the Irish pulled off a bit of an upset, winning the Nations' Cup handily with only 4 penalties, to 9 for the runner-up home team. The all-female U.S. squad of Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Candace King and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson, which won at Rotterdam, Netherlands, earlier in the season, settled for third on 12 penalties. But the U.S. is second in the overall league standings and thus certain of remaining in the top tier of competition with just two more Cups to go this summer.
Beezie Madden, one of the pillars of the U.S. silver medal squad at the 2006 WEG (which was held in Aachen) and the gold medal team at the 2008 Olympics, was not on the squad. She won a class with Coral Reef Via Volo, who is starting to look like her best horse. But she got the mare just before the selection trials got under way in February and they didn't have time to get together. Madden fell off in the third trial when Via Volo stopped and thus she didn't even finish the process for the WEG team short list with that horse. She is included, however, with two other mounts, Danny Boy and Mademoiselle.
Though horse/rider combinations are still being evaluated, it looks like it will be a heavily female U.S. WEG squad, with two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward offering odds-on insurance of a male presence _ yet if all goes as planned, he'll be riding a mare, Sapphire. The Irish victory demonstrates that there are more than just a few teams that could have a WEG medal hope in this sport.
Jimmy Fairclough of Newton, likely to be on the WEG four-in-hand driving team, finished third in dressage and fourth in the cones. In the team standings, the U.S. stood third overall before the marathon, which was held after the cones instead of before that phase as is usual because of Aachen's TV schedule. But Fairclough had trouble in the marathon, finishing that phase in 22d place. Johnson wound up eighth overall individually as the two-man U.S. team -- which lacked the luxury of a drop score -- came in sixth of seven squads.
Eight-time national champion Chester Weber, certain to be on the three-member driving team, did not travel to Germany but will add a push to America's medal possibilities at the WEG.
In terms of ticket sales, fall is probably not the best time of year to stage a WEG, since it conflicts with school and football, but holding it during cooler weather rather than the summer means it's less likely that piroplasmosis (an equine blood disease) can be spread by ticks.
While seats for finals at the Kentucky Horse Park are selling well (24,000 have been purchased for the dressage freestyle), early session tickets aren't exactly going like hotcakes. In total, only about 270,000 out of a possible 400,000 to 450,000 seats for the WEG have been spoken for. To boost sales, the event is offering a 30 percent discount for tickets to the one-day endurance competition, as well as preliminaries in dressage, eventing, jumping and reining.
Fans who purchased tickets previously aren't eligible for refunds, but WEG spokeswoman Amy Walker noted those people "got the prime pick of the seats." The promotion lasts until Sept. 6. Access to the grounds, where a variety of exhibitions, shopping, dining and entertainment activities will be going on, is included in the price of the seats.
Admission for those who don't want to watch an event is $25 (though kids 12 and under get in free), but if they change their minds, the $25 will be credited to their ticket price. For information or to buy tickets, go to alltechfeigames.com/tickets,.ticketmaster.com or call 1-888-934-2010.
ON THE RAIL -- International show jumper Tim Grubb who rode for both Britain and the U.S.was remembered by those close to him last week during an emotional memorial service at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone. The eulogy, given by veterinarian Brendan Furlong, recalled the Olympic team silver medalist as gifted with "a skill few people possess and many would dearly love to have." A bagpiper played "Amazing Grace" as the ceremony ended.
Those in attendance included Grubb's ex-wife, Michele; his children, Dottie and Topher, who gave a beautifully delivered tribute to his father and Ira Kapp, who owned many of the rider's mounts. Also on hand were Grubb's former girlfriend, Cornelia Guest; Sally Ike, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's managing director of show jumping and many friends from the Somerset/Hunterdon County area where he had lived.
Riders interested in learning about fox hunting are invited to a 9 a.m. clinic Saturday given by the Amwell Valley Hounds organization at Plum Broke Farm, 12 Seabrook Rd., Stockton. Hunting terms, etiquette, and what to expect on a typical day in the hunt field will be among the topics preceding a light lunch.
Those who want to put their new knowledge to use are invited to go roading with the hounds next Sunday. The fee is $30 for adults and $20 for juniors, while Pony Clubbers ranked C2 and above may participate for free.
For information, call (908) 735-5025 or go to avhounds.com.
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: Dressage at the Park, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Western and Draft Show, DVHA Showgrounds Route 604, Sergeantsville; Watchung Stable Open House, 1160 Summit Lane, Mountainside (1-4:30 p.m.); Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, Route 130 South, Logan Township; Colts Neck Polo, Buck Mills Park, Buck Mills Road, Colts Neck (3 p.m. start, coltsneckpolo.com).
Wednesday: Applewood Farm Dressage Show and Combined Test, Fox Hill Road, Oldwick; CJL Farm Show, Snowbird Acres, 204 Schooley's Mountain Road, Long Valley.
Thursday: Thursday Night Dressage Show, Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Showgrounds Route 604, Sergeantsville 2:30 p.m. start); UPHA Children's Benefit Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, Route 130 South, Logan Township (through Saturday); Gold Clover Schooling Dressage Show, Gloucester County 4-H Fairgrounds, 275 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill.
Friday: Smoke Rise Riding Club Show, 1 Talbot Dr., Kinnelon; Orange County Dressage Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta; Woodedge at the Park Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Windy Hollow Hunt Dressage Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta (through next Sunday); Amwell Valley Hounds Hunt Clinic, 12 Seabrook Rd., Stockton (avhounds.com); Bit O' Woods Farm Dressage Show and Clear Round Jumping, 2207 Fostertown Rd., Hainesport; Tinicum Park Polo, 963 River Rd., Erwinna, Pa.(1 mile from New Jersey over the Frenchtown bridge, 2 p.m. start, tinicumpolo.org).
Next Sunday: Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Jumper Show, DVHA Showgrounds Route 604, Sergeantsville; Chestnut Ridge Equestrian Center Dressage Show, 260 Millstone Rd., Perrineville; Colts Neck Polo, Buck Mills Park, Buck Mills Road, Colts Neck (3 p.m. start, coltsneckpolo.com)
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.