Cornelissen Extends World Cup Championship

By Staff Report April 22, 2012

Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival, defending champions from the Netherlands, clinched the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage title for the second consecutive season when they won the freestyle on home turf in ’s-Hertogenbosch on April 21.

Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW came in a close second, while Italy’s Valentina Truppa finished third on Ermo del Castegno. The two U.S. riders―Jan Ebeling (Moorpark, CA) riding Rafalca and Shawna Harding (Aiken, SC) on Come On III―finished 15^th and 16^th respectively.

A score of 86.250 clinched the title for 32-year-old Dutch rider Cornelissen who finished just over a single point ahead of runner-up Langehanenberg in a field of 18 starters.

Cornelissen got off to a rocky start when her 15-year-old gelding was sent to the holding box at the first veterinary inspection on April 19. Presented for re-examination the following morning, the horse “passed with flying colors,” according to the FEI, and the duo went on to win the Grand Prix Special that evening.“It wasn’t the best preparation – and I could maybe have slept a few more hours!” Cornelissen said. “I don’t know what happened. He was stupid and fighting during the vet check, but I got on him and he was fine.”

Once in the arena, Cornelissen had another tough moment as Parzival grounded to a halt during the Grand Prix when they were executing the final movements down the center line. “There is always background music, and today as we were doing the piaffe the music stopped, so he thought he was finished. I had to tell him, ‘No! Not yet!’” Cornelissen said, laughing. Despite that blip, the pair posted a score of 78.024 to top the leaderboard.

A cloud hung over the proceedings with the morning’s tragic news that Germany’s dressage team coach, Holger Schmezer, had died the previous evening in his hotel room. During the presentation ceremony (in which the same trio was awarded in the same order) the riders and spectators stood for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect

At the post-competition press conference, Langehanenberg explained that the she and her fellow-German competitors, Isabell Werth and Nadine Capellmann, sat together well into the night discussing whether they should withdraw from the World Cup Final under the circumstances. “It was really hard for everyone ― completely unexpected.  In the end it was our opinion that Holger would want us to ride; that was his aim, why he came here, so we had to do it for him,” she said.

Werth―whose formidable achievements include eight Olympic medals, five of them Gold, and two World Cup championships―was third into the arena for the Grand Prix Special, and the crowd rippled with excitement as her 11-year-old gelding, El Santo NRW, hit all the right notes in the early stages of the test. But, following a big spook toward the end of the extended canter, the scores began to deteriorate and the duo finished on 69.802, which put them 10^th. They were able to redeem themselves at Saturday’s freestyle to music from David Bowie and finished fourth overall.

For the freestyle, Ebeling too able to put behind him the mistakes that landed him second to last the prior day, riding with improved rhythm for a score of 69.87 on Rafalca, the Oldenburg mare (co-owned by his wife Amy and Ann Romney). Ebeling stayed perfectly in tune with the up-tempo music throughout his ride. The pair had a dramatic finish to their test culminating on the centerline with a one-handed piaffe into the salute. A slight spook following the two-time changes performed on the rail was one of few mistakes in the duo’s effort.

“I’m very happy with my test today,” Ebeling said following the freestyle. “There were little mistakes in the twos but that’s difficult on the rail. It’s not an operating room out there; it’s a live arena. We got more exposure and next time we’ll be better.” This was Ebeling’s third World Cup Finals.

As Ground Jury president, the Netherlands’ Ghislain Fouarge, later confirmed, the level of competition at the Brabanthalle was much improved on the second day of competition. “The judges were a bit disappointed after the grand prix. Adelinde was not at her best, but it was completely different today,” he said.

In addition to Fouge at B, the Ground Jury judging panel, also included Germany’s Katrina Wuest at K; the USA’s Gary Rockwell at E; Great Britain’s Stephen Clarke at H; Denmark’s Leif Tornblad at C; France’s Isabelle Judet at M; and Australia’s Susie Hoevenaars at F.

The highlights of Harding’s test were a relaxed walk-tour and bold canter lengthenings performed to a selection of classic rock songs for a score of 68.821. The duo―who in March were announced as subs for Jim Kofford and Pharoh―placed 13^th in the Grand Prix Special with a 68.055. “It was a clean and solid test with the horse nicely on the aids. She got everything out of the horse,” USEF Dressage Technical Director Anne Gribbons said.

Grand Prix Freestyle (April 21, 2012)

1. Jerich Parzival, (Adelinde Cornelissen) NED 86.250

2. Damon Hill NRW (Helen Langehanenberg) GER 85.214

3. Eremo del Castegno (Valentina Truppa) ITA 81.232

4. El Santo NRW (Isabell Werth) GER 79.964

5. Hiscox Artemis (Richard Davison) GBR 78.571

6. Glock’s Tango (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 76.125

7. Girasol (Nadine Capellmann) GER 75.625

8. Toy Story (Patrik Kittel) SWE 75.482

9. Don Auriello (Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven) SWE 74.393

10. FBW de Vito (Lone Joergensen) DEN 73.589

11. Krawall (Jenny Schreven) NED 73.464

12. Dorina (Siril Helljesen) NOR 73.250

13. Skovlunds Mas Guapo (Mikaela Lindh) FIN 71.696

14. Jaybee Alabaster (Rachael Sanna) AUS 71.339

15. Rafalca (Jan Ebeling) USA 69.875

16. Come On III (Shawna Harding) USA 68.821

17. Randon (Michal Rapcewicz) POL 65.804

18. Edwador (Katarzyna Milczarek) POL (Eliminated)

 

Grand Prix Special (April 20, 2012)

1. Jerich Parzival (Adelinde Cornelissen) NED 78.024

2. Damon Hill (Helen Langehanenberg) GER 76.125

3. Eremo de Castegno (Valentina Truppa) ITA 75.106

4. Glock’s Tango (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 73.404

5. Hiscox Artemis (Richard Davison) GBR 73.374

6. Toy Story (Patrik Kittel) SWE 72.751

7. FBW de Vito (Lone Joergensen) DEN 71.337

8. Don Auriello (Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven) SWE 71.003

9. Girasol (Nadine Capellmann) GER 70.441

10. El Santo  NRW (Isabell Werth) GER 69.802

11. Krawall (Jenny Schreven) NED 69.179

12. Dorina (Siril Helljesen) NOR 68.663

13. Come On III (Shawna Harding) USA 68.055

14. Skovlunds Mas Guapo (Mikaela Lindh) FIN 67.903

15. Jaybee Alabaster (Rachael Sanna) AUS 66.930

16. Ekwador (Katarzyna Milczarek) POL 66.079

17. Rafalca (Jan Ebeling) USA 68.258

18. Randon (Michal Rapcewicz) POL 62.264

 

 

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