Friday, October 29 2010 / Published in What's Happenin'

FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP PRESENTED BY HERMES

Press release, 2010/10/28

GRAND PRIX

HANNES, THE BEST – BUT NOT AT HIS BEST

As he was a little distracted by his environment, Warum Nicht (nicknamed “Hannes” in his stables) was not able to reach the score he had achieved at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington (72,936% against 75,704%). This does not really disturb his rider Isabel Werth too much – in Lexington, she added medal number 29 to her collection:

“It’s his first go after the WEG and I haven’t really prepared him for this indoor event, where the indications are not the same as outdoor. I had to restrain him from jumping the fence and in the end, I am rather satisfied with this result.” After her stay in the United States, the German champion had indeed been concentrating on her other horse, Satchmo, with whom she won the Danish stage of this same World Cup in Odensee last week. She obviously takes the lead in the temporary ranking. Isabel’s reaction to a question about the possibility of her riding the phenomenal Totilas – recently bought by the great “stallion holder” Paul Schockemöhle – shows little enthusiasm: “To ride a horse that was made by someone else is not really something I am looking for. The satisfaction of this sport is to reach a high level with a horse that you discovered, you worked with and shaped for a high level. I certainly felt sorrow for Edward. I couldn’t stand being separated from Gigolo, the horse of my best years and I am very lucky as something like that could not happen with Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Brigitte Werth, the owners of my horses. This selling of Totilas is part of our sport; for Paul Schockemöhle it’s a great advertisement for his stud and the offer of stallions. But riding Totilas is no warrant for a Gold Medal at the next Olympics. The comprehension between the rider and his horse has to be right – it’s very possible that the chemistry between them does not work, and our sport is a couple’s business. And, of course, many things can still happen on the way towards London: Just remember the misfortune of Adelinde Cornelissen in Lexington.”