Anky wins again
Anky van Grunsven won the FEI World Cup Final for a record breaking sixth
time in Duesseldorf today with her new star
Gestion Salinero. The Dutch rider was the unanimous victor with all five
judges, and on 83.45 per cent, scored three per
cent higher then her pupil Edward Gal who took
runner up position on the Dutch stallion Gestion
Lingh.
“I could not believe it could go so well”,
said van Grunsven, who admitted to feeling nervous at
the start of her winning freestyle, which was the nine year-old
Salinero’s best performance yet. She had to wait
for both Gal and Guenter Seidel (USA) to ride before her victory was
confirmed and joked afterwards that she had told
Gal he could be very good as long as he did not beat her!
For Edward Gal, this was a thrilling result
at the Dutch rider’s first ever FEI World Cup Final. He
said: “ It was great just to be here. I had a good feeling in
Friday’s Grand Prix, and in the freestyle Lingh
was even better.”
For third place, German rider Hubertus
Schmidt produced a harmonious performance with the mare
Wansuela Suerte to narrowly beat his
compatriot Heike Kemmer and Bonaparte. All
the finalists scored over 70 per cent. Dr Volker Moritz, the judge at C,
commented: “It was a fascinating competition,
fantastic sport. Everyone went better than in the grand prix and the
winners produced both power and harmony.”
FLASHQUOTES
The top three horses…
Anky Van Grunven on Gestion Salinero: “ He’s a perfectionist like
me!”
Edward Gal on Gestion Lingh: “ He’s an
athlete, his own person. He works when necessary but
whenever he can, he rests.” Hubertus
Schmidt on Wansuela Suerte: “ She’s a
prima ballerina, she needs her space, and she loves
carrots!”
Results
FEI World Cup Dressage Final 2004
Presented by Yorn
1, Gestion Salinero (Anky Van Grunsven NED)
83.45
2, Gestion Lingh (Edward Gal NED) 80.62
3, Wansuela Suerte (Hubertus Schmidt GER) 78.87
4, Bonaparte (Heike Kemmer GER) 78.65
5, Wahajama UNICEF (Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff GER) 77.27
6, Nikolaus (Guenter Seidel USA) 76.97
7, Blom’s Idocus (Marlies van Baalen NED) 76.90
8, Artax Condor (Elena Sidneva RUS) 75.80
9, Apache (Isabell Werth GER) 74.70
10, Just Mickey (Tinne Wilhelmson SWE) 72.47
11, Wie Weltmeyer (Emma Hindle GBR) 72.45
12, Guinness (Louise Nathhorst SWE) 71.97
