Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH
Aachen, Germany – July 14, 2016 – The hosting German team took charge while the U.S. team took a positive step toward the FEI Nations Cup Dressage Series title as the Aachen Nations Cup CDIO5* got underway Thursday morning.
Germany rolled to first place in the standings with a powerhouse performance in the opening day’s Grand Prix. All three scores counting toward their team total of 246.285 were above 80 percent, and those riders finished in the top three spots in the class.
Isabell Werth rode Weihegold OLD to the day’s top score of 83.271 percent, followed by world number one Kristina Bröring-Sprehe on Desperados FRH with 82.314 percent. Dorothee Schneider contributed a mark of 80.7 percent on Showtime FRH. Sönke Rothenberger’s score of 75.6 percent on Cosmo 59 was the drop score, yet still placed the rider in fifth individually.
The U.S. entered the Aachen Nations Cup, the final Nations Cup event of the series, with the goal of overtaking Sweden and clinching the series title. Sweden jumped into the lead by four points following their win in the Falsterbo Nations Cup CDIO5*, so the U.S. must earn at least four more points than Sweden at Aachen in order to tie or take over the lead. View series standings here.
The teams in second through seventh place are quite closely matched, with a spread of just eight points between them, but the U.S. put themselves firmly at the top of that group on the first day of competition, scoring a total of 218.414. Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 turned in a key performance to take fourth place in the class with a score of 77.243 percent. Shelly Francis rode Doktor to 12th in the class with a score of 72.2 percent, and Tuny Page turned in another solid score of 68.971 percent on Woodstock. Katherine Bateson-Chandler and Alcazar earned the drop score of 66.314 percent.
Denmark sits in third with 214.242, followed by Spain with 212.886. Sweden rounds out the top five with 212.657. If the teams maintain this order through Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, the U.S. will take the overall Nations Cup title. With the scores so close, the Special will be critical to the final result.
Steffen Peters and Legolas 92
Results: Aachen Nations Cup CDIO5*
Team Standings After Grand Prix
1. Germany/246.285
2. United States of America/218.414
3. Denmark/214.242
4. Spain/212.886
5. Sweden/212.657
6. Great Britain/211.772
7. Belgium/210.229
8. Japan/204.457
9. Australia/204.214
Grand Prix
Rider/Country/Horse/Total Score
1. Isabell Werth/GER/Weihegold OLD/83.271
2. Kristina Bröring-Sprehe/GER/Desperados FRH/82.314
3. Dorothee Schneider/GER/Showtime FRH/80.700
4. Steffen Peters/USA/Legolas 92/77.243
5. Sönke Rothenberger/GER/Cosmo 59/75.600
6. Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez/ESP/Lorenzo/74.357
7. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén/SWE/Paridon Magi/74.086
8. Jorinde Verwimp/BEL/Tiamo/73.071
9. Emile Faurie/GBR/Weekend Fun/72.886
10. Judy Reynolds/IRL/Vancouver K/72.714
11. Marcela Krinke Susmelj/SUI/Smeyers Molberg/72.343
12. Shelly Francis/USA/Doktor/72.200