Noting three 9.5s on the scoreboard, Opoque (All At Once x Davino V.O.D.) and Mette Sejberg Jensen triumphed in the Sport Pro Horses Prize qualification for four-year-old horses on the first day of the Longines FEI/WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses. Elastic 11 (Escolar x DiMaggio) and Maxi Kira von Platen placed second, ahead of Del Sogno 4 (Dante’s Junior x Lauries Crusador xx) ridden by Philly Roberts.
“A horse with abundant quality in the gaits and a fantastic submission throughout the test as well as a lovely, soft contact”, says member of the jury Marian Dorresteijn. “Opoque really excels in the walk.” The four-year-old KWPN stallion, bred by Stal 104 BV and co-owned by Helgstrand Dressage, received a 9.5 for his walk. His canter and perspective were also awarded a 9.5. “Especially the best-ranked horses today, showed to possess three solid gaits and a great rideability.”
Owe it all to Opoque
Mette Sejbjerg Jensen can hardly believe the result after the prize giving ceremony: “What a ride, what a horse! He is truly incredible. My goal here is to enjoy it all and have fun. I am so lucky to ride a horse that did not put a hoof wrong in the test. I owe it all to him.” The rider was complimented on her presentation of the crowd pleaser of the 2022 KWPN Performance Test. “Upon his arrival I immediately told Andreas: ‘this is my horse, please let me ride him’. Riding a horse in such a grand arena is every rider’s dream. To me, it does not matter how the final pans out, I will always remember this ride.”
Great movement mechanics
The runner-up Elastic 11, bred by Daniela Werheit Waemeyen and owned by Helgstrand Dressage, was granted a 9.5 for his canter, but struggled with the walk. “The number one was a true highlight on all accounts, the other competitors left room for improvement in one gait. It sometimes resulted in nearly the exact same scores”, explains member of the jury Janine van Twist. This was also the case for Elastic 11 and Del Sogno 4, that obtained scores of 8.78 and 8.72, respectively. The Hanoverian number three, bred by Eibe Johannes and owned by Rothenberger Venturea GMBH, showed a powerful trot that was awarded an 8.9. “Overall, a very good class with a lot of quality, great movement mechanics and correct presentations”, concludes Marian Dorresteijn.
Picture: Dirk Caremans
Results
