German team takes the lead in the Grand Prix
After the first half of the Grand Prix, the German dressage team is holding a comfortable lead of almost five percent. Heike Kemmer achieved the best result of the day (75.792 percent) with her 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Bonaparte, in the Nation’s Cup, the team classification. Hubertus Schmidt had already “contributed” to the result in the morning with a score of 69.208 percent.
The team trained by Holger Schmelzer, is thus leading the field in front of the Netherlands (140.042%) , Great Britain (134.917%) and the United States (134.04).
Heike Kemmer was ecstatic: “The atmosphere here in the stadium is fantastic, it really gave me the right motivation.” The second best result in the individual classification (71.542%) was achieved by the Dutch rider, Imke Schellekens-Bartels with the Dutch-bred Hanoverian mare, Sunrise. The 29-year-old rider, who came eleventh at the Olympic Games in Athens, was also overjoyed with the good start at her first World Championships tournament. “I am totally happy and I must say I really do have a wonderful mare.”
Grand Prix (2003)
FEI Mannschaftsweltmeisterschaft und Qualifikationsprüfung für die
Einzelwertung FEI World Team Dressage Championship and Individual
Qualifying Competition
1 GERMANY
Chef d’Equipe: Ferdi-Jörgen Wassermeyer
Total Score:
145.00
2 THE NETHERLANDS
Chef d’Equipe: Sjef Janssen
Total Score:
140.04
3 GREAT BRITAIN
Chef d’Equipe: David Trott
Total Score:
134.91
4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Chef d’Equipe: Klaus Balkenhol
Total Score:
134.04
5 SWITZERLAND
Chef d’Equipe: Michel D’Arcis
Total Score:
133.00
Statements from the German Dressage Grand Prix Team at the Press Conference
For 32 years, the German dressage team has been unbeaten at the World Championships. And on the first competition day of the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, it looks as if Holger Schmelzer, is ready to repeat again. Heike Kemmer with Bonaparte and Hubertus Schmidt with Wansuela Suerte received a total score of 145. Their fellow competitors from the Netherlands - represented in the dressage arena by Laurens von Lieren and Imke Schellekens-Bartels today - are currently lying close behind them in second place (total score 140.042), ahead of Great Britain (134.917) and the United States (134.04).
The following is from the Press Conference:
Question: Mrs. Kemmer, what was is like today riding into the main stadium for the first time in front of tens of thousands of spectators?
Heike Kemmer: It was a wonderful feeling. The crowd really motivated me. And Bonaparte was so good today, as if he wanted to say: “Okay, let’s get on with our job.”
Question: Was this one of your best ever Grand Prix results, achieving the top ranking of the day?
Kemmer: Yes, perhaps also because the stadium was big enough for Bonaparte. He likes it when the spectators aren’t sitting so close to the dressage arena and he can look a long way in front of him.
Question: How is the team coping with the fact that Klaus Husenbeth and Isabell Werth’s “Warum nicht” had to withdraw?
Kemmer: Hubertus Schmidt is a strong replacement for Klaus Husenbeth and rides at the same level. And Satchmo, Isabell’s new WEG horse is in good form. She also rode him at the training camp, so we are all in best spirits.
Hubertus Schmidt: Perhaps I wasn’t quite as strong as I had estimated. In the Grand Prix Spéciale, I would like to prove that I can do better and would like to qualify myself for the freestyle.
Question: So what colour will the medal be after Nadine Capellmann and Isabell Werth have competed?
Kemmer: Gold, no question about it.
Question: Mrs. Schellekens-Bartels, how satisfied were you at achieving the second best score of the day and with your performance in the arena?
Imke Schellekens-Bartels: I am very satisfied and enjoyed many moments in this terrific stadium. I was very impressed during the arena familiarisation yesterday and just thought: “Wow, and this is going to be reality tomorrow?” Luckily Sunrise was not as nervous as I had feared.”
Question: Laurens van Lieren, what was wrong? You had problems with a sponsor’s logo, I heard?
Laurens van Lieren: Yes, there was a misunderstanding with one of the stewards. I had to have a logo that belonged to an official team sponsor removed, which meant I only had 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes to warm up. It is a shame that something like this had to happen at the WEG of all places, and it spoiled my concentration somewhat.
Leave a Response (or trackback on your own site)
You must be logged in to post a comment.