DressageDaily: Anky van Grunsven Wins 2004 World Cup Finals in Dusseldorf: Nikolaus Does his Best

Monday April 5, 2004

Anky van Grunsven Wins 2004 World Cup Finals in Dusseldorf

Nikolaus Does His Best

The rebirth of Nikolaus we saw in the Grand Prix, quickly died off in the freestyle. While on Friday Nikolaus seemed to be a transformed horse, trotting with the most expression ever seen in him, in the kur he was again the tense, unhappy horse who struggled through his test while Guenter Seidel did everything in his power to present him as best as possible.

Riding to Brazilian carneval music, which make your hips go wiggle wiggle during the test, Seidel has opted for music that does not relax his horse, but makes it cramp up even more, unfortunately. Nikolaus (by Weinberg) was good in the extensions and travesal movements but in the piaffe and passage, he avoided back usage and moved hectically. The paire scored 76.975%, finishind sixth. We cannot help but decide that Nikolaus has reached his limit and that a 77% mark will be his absolute maximum ever.

The consolation Finals were won by Australian Kristy Oatley-Nist aboard Rosemount Quando Quando (by Quattro B). Nist's Oldenburg licensed stallion has only been doing the Grand Prix since 2004 and competed in Dusseldorf because Nist's first choice Don Bolero stayed home with an injury. Nist rode with gusto and Quando Quando brims with expression and talent. The duo received 71.625% and dominated the B-finals.

American Leslie Morse finished fifth in the B-finals with a 69.100% score. The World Cup finals have been a great learning experience for Morse and her fairly inexperienced Grand Prix horse Kingston, who had to battle against some of Europe's biggest heavy weights in one of the smallest indoor arena's on the continent.

Text and Photos by Astrid Appels of Eurodressage.com
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