Regional dressage tournament in Saarland, CSI 5* event in France
Dressage: many Luxembourgers in Saarlouis
Kristine Møller-Engel with Silvano and Deborah Brüchle with Domino von Equinox secured two placings in an A-level dressage horse test last Thursday in Saarlouis, Saarland, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. The first-mentioned pair achieved the first podium finish for an FLSE rider that same day in an L-level dressage test for five-year-old horses. The following day, Dave, ridden by Pam Johanns, scored 65.952 percent in an S*-level dressage test, which was enough for seventh place and a placing. In the same test, Diane Erpelding and Dancing Donny finished sixth in the second section (67.659%). An M*-level amateur dressage test ended with a fifth-place finish for Tao Wagner and Gangster Bang (65.606%).
Saturday’s M** dressage competition had a strong Luxembourgish presence: in section 1, Amélie Decruyenaere Haupert and Finaud finished in second place (68.281%), while part 2 was won by Diane Erpelding and “Donny” with 68.750%. Another FLSE rider, Nancy Colbett, riding Dublin Snug, also placed in this section (67.031%). Kristine Møller-Engel and Señor followed with an eighth-place finish in the Prix St. Georges (68.904%), before Nicolas Wagner Ehlinger secured two placings in a dressage horse test, finishing third with Great Galaxy (7.80 points) and fourth with Daytona (7.60).
Sunday began with a victory for an FLSE-licensed rider: Amélie Decruyenaere Haupert and Finaud won an M**-level dressage test with 69.363 percent. Diane Erpelding and Dancing Donny finished fifth in the same class (67.745%). The latter pair fared better in the S*-level amateur test: their score of 68.770% was enough for a podium finish, specifically second place. Pam Johanns and Dave finished fifth (67.936%), and Lexie Frast with Vilanculo (67.302%) also placed.
Kristine Møller-Engel and Señor secured another top placing for Luxembourg in the second last competition in Saarlouis: in the Intermédiaire I Freestyle, the pair achieved a total score of 73.542 percent, ultimately finishing in third place. Lena Wolf also placed in this competition with Skovslunds Dark Lady Dinero, finishing in eighth place.
Victor Bettendorf in Fontainebleau
Back on the Old Continent, show jumper Victor Bettendorf racked up several top placings at a CSI 5* tournament in Fontainebleau, France. Riding the nine-year-old stallion Horacio du Gue, the world number 55 won a 1.45m class in a time of 64.65 seconds, ahead of Alexa Ferrer (France) on Hastoria Bo Regard (65.65) and Kevin Staut with Feline du Hus (67.78). On the same day, Bettendorf also secured first place in a 1.35m class for young show jumpers with the young horse Jumbo La Roque. His margin of victory was incredibly narrow; his winning time of 70.74 seconds was just 0.25 seconds faster than the time of Edward Levy and Jalisco de Coquerie (70.99).
Third place in this class went to Germany’s Christian Ahlmann (Themis, 71.39 seconds). The Luxembourger followed this up with a fifth-place finish in a 1.50m jumping class. Riding Horacio du Gue, he completed the course clear in 61.91 seconds. His tournament weekend was rounded off with a second-place finish in the CSIYH1* final. In the jump-off, Bettendorf and Jumbo La Roque (38.76 seconds) were only beaten by Mathis Vallat from France, riding Jordan du Chalet (38.49 seconds). Christian Ahlmann (Germany, Toemme de Regor, 39.62 seconds) again finished third in that class.
Translated from German by AI and adjusted by Paul Krier. Original article also to be published in the “Lëtzebuerger Bauer” weekly newspaper.