Roger Fitzhardinge reports from the Grade III & V Team Tests at Herning

By Roger Fitzhardinge

Thursday saw the Team Tests take place for the Grade III and V riders at the FEI World Championships in Herning, with Emma Booth and Lisa Martin competing for Australia.

Emma Booth is very much at home in the saddle, despite being rendered a paraplegic following a car and float accident on the way home from a one day event years ago. It was absolutely tragic, but don’t let that stop Emma, who was not going to live without riding – and that was that. It was not long after that, and Emma was back on board and hasn’t looked back.

Her amazing best friend ever, Zidane – the most wonderful horse that walked on earth for Emma – took her to the Rio Paralympics in 2016, WEG Tryon in 2018, and the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020.

Zidane unfortunately passed away after a tragic colic attack, and Emma was lost. It was through Kerry Mack contacting Maree Tomkinson about a horse for Herning, that the ride on Furst Deluxe came about. Maree and her horses’ co-owners were only too thrilled to be able to join the para ranks and it was off to Germany to ride two horses: Friday IV and First Deluxe. They managed, in a few weeks, to qualify both horses for Herning and with good scores. Then at the last minute, EA decided not to send a team and then the equestrian forces and general public aired their displeasure and the decision was overturned by the EA board and the team is here… including First Deluxe, or ‘Fursty’ to his friends, of which there are many.

It is going to be so good to see this big, honest gelding by Furstenball strut his stuff, and as always Emma is tough on herself in regards to how things are going. It has become very warm to hot here in Herning, so that may be in Emma’s favour, as coping in the heat isn’t something that a lot of these riders are used to.

Emma rode a very good Team Test indeed. Fursty looked a million dollars as always, with Maree there to groom and coach. The warm up was short and sharp, just to get him quicker in the transitions, as there are a lot of transitions in and out of walk. The weather was really hot for the Graden III class and they were feeling it. A good entry and halt, preceded by a great, forward lap around the arena before the entry. The medium trot was super clear and in a great rhythm. The leg yield in trot had both energy and lift, and the walks showing a clear difference and what an over-track in a very clear, four-beat rhythm. The collected walk could have shown a little more activity. There were plenty of 7.5 and 8s across the board, however a low mark for the second pirouette didn’t help the scores. The scores ranged from 68% to 75% and the overall score of 70.765% put them in 6th of 17 ranking overall. It was a very good test and the feeling amongst the ranks that the scores were low for Emma.

Emma Booth and Furst Deluxe.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

At her post-test interview, she commented about the ups and downs of going and not going as a team or individual to the World Championships, and how this was a little upsetting after everything that had been done to qualify. What was so awesome was the fact that the equestrian public and people in general got behind the lack of support for the para team, and there were well over 15,000 signatures on a petition to reconsider the decision not to send a team, and for sure this supported the decision being overturned.

Emma was super pleased with the test and thanked Kerry Mack and Maree Tomkinson and the owners of the horses (Lyn Sultana and Deb MacNicol own Fursty in conjunction with Maree) she was given the chance to ride. She says that the partnership is developing still with every ride, and she is super excited with the development already and is looking forward to the next test, the Individual, where she hopes to improve her scores.

The winner of the test was Tobias Thorning Joergensen of Denmark with a whopping 78.676%. This wonderful, fluent big moving gre mare is by Blue Hors Schufro Hit. Tobias made the entire test look so effortless and harmonious. It was an absolute pleasure to see such harmony between horse and rider. This mare has a walk and a trot for 8.5 and a consistent elastic contact and attitude that is so easy.

Jolene Hill and Tobias Thorning Joergensen won the Grade III Team Test.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

Silver went to Keystone Dawn Chorus for Natasha Baker of Great Britain, and a 73.97%, and then bronze to El Corona Texel with Rebecca Hart of the USA on 73.147%. It was very close scores with 4th, 5th and Emma in 6th within 1% of each other. The next class is going to be another tight one, and Emma Booth is going to be there fighting for a medal and she’s in with a chance.

Grade III Team Test results here.

The Grade V class was a tough class to be in and a field of 17 faced the judging panel of five at this competition. Lisa Martin is riding the mare, Juicy Wiggle by Jive Magic, and she is only a rising 8 year old and not super experienced at this stage. It will be interesting to see how they fare. Lisa of course competed the amazing mare, First Famous, at the Rio Olympics and was just out of the medals. It was this mare that Lisa had a fall from a few years ago, and has had major surgery for severe pelvic fractures. It is now pretty much more metal than anything else to hold her pelvis together. It was thought that she may have trouble ever walking again, but Lisa is not one to take things laying down, so away she went and defied the odds and here she is.

Lisa Martin and Juicy Wiggle in the warm up.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

The mare is very talented and it is hoped that she will not find the arena too worrying, as they were not able to get on to the grounds until the day of the trot up due to the late decision to send the team and the vaccination rules and times, so this has made it a little tough to be well prepared – but Lisa is a great campaigner.

Lisa Martin and Juicy Wiggle.

© Roger Fitzhardinge.

The mare looked remarkably chilled in the warm up, and the trot was forward and flowing. She is a really big mare and inexperienced at this level of competition. Again, the preparation was all a little hurried for Lisa to get from Australia to Herning, and of all the horses that could have done with a longer settling in period, it was probably this mare. It was a big trip, but despite these things Lisa certainly rode a seriously professional test. The trot work was at times a little unsteady in the contact, but showed forward and ground covering strides with good crossing in the half passes. The walk was also big and loose, with a good degree and change in stride and frame into the collected walk with both pirouettes clean and active. The canter work saw some really great cadence and strides, especially in the medium canter, and then great collection and adjustability in both the simple changes; the first was super and the second almost as good.

Lisa Martin and Juicy Wiggle.

A fabulous square halt to end a really positive and very well ridden test. It scored a 67.588%. Again, the horses at the top are super experienced and campaigned, and it was obvious of the depth they have in these levels. Best of 8 for Michèle George of Belgium took the lead early, with Sophie Wells and Don Cara M in second – and what a great ride it was, but a mistake in the canter transition where he really was sensitive but it was soon back on track, but that was a big loss for this champion.

So…

Gold to Best of 8 for Michèle George of Belgium
Silver to Don Cara M and Sophie Wells of Great Britain
Bronze to Alphaville N.O.P. and Frank Hosmar of the Netherlands

Lisa and Juicy Wiggle were 10th and a good showing. For sure in the next rotation, the Individual Test, they will throw caution to the wind and dig deeper. The Individual Test is Friday for Di Barnes in the Grade IV, and Saturday for Emma and Lisa.

Grade V Team Test results here.

Good work all round and when you see the quality of the horses they are up against and the quality horses they have beaten, it is quite an amazing effort and now the first test is done and dusted, it’s the fighting spirit that will exude in the next few days. A great day’s competition indeed!

Read more about the Aussie para dressage team in the August issue of Equestrian Life here.

You can watch all the action from the FEI World Championships in Herning via Clip My Horse TV.

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