Will Matthew and Mysterious Star. Image: Boots & Hooves Photography.
Dressage competition gets underway at CHIO Aachen
By Equestrian Life
The dressage has begun at CHIO Aachen, with the CDI4* Grand Prix (HAVENS Horsefeed-Prize) and Prix St Georges (Prize of VUV – Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände) taking place on Wednesday.
Congratulations to Australia’s own William Matthew, who contested the CDI4* Grand Prix with Mysterious Star, scoring 65.587%. The 10-year-old gelding, by Métall out of a Fürst Heinrich mare, is owned by Stephanie Göller and has been ridden by Will since he was a five-year-old. It’s Mysterious Star’s first season at international big tour level, with Aachen being only the horse’s third CDI Grand Prix. Stepping out at Aachen is certainly a much bigger atmosphere than the average CDI and was no doubt a great learning experience for a young Grand Prix horse. Will is Australia’s only dressage representative at the event this year.
“Mysterious Star did his best; I made the mistake of misjudging how warm it was and warmed up for too long. Sadly he was completely out of steam by the time we got to the canter tour and then had a lot of expensive mistakes. It was a huge learning curve just a shame we had to have it at this amazing show!” explained Will following his test.
The CDI4* Grand Prix was won by Germany’s Frederic Wandres riding Duke of Britain FRH, with the pair scoring 76.935%.
Will Matthew and Mysterious Star. Image: Boots & Hooves Photography.
The Prize of VUV-Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände Aachen goes to Charlotte Dujardin and her “Ballerina”
Charlotte Dujardin is back. And then some! For the first time since 2019, the three-time British Olympic gold medallist is competing at the CHIO Aachen again. Meanwhile as a mother and with a promising young horse in her luggage, as was shown Wednesday in the Prize of VUV-Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände Aachen, the Prix St. Georges.
Charlotte Dujardin brought the eight-year-old KWPN mare Times Kismet by Ampere to Aachen, in addition to her World Championship horse Imhotep. The two of them won the Prize of VUV-Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände Aachen with an outstanding score of 77.588 percent, almost four percent more than the judges awarded the rest of the field. This is the mare’s first major tournament away from home.
Their history explains why this is not a problem: “I’ve had her since she just turned five. So, we have known each other for a long time and have been on the same path so far. That’s why our bond is very strong. She can be a bit of a moody mare at home. But she has a lot of trust in me, that she does everything for me. I take her by the hand and she says, ‘Okay, let’s do it’.”
Charlotte Dujardin and Times Kismet together with Alexander Peters (Board VUV – Vereinigte Unternehmerverbände Aachen) and ALRV Supervisory Board member Dr. Thomas Förl. Image: CHIO Aachen/Michael Strauch.
But that is not the only reason why Charlotte Dujardin particularly enjoys riding Times Kismet. “She gives me a magical feeling. Riding a horse like that is a dream, that’s why we do it. I just sit on her back and basically don’t have to do anything.” And the quality is also on point: “She is very, very elastic, elegant, light-footed, a real ballerina. I really hope she stays healthy. I think she can be an Olympic horse.”
At Aachen, Times Kismet already left some highly talented competitors behind her. Second place went to the pair that had won both tests of the small tour last year: Frederic Wandres on the Hanoverian gelding Quizmaster by Quasar de Charry. This year they scored 73.883 percent. Third place went to the pair that won the Nuremberg Burg Cup Final in December: the Swiss rider Andrina Suter, who rode the Westphalian Briatore by Belissimo M, an eight-year-old as well, with a score of 72.294 percent.
Full results from CHIO Aachen can be found here.
Dressage competition continues Thursday with the CDIO5* Grand Prix.
Source: CHIO Aachen press release (Prix St Georges report)
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