Basel: Another World Cup Victory for TSF Dalera BB

Basel (fn-press). Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Aubenhausen) started the new show year with another victory. At the World Cup in Basel, the Olympic champion scored over 90 percent (90.795) in the freestyle with her Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB. Isabell Werth (Rheinberg) and DSP Quantaz followed in second place with 85.65 percent, ahead of Denmark's Nanna Skodborg Merrald with Blue Hors Zepter (84.13).

The premiere was praised on all sides: For the first time, the international five-star show jumping tournament in Basel also hosted a World Cup qualifier in dressage. Although the St. Jakobshalle with spectators sitting very close to the arena and extremely steep black grandstands is unusual and sometimes irritating for the horses, after the Grand Prix the day before most of them had come to terms well with the conditions in the freestyle. In captivating form, the 16-year-old Dalera, daughter of Easy Game, completed both the Grand Prix (83.456 percent) and the Freestyle (90.795). These were wins number 19 and 20 in a row at international shows for the past year and a half. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was correspondingly satisfied with the freestyle, which is already composed of French chansons with a view to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Isabell Werth also had every reason to be happy. "That was Quantaz's best freestyle so far. He's made great progress in the last few months," she told us, adding with a laugh, "We had relationship difficulties, but now we love each other again." Not long ago, Dane Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter were a team. In recent years, the Oldenburg gelding by Blue Hors Zack has competed with Denmark's Daniel Bachmann Andersen and most recently with Sweden's Patrik Kittel. Now he has moved to the Danish stud Blue Hors. With Nanna Skodborg Merrald, he entered the first freestyle together in Basel, which immediately resulted in a score of 84.13 percent.

Benjamin Werndl (Aubenhausen) will not think back to the World Cup in Basel only because of the good performance. It was the last time he presented the 19-year-old Westphalian gelding Daily Mirror in the sport. When you see the Damon Hill son in his movement quality, dynamics and freshness, you might hardly think it possible that he is already at this age. Since the horse has an aversion to award ceremonies and the limelight, the farewell turned out to be without much "hoopla". Spontaneous it was not. "We already decided a few weeks ago that Basel would be his last tournament," said Benjamin Werndl. Now the black horse can enjoy his retirement on the pastures in Aubenhausen.

The World Cup Qualifier in Basel was the seventh stop (of eleven) in the Western Europe League. In the lead at the moment is Benjamin Werndl, who has collected a total of 65 points with Daily Mirror and Famoso OLD, including 20 for his victory in Mariakalnok, Hungary (Central Europe League), which also counts. In the other places: Nanna Skodborg Merrald (59), Isabell Werth (57) and Thamar Zweistra and Ingrid Klimke (both 55). Helen Langehanenberg joins them in ninth place, Frederic Wandres is currently twelfth. The next stops will take the active riders to Amsterdam, Neumünster, Gothenburg and s'Hertogenbosch. The World Cup Final will take place at the beginning of April in Omaha//USA. hen

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You can find more about Jessica von Bredow-Werndl here.