German riders dominated the line-up in Lyon, France. Saturday Ulla Salzgeber and Herzrufâs Erbe won the second leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup⢠Dressage 2011/2012 series ahead of two other former series double-champions. Salzgeber pipped fellow-countrywoman Isabell Werth and the horse with which the latter recorded the second of her two successes in 2005 – Warum Nicht – while Monica Theodorescu steered Whisper into third place.
It was the Dutch Hans Peter Minderhoud who led the field at the halfway stage with a score of 74.100 from Withney vanât Genthof. But Italyâs Valentina Truppa produced a charming test with a mark of 74.800. She remained in front until the last three riders took their turn and Salzgeber forged ahead with a strong score of 81.625, helped by big extended trot and good passage from the 11 year old horse with which she finished third at last seasonâs Reem Acra FEI World Cup⢠Dressage final on her home turf in Leipzig, Germany. Edward Gal ended on the sixth place with Next One (73,875).
Salzgeber described herself as âhappy, like yesterday!â when she won the preliminary Grand Prix by a significant margin. âToday my horse was tired and so was I, but we did a good test – and we are not good at riding at night. We had a degree of difficulty in our test but he is a very supple horse and he loves piaffe and passage and the transitions into extended trot,â Salzgeber added. She is planning to compete at Stuttgart and Frankfurt, and was high in praise of the show organisers at Lyon.
Reem Acra FEI World Cup⢠Dressage 2011/2012 – Standings after Round 2 at Lyon:
1. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén SWE â 35
2. Valentina Truppa ITA â 33
3. Hans Peter Minderhoud NED â 32
