Perl-Borg: Augustin OLD Third in the Freestyle
With such a magnificent backdrop under floodlights in Perl-Borg, Augustin OLD was in a great mood for the Grand Prix Freestyle.
Foto: Becker
The judges Steven Clark/GBR and Dr. Dietrich Plewa/GER gave us a lot of praise for the many, many highlights of our performance. In the trot tour, it wasn't just the piaffes and passage that were really good, the extended trot was too. In the canter tour, Augustin's center of gravity was right where it should be, giving his movements power and elasticity. That was really fun because then Augustin is especially motivated, fresh and most cooperative.
Although everyone would like to be the last rider in the test, it was a bit unlucky for us to be the last this time. The transition from the dark warm-up ring to the test ring with the bright floodlights was a challenge - the last time we had a freestyle under floodlights was four years ago when we placed fifth in the EC in Windsor/GBR. And since the speaker spent so much time announcing the results of Kristina Sprehe/GER, who was before me, there was wild applause from the spectators while we were trying to get used to the situation. I was able to get Augustin under control again quickly and he behaved himself but didn't quite have the tranquility he normally does in the collected walk and he was a little too eager in the flying changes.
It seems to me that we are on the right road for the EC in Herning/DEN and the really fantastic show at Gestüt Peterhof in Perl-Borg was a very successful weekend for me.