Stuttgart/GER: Augustin OLD Third in the Grand Prix
Augustin OLD took third place in the Grand Prix qualifier for the Special at the German Masters in Stuttgart.
Foto: Schnell
He had a great round, showed fantastic half-passes and pirouettes for which he received nines from the judges and also picked up a lot of points for his piaff and passage. He felt really good while we were working out and in the warm-up ring ... I could feel that he was highly motivated, tuned in to my aids and nicely on the bit.
But we had a little mishap while riding into the ring: The riders leaving the ring before us, Smeyers Molberg and Marcela Krinke Susmelj/SUI, got too close to us while leaving the ring which excited Augustin OLD. I had a job on my hands to get him to calm down again and he was still a bit tense when we rode into the ring. But then Augustin calmed down and cooperated until we had a slight misunderstanding the the flying changes. That was too bad because it cost valuable points.
But I was satisfied. With 73.25 percent we placed third behind the winers, Don Johnson FRH and Isabell Werth/GER and second placed Herzruf's Erbe with Ulla Salzgerber/GER. Now my hopes are on the Special tomorrow - and of course that Augustin won't bump into anyone when he rides into the ring. Afterall, he is a stallion and he doesn't appreciate other horses getting too close to him....