29 September 2024
WCH for Young Driving Horses: Double gold for Jessica Wächter
The World Young Dressage Horse Championships are over. After the qualified horses did their final dressage test on Saturday and the combined marathon today, the new world champions are now known. In addition to the championships, today also marked the birthday of Philip Bateman, the Technical delegate at Lamotte Beuvron this week. He turned 77 years old today.
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
Five-year-olds
The World Champion of the five-year-olds is Carlo 570, with Jessica Wächter (GER). The silver went to Marion Vignaud (FRA) with Oh La La La SH, for her the second World Championship silver medal within one week! Last week, Marion already won the silver medal for the second time in a row at the World Championship for Singles in Le Pin au haras with First Quality. The bronze medal in the five-year-olds also stayed in France. This went to Morgane Pennec with Impuls.
Marion Vignaud with Oh La La La SH
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
Six-year-olds
In the six-year-olds, the points were a higher. Whereas in the five-year-olds, with the exception of Jessica Wächter and Carlo 570, the accumulated points from Saturday’s dressage test and the combined marathon did not exceed 15 points in total. In the six-year-olds, however, the entire top four managed to get above 15 points. The gold medal here was for Weronika Kwiatek (POL) with Elektroda. The two scored an 8.36 for the dressage test and a nine for the marathon today! Silver went to Bettina Winkler (GER) with Hermann 91. Fabrice Martin (FRA) and Idromel Noir, who won the gold medal in the five-year-olds last year, won the bronze medal in the six-year-olds today.
Seven-year-olds
In the seven-year-olds, Jesscia Wächter (GER) once again managed to win the gold medal! Last week she finished very well on the eleventh place at the World Championship for Single horses in Le Pin au Haras and this week she won the gold medal with both horses she presented at the World Championship for Young Driving Horses. An admirable performance, but the difference with the silver medallist, Weronika Kwiatek (POL) and Milo V, was only 0.20 points. So it was an exciting battle whether Weronika or Jessica would walk away with two gold medals! The bronze medal was won by Mario Gandolfo and Lemmy-K. Mario became World Champion Le Pin au Haras last week and won the gold medal in the five-year-olds last year with Lemmy-K.
Weronika Kwiatek with Milo V
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
In conversation with Jessica Wächter
Hoefnet spoke to Jessica about her special achievement. “Five-year-old Carlo 570 (by Cardett) and seven-year-old Gucci SFT (by Lord Brown) are both Sächisch Thüringisches Schweres Warmblut (STSW). Carlo is owned by Martin Philipp, a very good friend and customer of ours. He has been with me since February, to further train it for the future. From the moment I got hold of the reins, I knew immediately that it is a very special horse with a lot of talent”, Jessica tells Hoefnet. He can move wonderfully, has a top character and keeps a good rhythm and balance. Of course I am super happy with what he has shown this week. The elements that are important for the young horse tests, such as contact, rhythm, transitions and bending, he showed very well for a five-year-old. This, combined with the fact that he showed in the marathon today that he likes to work and thinks with you, I think has finally crowned us world champions!”
Seven-year-old Gucci SFT (v. Lord Brown) is owned by Jessica herself. “Gucci really is a ‘once in a lifetime’ horse. She has a great character and loves her work. I can’t imagine any people not loving her when they sit behind her! Gucci has already been German champion Young Driving Horses three times, in the four-, six- and seven-year-olds. When she was five, she gave birth to a foal, so we did not compete with her that year. I think qualities from Gucci are her walk, her suppleness, her beautifully carried trot and canter and her super stable rhythm.”
Jessica Wächter with Carlo 570
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
Differences
“Gucci really is a machine. If you ask her the right question she actually always gives the right answer back. Carlo is, of course, two years younger, so she still has a bit more miles to go. Of course, you can hardly compare a five- and seven-year-old horse in that respect!”
“What the future with Carlo will look like still depends on the owner’s plan. We haven’t talked about that yet, haha! But with FST Charly Brown (world champion six-year-olds 2018 and 11th place at the World Cup Singles this year) and Dream Catcher FRH (world champion five- and six-year-olds in 2021 and 2022), I already have two very good horses ready for the sport. Therefore, the plan is for Gucci to go into breeding.’
Click here for the photo album
Jessica Wächter with Gucci SFT
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
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