Report from Aachen

Thursday, July 13, 2000 1:39 PM

Hi everyone,

Today was a very full day starting with rides from Grand Prix the first half and Intermediare the second half. There were some very good rides and some exceptional riders. Isabell Worth won the Grand Prix on Gigolo and it happened to be the one ride that I missed all day. Figures!!!! During the second half of the day we had lectures with Dr. Knipp. For this we each had an ear set while in the stands and listened to him commentate. A lot of the comments were from a judges point of view. Tomorrow we have asked that he be more of a trainer and give us ways to improve what is not great and even what is so poor that it isn't even good. We had a terrific lunch and when I return I'll be about 100lbs larger because all I have done is eat and sit. Watch out Irola and Danny!! On my tour through the city I ran into one section with a lot of homeless punks. Can you believe that the city has supplied them with mattresses, enclosed bathrooms on the street and clean needle dispensers? I have to leave for a dinner now but I'll see a lot more Grand Prix tomorrow so I'll inform you then.

Bye for now, Jessie

I'm not going to dinner, so here's some from me. All of you competitors who get angry when something or someone distracts you or your horse when you are competing, imagine coming to the biggest Dressage show in the world and have a dog and a workman carrying a big rug cause your horse to spook badly. This happened this morning to the Russian rider. Then this afternoon when Isabel Werth went, everyone was trying to get into the stands to see her. As she went across the first diagonal at extended trot something in the stands startled him and he stopped. She halted him and GLOWERED up into the stands for a second and then went on. Ah, the price of fame. Margit Otto Crepin (once world champion and Olympic medalist with Corlandus) and her horse pulled a 360 degree wheelie instead of doing one of her piaffes. She continued having some trouble until the end of the test. As she went down her final centerline, she stopped and excused herself. Since this is illegal, she was given 0's for the movements she didn't do and ended up with a 42%.

After the first break in the Grand Prix, the person rolling the centerline after the drag rolled it off center -- from C to a point about 4 feet to the right of A. It was a bit distracting to the riders -- whether to turn at A or at the rolled "centerline". Carrie Schopf and Ikhtisas who ride for the US got a 66.92% (there were at least 8 rides with over 70%). Her mare was very tight but has wonderful piaffe. I didn't see a lot of great piaffes -- very few on the spot -- but a lot of really good pirouettes.

Here are some random comments from Dr. Knipp who did our commentary: I thought some of the horses were slightly above the bit -- he said they were fine. Many had noses well in front of the vertical. Halts must be immediate. If you pull much on rein, hind legs cannot step under. He hated strong hands. Full pirouette must be 5 - 8 strides. Halts must be 100% square. Judge must penalize even a little disharmony (horse comes a little against bit, for example). In canter a horse who nods his head is not in balance -- must shift weight back. In extensions hind legs must not only propel, but also but also carry weight. (i.e., not rush). Tail swishing penalized because it tells of tension. In zigzags, always change head position first then lead and/or direction. Neck must be quiet and steady in shoulder-in. hands must always stay together. The canter is a springing pace. He loved quietness and expression -- he hated tension or strong hands. Not only must sequence changes be straight, but the line must not drift. With your entrance and first halt you are delivering your business to the judge -- a very important first impression. In canter lengthening the horse must jump forward as well as up.