At the close of a somewhat slightly muted first day of dressage in the Longines CCI5*-L at Luhmühlen, Great Britain’s Selina Milnes tops the leaderboard with a score of 31.5 aboard Cooley Snapchat. The eleven-year-old Irish gelding delivered an impressive and composed performance, setting the benchmark for the rest of the field. However, no combinations managed to break the sub-30-barrier, and there were some noticeable discrepancies in the scoring among the judges.
Milnes expressed her delight with the horse’s effort, highlighting his calm demeanor and willingness to perform under pressure: “He was super, very relaxed and rideable. I don’t really know what else he could have given. All the changes were good. He always does do a nice test and today I felt like I could really go for it. I was obviously disappointed with the mark at C but as long as that stays consistently low it doesn’t matter. He’s still inexperienced at this level. He’s very easy and he has taken on every challenge he’s had so far. But the course is really intense. There are a lot of combinations and you really have to be on your game all the way round. It’s also quite twisty but he’s not strong and he likes to stay in a rhythm so I think it’ll suit him.”
Hot on her heels is fellow Briton Aaron Millar, who holds second place with a score of 31.6 on KEC Deakon. The combination impressed despite a slightly altered warm-up plan, as Millar explained: “I was massively pleased with him. He was really good, even though I slightly overworked him before going in. He had a year off last year so I felt it was better to have him a little underpowered going in. He doesn’t need much work beforehand, but I was very pleased with him. He’s a performer. He goes in and he wants to do a good job. Hopefully the cross-country will suit him, I’m really looking forward to it. There are a lot of acute angles that are going to keep us working and thinking. A lot of the combinations need accuracy, for example the angles in the arena.”
Reigning World Champion Ros Canter currently sits in third with MHS Seventeen on a score of 33.5, just ahead of fellow Brit Laura Collett and Hester, who hold fourth on 33.9. Both riders remain well within striking distance as the competition heads into the final day of dressage.
Germany’s Arne Bergendahl, lying in 11th after dressage, expressed his enthusiasm for returning to five-star level competition and the unique atmosphere at Luhmühlen: “After making our five-star debut in Luhmühlen two years ago, it feels great to be back. It’s just fun to compete in this stadium and she seems to enjoy the atmosphere. Of course there’s always room for improvement, but I’m quite happy. In my opinion, the Cross-country course will be quite influential. There are a lot of angled fences, a lot of corners, so we need to focus and make sure to ride the ideal lines – then it should be fun.”
Course designer Mike Etherington-Smith’s track has already drawn attention for its flowing but demanding nature, a sentiment echoed by British team coach Chris Bartle: “My first impression of the five-star is that it’s a beautiful course. The fences are beautifully made, inviting yet impressive. The track looks in very good condition. In terms of technical demands, it’s not the toughest five-star course but a very good introduction for horses and riders stepping up this level. I believe the time will be quite difficult to achieve because Mike Etherington-Smith has included quite a few phases where riders have to reduce speed in order to get the turn.”
With a tightly packed leaderboard and a challenging cross-country course awaiting, excitement is building at Luhmühlen. Riders and fans alike are preparing for a pivotal second day that promises to reshape the standings and test the mettle of horse and rider combinations from around the world.
NINA SCHULTES TAKES THE LEAD IN CCI4*-S MEBMER TROPHY
The 31-year-old rider from Frankfurt was very pleased with the performance of her 18-year-old sport partner Grand Prix iWEST. “I’m very pleased with our dressage test. There were a few small mistakes that could have gone even better, but basically I’m really happy. It was a correct test, he was very focused despite the large stadium. Even the flying change to the right worked out today. It’s a good start to the competition.”
Looking ahead to the cross-country, Nina shared: “The course is technically demanding. The first real task awaits in the stadium. The Meßmer water is not to be underestimated and the Irish Bank also requires a lot of concentration. Especially as it is a task that is quite unique. As my horse is very experienced, I’m really looking forward to the cross-country.”
Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS are currently lying in a promising second place (34.1) in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy. Two years ago, the successful duo celebrated their five-star debut in Luhmühlen. “I was very happy with my horse today. I can now really rely on her not to let me down in the arena. It was a confident, experienced round. Of course there is still room for improvement, you could always ride more correctly and precisely – but the flying changes were good and I was very happy with her, so it’s a bit of a shame that this isn’t reflected in the marks. But there are still two more disciplines to come.”
Hans Melzer, the former German chef d’Equipe shares the rider’s assessment that the cross-country course is quite demanding. “The course is full of technical challengesand must be ridden with concentration. It’s a fantastic course and absolutely worthy of a German Championship.”
