Don Johnson reigns supreme — Damsey rocks the presentation ceremony: Saturday at the VR Classics

Presse release – Isabell Werth was satisfied – and it was no wonder after Hanoverian gelding Don Johnson gave a fresh, solid performance.  “Johnny“ was perky but not boisterous… The team Olympic champion won the Grand Prix – the Madeleine Winter-Schulze Prize – at the VR Classics with 75.78 percent. But there was still scope for improvement, Werth implied, and the Rheinberg rider rode the Grand Prix without taking any great risks. “Don Johnson hasn’t competed in any tournaments since Stockholm in November”, said Isabell Werth, who hopes to qualify the gelding for the FEI World Cup Final in Omaha/ Nebraska.

For Helen Langehanenberg from Billerbeck, the Holstenhallen provided the scene for a comeback. The blonde rider landed three World Cup wins in a row from 2012 to 2014, and now she was back with Hanoverian Damsey. “I must say that it was very moving to be back in this arena and to receive such a warm welcome from the audience”, emphasised Langehanenberg. Third place was the reward for her hard work. During the presentation ceremony Damsey surprised his rider, as the normally very cool brown Hanoverian suddenly reared up when the audience took to their feet for the national anthem. “He thought that was very strange”, laughed the team World Champion. Second place, separating the two successful German riders, went to Dutch contender Madeleine Witte-Vrees with Cennin. “I’ve worked on the level of difficult for my freestyle a bit, changed it a little, so we’ll see how I get on on

Sunday”, said the Dutch rider, who is competing at the VR Classics for the first time and, as she herself says, “has no idea what goes on here on Sunday”. The FEI World Cup Dressage with the Grand Prix Freestyle in the VR Bank Neumünster Prize is the “icing on the cake” of this international event. The seventh stage of the World Cup in its current season will be broadcast live online from Neumünster on Sunday at www.feitv.org.

Judge Dr. Evi Eisenhardt was impressed with the results of the Spectator Judging. Spectators had their say via an app. The winner’s score from the spectators was within 0.04 percent of the official verdict from the jury. “It’s really incredible when you look at all the results. I suppose us judges might not be needed much longer here in Neumünster”, quipped the international dressage judge.

VR Classics Results Overview

3 CDI-W – FEI Grand Prix, Prize presented by Frau Madeleine Winter-Schulze – Qualification for the FEI World Cup Dressage Freestyle
1. Isabell Werth (Rheinberg) auf Don Johnson FRH 75,78 Prozent
2. Madeleine Witte-Vrees (Niederlande) auf Cennin 74,10
3. Helen Langehanenberg (Billerbeck) auf Damsey FRH 73,20
4. Judy Reynolds (Irland) auf Vancouver K 72,98
5. Marcela Krinke-Susmelj (Schweiz) auf Smeyers Molberg 71,82
6. Jan-Dirk Gießelmann (Barver) auf Real Dancer FRH 71,70

21 Nat. two-phase show jumping S* cl., “R + V Allgemeine Versicherung, Filialdirektion Hamburg” presents the Pferdestadt Neumünster Championships for Juniors & Young Riders
1. Sven Gero Hünicke (Fehmarn) auf Sunshine Brown *0.00 / 29.08
2. Pheline Ahlmann (Reher) auf Queen Windsor *0.00 / 29.63
3. Johanna Huesmann (Hohwacht) auf Amity B. *0.00 / 30.79
4. Janne Ritters (Krumstedt) auf Claudia 37 *0.00 / 33.53
5. Lea Morgenroth (Krummesse) auf Sir Poldi 3 *0.00 / 34.79
6. Henry Delfs (Steinburg) auf D Consuela *0.00 / 36.33

Source: Press release