CAIO Rastede: Personal Best Dressage Score for Anna Sandmann

Anna Sandmann claimed victory in the dressage phase with a score of 37.39 penalty points. Chester Weber (USA)finished second, while Dries Degrieck (BEL) completed the podium in third. Boyd Exell (AUS) placed fourth, with Glenn Geerts (BEL) and Christoph Sandmann (GER) sharing fifth place. Anna Mareike Meier (GER) finished seventh.

Impressive Performance

German team coach Karl-Heinz Geiger was pleased with his team’s performances and believes they are in excellent form heading towards the World Championship.

He was particularly complimentary about Anna Sandmann. "Anna Sandmann delivered an outstanding performance today and thoroughly deserved the win," said Geiger. "With only a few weeks to go until Aachen, we’re heading to the World Championship with confidence."

Anna Sandmann recorded the best dressage score of her career. "I’m incredibly happy with the horses and the way they went through the test. I’m really, really pleased," Sandmann said afterwards.

The German coach was equally positive about the marathon course in Rastede. According to Geiger, the course design fits perfectly into the team’s preparations. "It’s a beautiful venue and the obstacles aren’t excessively demanding. That’s exactly what we were looking for at this stage. We don’t want to overtax the horses three or four weeks before Aachen. We want them arriving at the World Championship fresh and fit."

"An Easy Problem to Fix"

Defending World Champion Boyd Exell was less satisfied with his own dressage test. "I’m not happy with my dressage today. The warm-up went well, but things didn’t come together once we entered the arena. We made two changes to the team and they didn’t work out the way we’d hoped. We’ll simply reverse those changes, so fortunately it’s an easy problem to fix."

Despite his dressage result, Exell is positive about the marathon course. "I’m happy with the obstacles here. There are seven of them and they’re not overly difficult or heavy, but they’re challenging enough to keep everyone sharp. It’s excellent preparation for the horses ahead of Aachen, because without any doubt that will be a very demanding championship."

Chardon Expected More

Dutch driver IJsbrand Chardon was also disappointed with his dressage performance. He finished eleventh on 47.71 penalty points, while his son Bram Chardon placed tenth with 47.11 penalty points. "Three weeks ago I scored 39 penalties in Szilvásvárad, so naturally I’m disappointed with today’s result. My left lead horse became a little too keen today, which cost us marks on the halt. Fortunately we still have three weeks before Aachen, but of course I would have preferred to achieve a better result here in Rastede."

At the same time, Chardon praised the German team. "It’s impressive to see how well the German team has performed. They’re certainly one of the favourites for Aachen, and if this is how you start your final rehearsal, you’re doing something right. I’m also pleased that the obstacles here aren’t too demanding, and there was a fantastic crowd watching the dressage last night. It’s my first time competing in Rastede, but the organisers have done an excellent job."

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Photos: Martina Brueske