Head-to-head thriller in freestyle Herning ends with victory for Laudrup-Dufour ahead of Werth

One lyrically concentrated, the other dynamically exalted: Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Isabell Werth celebrated dressage in the here and now in the Boxing Hall in Herning. In the end, Freestyle and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour came out on top. Ultimately, it was the technical value, i.e. the riding of the individual lessons, that tipped the scales in favor of the Dane. In the B class, the two riders were separated by just 0.08 percentage points. 0.385 separated the two top riders in the end. Three judging positions saw the Danish/Hanoverian duo in front. The German Ulrike Nivelle awarded Werth 1.45 percentage points more and the British rider Isobell Wessels also awarded more points: 0.375 percent.

My heart will go on

The local heroine had brought the freestyle to Herning that she had also ridden at the Olympic Games in Paris: “Formidable” by Stromae rang out to one of the many highlights of the Hanoverian mare Freestyle, the piaffe, right at the beginning of the program. Later on, the pair will repeatedly show special transitions from this lesson of highest collection, for example from the piaffe-pirouette into the passage-traversal, or from the piaffe-pirouette directly into a double canter pirouette. The strong walk that Laudrup-Dufour shows more or less directly after the strong canter also shows how relaxed and textbook gymnastic the Fidermark daughter is.

“Best Grand Prix of my life”

The music also changed in style. Celine Dione’s Titanic anthem “My heart will go on” dominated the middle section of the freestyle. There was one small blunder. In the single changes, the mare jumped shorter on one side several times. However, Laudrup-Dufour corrected the mishap on the joker line. 90.65 percent was awarded for the ride. This is the fifth time in the mare’s career that she has scored above the 90 percent mark.

Laudrup-Dufour’s conclusion: ” Yesterday’s Grand Prix was the best Grand Prix of my life, so I almost felt guilty asking them to start again today. I slowed down a bit today and it’s so rare to reach 90 percent. The win in itself means nothing – but to see such top-class sport in Denmark is absolutely fantastic!!!”

Isabell Werth and Wendy “snappy” freestyle on their heels

Wendy’s grandfather Zack and her sire Sezuan have already been celebrated in Herning on the occasion of the licensing, which takes place at the same time as the international show. The black mare probably felt obliged to this family tradition. The freestyle to “Stumblin in” (Suzie Quattro and Chris Norman by Smokie) and Gary Manilow’s “Mandy” or “Wendy” focuses on the mare’s great strengths: piaffe and passage.

The mare once again showed them like a precisely functioning metronome. The passages in a straight line and as traversals, the piaffe as pirouettes with changes of direction. Wendy also fluffed in the first two changes in the course of the freestyle.

Four above the 80 percent mark

Third place went to Isabell Freese with Total Hope. The black horse coped better with the indoor atmosphere today. However, he lacked suppleness and rhythm in walk again today (81.885).

With more than 80 percent, 80.370, the Oldenburg Flash Gordon made his debut in an international Grand Prix freestyle. He also needed the joker line to iron out a mistake in the double changes.

Results of the CDI5* Freestyle 2026