This is what dressage should look like - Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freeestyle in Herning ahead of Isabell Werth and Wendy

It is almost impossible to “dissect” Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle’s ride in Herning. It was a performance of one piece. A work of art. Rarely have we seen the rider and horse in such perfect harmony. A ride in which the mare reacted perhaps five times to a subtle leg aid with a slight flick of the tail – during the entire ride, not during a lesson.

This is what dressage should look like

The piaffe in the arena, rhythmic, evenly high-footed, the passages with a halt but always in flow. The lateral movements smoothly to the left and right. The whole thing was ridden to perfection. And the crowning glory: a horse in self-carriage with clearly recognizable frame extension, where required, the nose in front of the vertical. Satisfied and concentrated.

Sit back and enjoy

It was a ride that all those who demonize dressage should see. They would recognize it: When it’s right, it’s beautiful. Also because the pair showed the sequence and intensity of the aids – weight, leg and only then rein aids – like nobody else in the starting field, it was 84.174 percent, which felt like 92 percent.

For statistics fans: 67 times 9.0 or better

You can’t do justice to a dressage ride if you only look at the scores. But in the case of this performance by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle, it is worth taking a look at the statistics: the worst score in the protocol was 7.0 twice (for the slightly hesitant backwards at the end). On the other hand, there were 16 times 10.0, three times 9.5 and no less than 48 times 9.0. To be statistically precise: 2300 points are theoretically achievable. 620 of these were in the “very good” category or even better. Wow!

Isabell Werth and Wendy with “Personal Best”

The arena in Herning knows Isabell Werth’s Wendy. Even as a young horse, she was one of the best that the Danish warmblood has produced. She has also competed here with Andreas Helgstrand, who trained the Sezuan daughter up to Grand Prix level.

Wendy was less “on fire”, as Isabell Werth describes it when she has to channel the mare’s energy in the arena, than in Amsterdam. The pair scored particularly well in everything to do with piaffe and passage. They scored 9.0 52 times and 10.0 19 times. Further highlights were the pirouettes, which were almost as big as a mocha saucer. In the flying canter changes to two jumps, the mare had to remain straight in her body. Werth started the first trot reinforcement rather slow. Perhaps also to give Wendy time to settle in the arena. This subsequently paid off in supple trot traversals, which were rated between “good” and “very good”. As a reminder – just like piaffe, walk and canter pirouettes, the traversals are given a coefficient of two in the evaluation.

81.913 percent is not only a PB, but also the next step on the stairway to the World Championships in Aachen.

Scandinavia in third and fourth place

Isabell Freese came third with the Totilas son Total Hope. He piaffed as well as his parents throughout, he is a son of Weihegold and therefore the “uncle” of the winner of the CDI3* tour, Viva Gold. But concentration and suppleness could not be achieved in walk. There were also minor moments of tension at the end. 74.652 percent.

Flash Gordon has made incredible progress under Daniel Bachmann Andersen. The Oldenburg Fiderbach son won his second international Grand Prix. The pair won the one in Arhus in December with a good 72 percent. In today’s world-class field, the pair came fourth with 73.13 percent.

It was nice to see how the 2022 World Team Champion was not interested in scoring every point “come hell or high water”, but rather in giving Fuchs confidence in front of a large audience. The Oldenburg understood this and let go more and more. The pair had highlights in the canter tour, but the potential of the stately chestnut also flashed on the final piaffe-passage line.

Keyword Daniel Bachmann Andersen – a streaming tip: If you have access to Clipmyhorse, you should take the time to watch the tall Dane test the young Danish horses as an outside rider and commentate live from the saddle at the same time. A feast for the eyes!

Results CDI5* Grand Prix Herning 2026