Achleiten Castle Set Scene For Isabell Werth’s Four CDI4* Wins

Achleiten, Austria – July 27, 2020 – The second CDI4* of the three-part series in Achleiten, Austria took place over the weekend with Germany’s Isabell Werth collecting four wins with multiple scores over 80%.

In the Grand Prix of the Freestyle tour, Werth picked up where she left off three weeks ago in the first show at Achleiten: with a victory. With Quantaz, owned by Victoria Max-Theurer, she scored 80.348 percent. In the Freestyle, the six-time Olympic champion and Quantaz achieved a top score of 85.450% in their Freestyle debut.

Isabell Werth and Quantaz. Photo by Michael Rzepa

“Quantaz did a fantastic job! He has developed superbly in the last three weeks, had more confidence today than at the first show,” Werth said. “It was the first Freestyle of his life, but we had trained a lot for it. He convinced me in a positive way, with a lot of expression. I cannot imagine that it could have been any better.”

With her 2016 Olympic gold medal mount, Weihegold OLD, Werth topped the leaderboard in the Grand Prix (for the Special) with a 81.174% and the Grand Prix Special with an 80.915%.

Werth has already collected six Olympic gold medals, nine World Championship titles and numerous other trophies in her career, but even the 51-year-old rider has never managed to finish two classes with different horses on one day with scores of over 80 percent. “I cannot remember such a situation; usually the competitions are spread over several days. I am very pleased, it’s a great feeling,” Werth exclaimed.

Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD. Photo by Michael Rzepa

“Weihegold presented herself well with a very nice tour [in the Grand Prix]. The expectations are very high with her, she did a really good job,” Werth continued. “I am extremely satisfied. The fine-tuning and the self-confidence are getting better and better. The show itself was perfectly organized again, the palace garden arena is simply unique.”

Austria’s Victoria Max-Theurer also had reason to be happy with her performances during the show as she racked up four second place finishes in the Grand Prix classes behind her mentor Werth. Aboard Rockabilly, her 10-year old stallion, Max-Theurer earned 73.783% in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle and later in the weekend, received an 80.725% in the Freestyle.

The four-time Olympic participant also had success in the Grand Prix for the Special tour on Abegglen, placing second with a 77.631%. Later in the weekend in the heavy rain for the Grand Prix Special, she and Abegglen achieved 77.596% and again took second place in what was only their second Grand Prix Special as a pair.

Victoria Max-Theurer and Abegglen. Photo by Michael Rzepa.

“I am very happy again and I couldn’t wish for better. Both horses have not been doing Grand Prix for that long, so I am really proud!” Max-Theurer explained. “[With Abegglen,] we still have to get to know each other better and improve the fine-tuning, but the basis is very promising. Abegglen is an unbelievable fighter and wants to do everything right, that’s a lot of fun. Even wind and rain didn’t irritate him, the result is really great.“

In the Grand Prix Special, Australian Simone Pearce took third place with Destano with a 74.617% after breaking the Australian Grand Prix record with their 74.152% Grand Prix performance earlier in the week. Earning third place finishes in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle tour, Germany’s Frederic Wandres, achieved a 72.326% in the Grand Prix and a 77.365% with Sa Coeur in the Freestyle. The now 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding Sa Coeur was five- and six-year-old world champion of young dressage horses with Eva Möller.

Simone Pearce and Destano. Photo by Michael Rzepa

As a local favorite, Max-Theurer is planning to compete in the third CDI4* show in Achleiten. Whether Werth will return to the palace garden arena is not yet certain, “I would like to come back, but school starts in Germany and my son is attending a new school this summer. We have to see how we can organize everything.”

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