Matthias Alexander Rath and "Destacado Frh" won today the Gran Premio Comunidad de Madrid Trofeo Grupo Eulen, the first round of the Dressage World Cup being held at IFEMA Madrid Horse Week.
 
The German rider, who rose to fame the last decade riding one of the most important horses in the history of dressage, the late "Totilas", has continued in the front line, and in fact was in the German team that won the silver medal at the last European Championships. In the Madrid arena he has been with the young Hanoverian "Destacado Frh", and with his victory he has continued the impressive winning streak here of riders from his country, winners in the last three editions.

There was excitement right to the end, as Rath was the last rider on the track and with a score of 73.196% he beat Morgan Barbançon with the veteran "Sir Donnerhall II Old" who got a total of 73.000%.
 
The trophy presentation was completed by Daniel Martín Dockx, the best Spanish rider of the event, with a remarkable 72,522 with "Malagueño LXXXIII", the only PRE horse of the event and with which he was part of the Spanish team that achieved the Olympic qualification at the European Championships.
 
Two other Spanish riders completed the top five. Fourth, with 72, was José Antonio García Mena with "Gladiador do Lis", a Lusitano who was doing his fourth Grand Prix in this demanding arena, riding at a high level and showing a magnificent future, followed by the reigning Spanish champion Beatriz Ferrer-Salat with "Elegance", just a tenth of a second behind the rider from Medina Sidonia.

Before the Grand Prix, an exhibition of Para-Equestrian Dressage was held in the center ring by the rider Daniel Larrañaga, and during the break in the competition, the organisers presented a plaque to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, collected by its founder Don Álvaro Domecq, in gratitude for its five decades of spreading Spanish equestrian culture throughout the world.




Bron: Persbericht
F. ©: IMHW