Olympic freestyle designer Karen Robinson’s analysis of the European Championships.
http://www.horse-canada.com/?p=2711
A few excerpts, including thoughts about the music for Totilas’ freestyle.
I don’t doubt for a minute that the right horses and riders were on the podium after the European Championship Dressage freestyles on Saturday. After watching Adelinde’s ride, I wasn’t sure if Edward would beat her. Until I saw him. He did have a pretty significant mistake in the one tempis, but clearly the judges gave him enough tens for other things to compensate. And honestly, the world has never seen the likes of Totilas. With Edward aboard, it is nothing short of magic. When Anky went (and I think it was a wise choice to go back to the French music, which more clearly enhances Salinero and highlights the choreography than Wibi’s subtle piano score), I actually wondered if she could beat Adelinde - the judges weren’t sure either, and were divided on the ranking of the two Dutch ladies. Artistically, Anky is still the queen in my opinion, even if Salinero is no longer the greatest athlete on the block. The best German result was Matthias Rath, in sixth. I don’t remember ever seeing the Germans finish so far down the board. Sure, they were lacking stars due to the loss of a few heavy-weights this summer (would someone please give Hubertus a new wonder horse? I miss him!), but it still has to be heartening to the rest of the world after such complete domination for the past many decades.
I do think the judges found a new way to lose their marbles, however. I wonder if one of them would reply to my email asking whether they made a collective, conscious decision to use the full scale of marks more than they have ever done before. The scores at these Euro Champs were so much higher than any championship in history, it’s almost as revolutionary as if someone shaved a second off the world record in the 100 m sprint. It’s true that higher marks will help the sport’s public image (though not even three world records could entice the Queen to watch what was going on outside the castle window - she escaped to Balmoral for the week). I just worry that they forgot the word ‘moderation’ in Windsor. Edward set a new world record with a mistake in one of the key exercises at Grand Prix level. He received 95% artistically from two judges, and 94% from another. The mood and energy of the music suit the marvelous Totilas, and there are some musical transitions that work with movements to give an opportunity for interpretation marks. Let me put it this way: I enjoyed that freestyle more than others which had a matching beat but absolutely no emotional element (Laura Bechtolsheimer’s music comes to mind), but as long as the rules clearly state that the rhythm of the footfalls must match that of the music, Edward’s freestyle is entirely lacking in that regard. Entirely. As I said in my blog a few days ago, the FEI should consider changing the rules on extensions and lengthening of the frame, but I do not believe they should change the rules about the music’s rhythm. If Edward rode to music that matched Totilas’ gaits AND had the right dramatic mood, the effect would be out of this world. But where on earth could the judges go with the marks in that situation, given how highly they have already rewarded music that simply does not meet the basic rhythm criteria?
