Hun er 47 år, en udsøgt rytter, og en legende i dressurens verden. På trods af et par fejl i hendes ridt med den fantastiske hoppe Weihegold, vandt den tyske Isabell Werth åbnings-Grand Prix ved finalen i FEI World Cuppen i Omaha. Isabell vandt med en score på 82,300.
”Jeg er virkelig glad, men jeg skal have mere ro på min hest inden på lørdag, for hun blev lidt for ophidset under præmieoverrækkelsen,” fortalte Isabell Werth efterfølgende.
Werth har fem olympiske- og tre world team guldmedaljer i blandt hendes massive medaljefangst, som hun har vundet gennem hendes karriere. Udover alle medaljerne, har Isabell Werth også to FEI World Cup titler. Den første World Cup titel vandt hun for 25 år siden i Gøteborg i Sverige. Den anden titel vandt hun i Las Vegas i 2007. Nu går hun efter den tredje titel.
Læs også: Vidunderlige Isabell Werth vinder World Cup
Not a walk-in-the-park for Isabell Werth
But it isn’t going to be a walk-in-the-park because the home side’s Laura Graves (29) was breathing right down her neck today when posting the runner-up score of 79.800 with Verdades, and is bidding to become only the third American ever to take this prestigious title.
“I think anything is possible!” Graves replied confidently when asked if she thought she could beat Werth in Saturday’s medal-deciding Freestyle to Music competition, and she has to be taken seriously after finishing fourth at the Rio Olympics with this horse who was so difficult as a youngster that she almost gave up on him.
Britain’s Carl Hester (49) finished third with Nip Tuck and will be another strong challenger on Saturday when just 14 of today’s 16 starters will line out. New Zealand’s Wendi Williamson and Dejavu MH were elminated when blood was found in the horse’s mouth post competition and Hanna Karasiova (BLR) and Arlekino failed to make the 60% cut-off mark.
Læs også: Malgré Tout – at have hest på trods af alt
Kilde: FEI
