REEM ACRA FEI WORLD CUP™ DRESSAGE 2014/2015 – Round 7- Salzgeber Leads German Charge At Neumünster

Ulla Salzgeber and Herzruf’s Erbe led another German whitewash at the seventh leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 series on home soil in Neumünster today. At Stuttgart (GER) last November, host country riders claimed the top four finishing spots led by Fabienne Lutkemeier and D’Agostino. Today however, 25-year-old Lutkemeier had to settle for runner-up spot behind the veteran Salzgeber who has made a great comeback with the horse with which she finished third at the Reem Acra Final in Leipzig (GER) four years ago.

Standing third in today’s line-up was Isabell Werth who was more than pleased with the improving performances of El Santo NRW, but it was a tough day at the office for Hans Peter Minderhoud from The Netherlands. A breakdown in the sound system meant he had to halt his performance while his musical score was restored to working order. However, last to go in the 15-strong line-up, he demonstrated his consummate professionalism by resuming from where he left off to finish a close fourth with Glock’s Flirt.

Battle for places

With only two further qualifying opportunities remaining, the battle for places at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final in Las Vegas in April is in full swing. And for German riders the fight is even tougher because so many of them are well-placed to make the cut, but there is an entry limit of just three from each country.

As today’s competition evolved, Finland’s Terhi Stegars was the one to beat in the early stages, having posted a strong score of 77.600 with her popular stallion Axis TSF. This pair are always a big hit wherever they go, but they need points to be in with a chance of making it to the Final. Finishing 11th in yesterday’s Grand Prix things weren’t looking too optimistic, but they threw down a super performance today in front of a crowd who know them very well.

“I live now in Luxembourg, but it feels like coming home!” said 40-year-old Stegars who had no fears about competing in the intense atmosphere of the Neumünster ring.

“My Axis doesn’t mind it at all” she said. “I rode him here for the first time when he was three, that was 13 years ago, and his first show ever. I did my professional riders degree here, so people around here know me since I was young. I’ve been gone for a number of years, so it’s nice to come back and show what we have learned together!” she said.

Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello stepping it out in style at the fourth leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League series at Stockholm (SWE). (FEI/Roland Thunholm)

Surpassed

It came down to the final five before her score was surpassed by yesterday’s Grand Prix winners, Lutkemeier and D’Agostino, who posted the first mark over 80 per cent, at the end of an elegant and balanced test that put 80.775 on the scoreboard. Fellow-countrywoman, Isabell Werth, followed with her usual flourish to slot in behind that with 79.850 with El Santo NRW and then Salzgeber set sail to raise the bar even higher.

Herzruf’s Erbe’s career has been interrupted more than once by injury, and he spent 11 months on field-rest before returning to the competition ring at the end of 2013. But this indoor season, the chestnut horse has rallied brilliantly, finishing third and then fourth at the Reem Acra qualifiers in Lyon (FRA) and Odense (DEN) last October before winning both the Grand Prix and Freestyle in Frankfurt (GER) in December. “After Frankfurt I was hoping we can win a bit more, and today I would have been very happy to just finish in the top three!Salzgeber said after posting 82.775 which would not be bettered.

There were still two to go however, and the penultimate partnership of Hoennerups Driver and Anna Kasprzak from Denmark made a big impression with a lovely test. His rider put the quality 11-year-old Danish-bred gelding through an uncomplicated floorplan that demonstrated lightness, calmness and natural rhythm along with some glorious extended trot suggesting huge future potential. Their score of 78.300 placed them fourth, but, they dropped one spot to fifth after Dutchman, Minderhoud, brought the competition to a close.

So consistent

Talking about her winning ride, Salzgeber said “his highlight is that he is so consistent, he’s not looking around, he is with me and that gives you control so you can ride every exercise like you want it”. She has decided however, that she will not campaign the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage circuit any further with Herzruf’s Erbe. “At this stage I’m in seventh place on the leaderboard but he is 16 years old now and, for the sake of his welfare, I think it’s best to stop the World Cup qualifiers to be fair to him. The European Championships will be our next target” Salzgeber explained.

Runner-up, Lutkemeier, said of her test today, “there was a little mistake in the flying change after extended canter but my horse was more settled than yesterday and really focused, so I am very pleased with him.”

Isabell Werth was delighted with her third place finish. “I’m really happy and really proud that the first three places went to Germany today, and I’m very happy that I got an improved score from Amsterdam!” she said. Talking about El Santo NRW she continued, “he had a long break of about five months from international competition so I’m really happy that we are on our way back and our scores are close to what they used to be. Today was a good experience, so we will go to Gothenburg now”.

Indeed Gothenburg in Sweden presents the penultimate qualifying opportunity for riders in the Western European League in two weeks’ time, as the pressure for one of the coveted places at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2015 Final nears boiling point.

Ulla Salzgeber and Herzruf’s Erbe won the seventh leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League at Neumünster, Germany today where host-nation riders filled the top three places. (FEI/Karl Heinz Freiler)

Result:

1, Herzruf’s Erbe (Ulla Salzgeber) GER 82.775

2, D’Agostino (Fabienne Lutkemeier) GER 80.775;

3, El Santo NRW (Isabell Werth) GER 79.850;

4, Glock’s Flirt (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 79.825;

5, Hoennerups Driver (Anna Kasprzak) DEN 78.300;

6, Axis TSF (Terhi Stegars) FIN 77.600;

7, Painted Black (Morgan Barbancon Mestre) ESP 77.075;

8, Di Lapponia T (Paulinda Friberg) SWE 76.600;

9, Girasol 7 (Nadine Capellman) GER 76.275;

10, Deveraux B (Carola Koppelmann) GER 76.125;

11, Uzzo (Patrick van der Meer) NED 75.400;

12, Fleetwood (Malin Hamilton) SWE 72.750;

13, Grosso’s Gentle (Ellen Schulten-Baumer) GER 72.350;

14, After You (Ludovic Henry) FRA 72.175; 15, Vancouver K (Judy Reynolds) IRL 71.575.

Facts and Figures:

The VR Classics at Neumunster, Germany staged the seventh leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League series today.

The members of the Ground Jury were: At E, Katrina Wuest, At H, D Evi Eisenhardt, At C, Eduard de Wolff van Westerrode, At M, Leif Tornblad, At B Marietta Almasy.

German riders Ulla Salzgeber (Herzruf’s Erbe), Fabienne Lutkemeier (D’Agostino) and Isabell Werth (El Santo NRW) filled the top three places.

Today’s winning rider, 56-year-old Ulla Salzgeber, previously won back-to-back FEI World Cup™ Dressage titles in 2001 and 2002 with the legendary Rusty.

Salzgeber also finished third at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final with Herzruf’s Erbe at Leipzig, Germany in 2011.

Fourth place went to The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Flirt whose Freestyle was disrupted when his musical score failed during his test.

There are two further qualifying legs left to run in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League – at Gothenburg, Sweden on 28 February and at ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) on 14 March.

The series Final will take place in Las Vegas, USA from 15-19 April.

Quotes:

Ulla Salzgeber GER: “He (Herzruf’s Erbe) rode his first show again in November 2013 and he’s been on his way back over the last year”.

Fabienne Lutkemeier GER: “Next for him (D’Agostino) is Dortmund, then I will take Qui Vincit Dynamis and Diamonds Forever to Den Bosch.”

Isabell Werth GER: “Las Vegas is not the target for my first horse, Bella Rose. The European Championships is the big plan for her this year. She’s only 11 and I don’t want to make her nervous or confused by going indoors now. We did it right last year (ahead of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy where Werth and Bella Rose were on the gold medal winning German team).

Terhi Stegars FIN: Talking about her experience in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Western European League this season – “I’ve had quite a nice time on the circuit but my goal was not to do it for long because I got married just before the start of the World season and Las Vegas was never my goal. But now we hope for the best!”

Louise Parkes

Lagos Can Be The Next Sports And Tourism Destination- Yusuf.

Lagos State has the potential and capacity to be the next sports and tourism destination with careful planning with the sustainability of the current approach to sports in the State. These are the words of Bolaji Yusuf, Facility Manager of Onikan and Campos Memorial Mini Stadium, Lagos.

Yusuf stated that sports in the state have gone through lots of transformation in the last 8 years through various developmental Programmes which has led to remarkable progress exemplified by the discovery and nurturing of so many talented youths.

He submitted that if this can be sustained with continuous monitoring and evaluation in the coming years, Lagos can continue to provide leadership in Sport development.

Yusuf who is also a member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF Beach and Futsal committee said that with proper usage of the existing facilities and provision of more of such across the state is capable of becoming a catalyst to economic and social development.

“Let us look at Beach soccer for example, if Lagos has a standard beach soccer stadium in either Badagry or Elegushi-Ikate area, who says Lagos cannot host the rest of Africa or even the World in beach soccer? At least we have seen that potential with Copa Lagos; meaning that Lagos can tap into the economic benefits of hosting such event. And don’t forget that the beach environment is always synonymous with tourism, so we will be attracting more attention to our beaches, while developing our sporting potentials in one swoop”. Yusuf noted.

Sandie Beach Rugby Lagos, photo credit: Sandiebeachrugby Lagos

Speaking on provision of facilities, He said Lagos should go the next step to developing sporting facilities in its schools to encourage more students participation in sports, giving room for a large pool of talents, while at the same time keep the Youth in school.

Egypt Ready To Defend Title At Lagos ITTF World Tour

As the defending champions of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour tagged Lagos Open, Egypt’s duo of Omar Assar and Nadeen El-Dawatly have expressed their willingness to retain the title next month.

With all the expected players already confirmed for the five-day championship, Assar, who recently won the ITTF Africa Senior Championship in Cairo said he would be willing to return to Lagos to hold on to the title.

Defending champion of the Lagos Classics, Omar Assar

From 2013, when the tournament was staged, Assar has clinched the title by beating Nigeria’s Segun Toriola in 2013 and also beating compatriot, El-Sayed Lashin in 2014 and the world number 43 is hoping to tantalise the Lagos fans with his entertaining style of play.

having attained the highest rating in his career during the February ITTF ranking, Assar was also in superb from at the just concluded Kuwait Open, where he made the last 16 as the best player from Africa in the tournament.

The ITTF Africa Senior Championships winner said: “I love Lagos fans because there was never any dull moment during my two trips to Nigeria and I am looking forward to come and defend my title because I cherish the title and the ever-supporting Lagos fans.”

“I am looking forward to coming to Lagos because the competition has become part of me and I am eager to come and enjoy myself.

Nadeen EL-DAWLATLY of Egypt at the ITTF Lagos World Tour

I know it is not going to be easy against the Nigerians because they have lot of quality players also, El-Dawlatly who finished in third place at the ITTF Africa Senior Championship is hoping to return to Lagos where she defeated her compatriot, Dina Meshref to clinch her first World Tour title.

The Egypt Table Tennis Federation (ETTF) is coming to Lagos with over 10 players for the tournament.

Meanwhile organizers of the Lagos Open are perfecting preparation for the tournament while the deadline for players’ registration closed at the weekend.

NTF Pays Tribute To Okoya-Thomas

NTF Pays Tribute To Okoya-Thomas: ‘He was Nigeria’s ambassador at Tennis Grand Slams’

The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), has described the death of Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas as a huge loss to sports worldwide.

In a tribute to the sport philanthropist and socialite, NTF President Sani Ndanusa said “it is with very heavy hearts and unspeakable sorrow that the Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF) received the news of the demise of our lovable and very enthusiastic tennis patron – Chief Molade Okoya- Thomas (MFR) – which occurred on the 1st of February in Lagos at age 79.”

Ndanusa said the passing on of the sports loving former athlete, tennis player, distinguished sponsor and fund raiser is a huge loss not only to the tennis community nationally and internationally but to the entire sports world.

Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, photo credit ITTF/Lekan Okusan

“Chief Okoya-Thomas was the face of the NTF in the major international tennis competitions like the Wimbledon, the US Open and the French Open which he attended consistently and passionately up to the end of 2014. He was a truly consummate sports and business ambassador of Nigeria,” Ndanusa pointed.

Ndanusa, a former Sports Minister noted that as president of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Okoya-Thomas prevailed on his Uncle/cousin Chief Ajisomo Alabi (Lord Rumens) to, not only continue the sponsorship of the Lord Rumens Classics that brought former world stars like Thomas Muster, Jacob Hlasek and Paul Haarhuis to Lagos but to take it to a higher level.

“While we have no doubt that the very successful children he has left behind will continue the sponsorship of the iconic Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championships which he had nurtured and promoted for 46 years, the table tennis family of players, coaches and officials will surely miss his affectionate and encompassing presence at the event – the same way as the (Lawn) tennis family will miss his presence at our national championships. .

“We are, however, consoled by the fact that he has left huge footprints in the sands of time and his work here on earth has been acknowledged by presidents and young sports men and women all over the world.

“May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace!”