Horse Illustrated Magazine

Day 2 of the 2022 FEI World Championships dawned crisp, cool, and clear at the MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark. As the day progressed, the wind picked up and grey clouds dropped intermittent rain showers followed by the sun peeking out again and then the clouds quickly returning. But, the intense competition heated up both the outdoor Stutteri Ask Stadium where dressage was contested and the indoor Jyske Bank Boxen building where the vaulting took place.

Following on the heels of yesterday’s dressage and vaulting first horse inspections, competition began in the FEI World Championships today. The first half of the dressage order strutted their stuff in the sandbox in the Grand Prix test. And in vaulting the individual men and woman and the squads bounced, leaped and posed on horseback performing required elements in the compulsory competition.

2022 FEI World Championships Day 2

Two American riders took their turn around the letters in dressage today, both in the afternoon sessions. First up was U.S. Team rookie Katie Duerrhammer riding the 14-year-old Brandenburg gelding Quartett (by Quartermaster) for owner Kylee Lourie. The pair performed a very nice test at 2:11 p.m., but had a few bobbles in the rein back and two-tempi canter lead changes for a final score of 70.839 % putting them in 11th place at the end of the first day of Grand Prix dressage.

Ashley Holzer and her 12-year-old Hanoverian mare Valentine (Sir Donnerhall-Regazzo) for the U.S.A. were last pair to go for the day and showed moments of brilliance, but also some unfortunate strong resistance from Valentine in the piaffe. As a result, they scored 61.258% and sit in 43rd position.

Dinja van Liere and the 10-year-old KWPN stallion Hermes (Easy Game-Flemmingh) from the Netherlands are the current leaders after day one holding down a 78.835 %. Currently in second is Germany’s Benjamin Werndl riding Famoso OLD with 77.003% and Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline’s Danciera from Denmark are in third (76.863 %).

Over at the vaulting arena the day was devoted to performing required moves for the judges before the competitors could move on to technical and freestyle competitions later in the week. The vaulting squads of six performed first today, with the female individual competitors competing next, then the individual male vaulters finishing out the day.

France leads the squad competition with Germany in second and Switzerland in third. The U.S. Team, who vaulted from the horse Drillian, is in sixth place for the moment with the chance to make up points yet in the freestyle this coming Monday.

The top woman in the individual vaulting compulsories is Manon Moutinho of France with Germans Alina Roβ and Julia Sophie Wagner in second and third, respectively. Three American women competed in the individual women’s compulsory vaulting; they are (with placings listed):  Kimberly Palmer (horse was Rosenstolz 99) in 10th; Tessa Divita (horse was Sunday Song) in 11th and Emily Rose (horse was Eldoctro) in 17th.

Individual men’s vaulting was also topped by Frenchman Lambert Leclezio with his countryman Quentin Jabet in second and Sam Dos Santos from the Netherlands in third. The two men from the U.S.A., Daniel James (horse was Christmas Ps Z) and Jace Brooks (horse was  Dwight) stand in 17th and 18th respectively.

More About Mid Jutland, Denmark

First impressions of Denmark, here in middle Jutland to be specific, are that it is fairly flat with some low-lying hills, quite lush and green, and dotted with windmills―the new kind with huge fins, not the ones you see painted in blue on Delftware china. Primary businesses here include agriculture, fishing, construction, and light industry with specializations in things such as green technology and wind power, innovation in using sound in medical treatment and education, and creative advanced manufacturing techniques.

Possibly best known for the creation and production of the popular Lego toy blocks (Legoland is just half an hour south of Herning), the area also produces some world-class Danish Warmblood sport horses. The Blue Hors Stud near here is responsible for many successful dressage horses competing here this week (case in point, Blue Hors Zack ridden in these championships by Nanna Merrald Rasmussen for the home Danish Team). Blue Hors will host journalists on a tour of their huge operation on Tuesday, August 9. The same day the Danish Warmblood Association will showcase weanling foals in an auction here at the showgrounds―a great marketing opportunity for local horse breeders!

Culinary delights from Denmark include many cheeses, a yogurt-consistency cheese called skyr, herring, all sorts of sweet or savory pastries, multi-seeded and rye breads, and open-faced sandwiches which are raised to an art form here.  One new item encountered in the food court outside the Jyske Bank Boxen (black building where the vaulters are performing) was like gourmet marshmallow topping. The ice cream stand man said that this topping was unique to Denmark. Reports were that it was delightful spooned over whatever flavor of ice cream or sorbet the customer chose to order.

Tomorrow’s Competition

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 7, will see more vaulting, including the men’s and women’s individual technical competition and the pas de deux first round of freestyle tests. Vaulting begins at 10 a.m. Central European Time (4 a.m. in the Eastern U.S.). In the dressage arena the second and final day of Grand Prix competition will conclude with medal ceremony to follow.

Stay tuned for more photos and daily updates throughout the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark. To see in-depth information for the U.S. competitors, visit US Equestrian’s World Championship hub on their website. For more general information about the Herning Championships, visit their website and download an app to follow the competition.