German rider Helen Langehanenberg pulled out a personal best performance in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden to win the 2013 Reem Acra FEI World Cup dressage final.
She and the Donnerhall stallion Damon Hill scored 88.286% to lift the trophy and topple twice reigning champion Adelinde Cornelissen from the top of the podium.
“He gave me a great feeling again,” said Helen. “Every time you think with him that things are already perfect, he gets better again.”
The pair will now aim for the German championships in Balve as a stepping stone to August’s European Championships in Denmark.
Last to go, Adelinde couldn’t better Helen’s score, but her 86.214% was good enough for second place aboard Parzival with the Dutch pair’s new freestyle.
Adelinde’s compatriot Edward Gal was third (84.446%) on Glock’s Undercover — a horse he has coaxed huge scores from that just a year ago would not have looked possible.
- For full World Cup final reports from both the dressage and showjumping in Gothenburg, see Thursday’s Horse & Hound magazine.