Special winner Isabell Werth smiling and full of pride: “El Santo has a lot of talent”

Stuttgart – Isabell Werth had a big, big smile on her face: “El Santo has performed really well here in Stuttgart and it was only his third international show.” The German dressage rider had just won the Grand Prix Special for the Prize of the MEGGLE Group on the nine-year-old Rhineland gelding. Riding in the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle, she received 76.875 points from the international jury made up of judges from Mexico, USA, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. It gave her the victory and prize money totalling 7,250 euro. “El Santo is unbelievably proper and honest and has a lot of talent. It’s a proud moment for me and it’s proved that he’s a worthy winner of the Otto Lörke Preis.”

Isabell Werth and El Santo NRW were second in the Grand Prix on Saturday – behind Victoria Max-Theurer. Things were the other way round in the Special: the Austrian came second behind Isabell Werth. Riding her ten-year-old stallion Augustin OLD, she was given 74.583 per cent and therefore 6,150 euro prize money. “I’m so unbelievably happy and pleased after Augustin had to undergo a colic operation in November 2009. It’s wonderful that he’s back competing and that he’s been first and second in Stuttgart.” The triple World Champion in Lexington, Edward Gal (Netherland), placed third on his 11-year-old mare Sisther de Jeu with 73.958 per cent. His performance won him 4,550 euro.

Gotthilf Riexinger, the director of the 26th International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS Horse Show raved: “We’ve seen some fantastic dressage over the past few days but today’s Special was simply sensational and as good as never before.”