(acm/mps) After wins in the first two competitions – Bad Salzuflen and Wiesbaden – in the 2006 Piaff-Förderpreis series, Matthias Alexander Rath (Germany) crowned a successful season on Friday morning at the 22nd International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS Horse Show.
In the saddle on the 15-year-old chestnut gelding Renoir Unicef – a team world champion in 2002 when ridden by Rath’s stepmother Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff – the 22-year-old took top spot in the Prize of the Liselott Schindling Foundation with 1658 points – or 69.083 per cent and has duly fulfilled his – momentary – dreams. “The season’s target was to participate here in Stuttgart and finish ahead of the rest,” is how the Young Riders European Team Champion described the objectives he set for himself. “And now I’m very happy with the way things have turned out in spite of making a mistake in the every stride flying leg changes.” Expectations were quite high continued Rath. “You obviously put yourself under pressure when you say to yourself – you also hear it from others – you can’t fail to be successful on a horse like Renoir. When things do actually work out in the end then it’s all the more nicer.” But, he admitted, the decision was a very close run affair as Benjamin Werndl took second place on the twelve-year-old gelding Sam just one point behind the winning pair. “That was a top competition, better than last year. Marks of over 69 per cent are of a top international standard,” said an excited Show Director Gotthilf Riexinger after the absorbing final.
Though overjoyed Rath however immediately handed on a big part of the praise: “I’d like to say a special thanks to my step mother Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff. I presumably wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t allowed me to Renoir a year ago.” His father Klaus-Martin Rath, who was given the award for the coach of the winning pair, was also explicitly thanked by Rath junior. “He coaches me every day at home, he focuses me every now and again and he knows me inside out. This wouldn’t have been possible without him.” On behalf of his riding colleagues the youngster paid a special tribute to Klaus Rheinberger, the Chairman of the Liselott Schindling Foundation for the Development of Dressage. ”The dressage series is a fantastic chance for us to ride in Grand Prix classes without having to compete against the top seven in Germany. Without this series it would have hardly been possible for any of us to ride in Stuttgart.”
