The exquisite young mare, Woodlander Farouche has taken the World Breeding Dressage Championships for six-year-old horses – a year after she triumphed in the five-year-old class.
Farouche, a British-bred Hanoverian by Furst Heinrich, twice posted the top score of 10 under Michael Eilberg.
“This ride was almost impossible to top,” said one commentator.
The judges gave the chestnut mare a 10 for her walk and a 10 for her overall impression. They gave her 9.9 for the canter, 9.8 for trot and 9.7 for submissiveness.
This gave her Farouche a final score of 9.88 – which no other horse has achieved before.
“She has three outstanding basic gaits,” said Michael. “And she has such a wonderful personality.”
The mare’s breeder and owner, Lynne Crowden, joked that, as a foal, Farouche was “definitely not very attractive and had a pink nose like a little pig – she was called the ‘Ginger Pig’.
“But from the first time under saddle, everybody could see what a fantastic horse she was,” she added.
Second place went to the KWPN stallion Borencio, by Florencio, with a final score of 9.1 ridden by Emmelie Scholtens of the Netherlands.
And bronze was awarded to a German Oldenburg stallion, Sir Donnerhall II, by Sandro Hit on a final score of 8.78. He was ridden by Denmark’s, Thomas Sigtenbjerggaard.
