Chris von Martels of Ridgetown, ON, recently had a successful debut in the dressage portion of the renowned CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival, held in Aachen, GER from July 8-17.
Partnered with Divertimento (Di Versace x Ferragamo), a 14-year-old bay Westphalian gelding he co-owns with Lövsta Stuteri AB, he earned impressive marks in the CDI 4* Grand Prix and CDI Grand Prix Special.
On July 13, Martels guided Divertimento to a 13th place finish in the CDI Grand Prix against a tough field of international competitors, including a strong German contingent that captured all three spots on the podium. The pair, who are in their first year of competition together, earned a score of 69.114% from the esteemed panel of international judges. Two days later, von Martels and Divertimento cracked the top 10 in the CDI Grand Prix Special, earning a mark of a mark of 67.980% for ninth place.
“We had a fantastic week in Aachen,” said von Martels, who was named as the second reserve rider for the Canadian Dressage Team athletes at the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympics. “Divertimento was great in the Grand Prix, and held his own amongst some of the world’s highest ranked combinations. Unfortunately he was a bit nervous in the Special which caused some tension, however I was very happy with him overall. It’s truly such an incredible show, every detail is considered, and the organization and management is beyond top notch.”
For more information on the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival, including full results, visit www.chioaachen.de.
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