Richard Vogel gets to pick and choose
Germany’s Richard Vogel is spoilt for choice when it comes to his string this season at the Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF].
“It’s almost a bit difficult,” he said of choosing which horse to show at any given time. “Because I have some very very nice horses but each of them has their strengths and each of them still, even though they are all amazing, have a bit of a weakness too.”
For Friday’s FEI four-star 1m50 speed class he brought out Cepano Baloubet, a 10-year old bay German sporthorse gelding, in order to qualify him for Saturday’s Grand Prix – they went a step further and won the class in a time of 65.15 ahead of Brazil’s Eduardo Pereira de Menezes and Calypso des Matis who finished in 65.32. Only 11 clears were produced in a field of 59, with the Liverpool fence, requiring a sharp turn at the ingate, proving to be the nemesis for many.
“It’s a nice step up,” Richard, 27 and ranked world number 10, said of the four-star classes. “Hopefully he jumps the same as he did today, tomorrow night.”
Cipano, debuting at WEF 2024 this week in the four-star, is building up to the five-star weeks. “Cipano needs to have some small classes before he can do the big Grands Prix,” said Richard, who won the $500,000 five-star with the gelding at the end of last year’s WEF.
Richard also has Cydello in his string – an upcoming horse for whom he has high hopes. United Touch S, a 12-year old bay Westphalian stallion and another five-star horse, does not need the build up that Cipano does. “United Touch can go straight into a big grand prix – he’s fine with that,” said Richard. “They are all very nice horses but they are all very different too so actually they pick their classes themselves.”
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