WEG Video

World Equestrian Games
Rome, Italy
Dressage
September 30 - October 4, 1998

1998 WEG Ticket

WEG Video Review
by Trenna Atkins

Note: Complete individual judges' marks will be matched with the video and will be available to Dressage un Ltd members in the members' lounge. Click here for Isabell Werth's individual marks.

The new 1998 World Equestrian Games video is now available. It has a lovely beginning panorama of Rome including the Forum, Coliseum, St. Peters and Flaminio Stadium.

This is a very well done video with some of the best commentary I've heard in a tape of this kind. The commentary is done by Bernadette Faurie and includes a nice comment about Guenter Seidel's rein contact with the snaffle rein and a looser curb rein.

The video begins with 1 minute samples of the Grand Prix test covering most of the top twenty four competitors. It is our only chance to see horses like Gestion Silvano, Flyinge Amiral, Blue Hors Cavan, Legrini and Evento. However, if the samples must be short, at least they included complete sections of the tests, rather than chopping the tests up excessively.

When the video moves to the Grand Prix Special, the horses' shown are allowed more time. Shown in this section are Donnerhall, Olympic Ferro, Rusty, Graciso, Graf George, and Walk on Top. My biggest complaint is that sometimes the camera is moved in the middle of a movement. In the middle of a canter pirouette, close up, you are then treated too a high aerial view. The final part of this section is a special split screen comparing Bonfire and Gigolo giving a good comparison between the smoothness of Bonfire and the power of Gigolo. I really liked this until the final piaffe/passage tour which is shown from high in the air, difficult to see.

The final section is the freestyle competition with 2-3 minutes of some of the lower scorers. Walk on Top, Olympic Ferro, Donnerhall and Graciso are all well represented. We then get to see the full tests of the final three medal winners. Rusty's test is awesome in the ease of movement and the quiet aids of rider, Ulla Salzgeber. In my opinion, this pair really makes this look effortless, especially those great extended trots. You are allowed to listen to the music and then after the test, comments are made over a repeat of some of the test.

Gigolo's test comes next as she did ride before Bonfire in the actual competition. Gigolo and Isabel's test was amazing in the number of transitions and variety of movements in such rapid succession. Although it was advertised as her same freestyle, I'm sure I heard different music in many parts, including I think, some music from "I Dream of Jeannie" and my personal favorite, "My Way". Her final passage/piaffe tour were to this Frank Sinatra favorite.

The final ride is Bonfire and Anky VanGrunsen riding to selections from West Side Story. Anky does a masterful job of interpreting the music, flowing from one movement to the next, but I don't think the degree of difficulty was up to Gigolos. For instance, Bonfire did an extended canter, came around the corner and on to the next diagonal and did a double canter pirouette and then rode a number of strides before a line of one tempi changes. In contrast, Isabel did an extended canter from M to the centerline, brought Gigolo immediately back to her canter pirouette and then off again immediately to the one tempi changes. Although, these two freestyles were quite different, they were both an excellent example of how far dressage has come in recent years. I think this rivalry has been good for the sport.

Overall, this WEG Dressage video is well worth the price. I would have preferred that we could have had three tapes with the complete tests as we had from the Atlanta Olympic games but in place of that, Equestrian Vision has done an excellent job of covering the dressage in one tape.

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