The 2005 Belgian Dressage Weekend, which was meant to be an international dressage show, was downgraded to a normal national show when host Het Azelhof faced its umpteenth bankruptcy. The national show had a kur day on Sunday featuring a lovely demonstration by British Grand Prix rider Wayne Channon (who lives in Belgium) and some good Inter 1 and Grand Prix kurs.

However, on Saturday November 5, the Finals for the 2005 Cup of Belgium for FEI Young Horses took place in Lier and, even though the current judging system is striving for transparency, the system used in Lier was opaque, arcane and incomprehensible. Mediocre horses won, good horses made mistakes and finished all the way in the back and other horses were severely penalized for small mistakes or the other way round, got super high marks for gaits which make you yawn. The end ranking in the 4-year old division was reasonably ok. Dominique Rombouts won on Spotlight by riding a clean test. The talented Amaro Abano finished second and the upcoming youngster Fider Hit ranked third.

In the 5-year old division, the results became weird. The winner of the class was Dominique Mohimont on the Hanoverian War and Peace. This horse has been competing reasonably consistently in the Cup of Belgium show circuit, but he did not show the inner peace and potential to be named the Best in Belgium. Second placed Leen Cools and Aros van het Gestelhof have been improving over the summer and are making good progression, but placing her in the silver medal position might have been a bit enthusiastic. The best performing youngster in the 5-year old circuit, Nick van Laer's Hennessy XO, dropped to a surprising third place.

Completely out of order was the podium order in the 6-year old division. Dominique Mohimont won aboard Metta D'Or with an absurd high score of 88.00 points (this means that at the World YH Championships in Verden this horse would be in fourth place behind bronze medallist FBW Dejavu and ahead of Totilas!!!!). Metta d'Or is a nice riding horse, but he's too slow behind and too restricted in his frame to be a top FEI prospect. Mohimont typically rushed the black gelding through the test trying to create an impression of activity behind, but it wasn't there and it never will be. Stefan van Ingelgem and Withney van 't Waaihof (a horse with FEI potential!!) ranked in silver medal position, followed by Vicky Smits on Daianira van de Helle, who received excellent scores for trot and canter, but who was severely penalized on the walk.

Another weird dressage day in Belgium....

...... (View Scores 2005 Belgian Dressage Weekend)