Leading up to the 2005 FEI World Cup Dressage Final, the prevailing feeling was that Anky Van Grunsven would have to fall off Salinero not to win. Well, in the Grand Prix and first round of competition, under the lights in the Thomas And Mack Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 21, she didn’t fall off but was felled instead.

Her countryman and student Edward Gal, on the Dutch Warmblood stallion Geldnet Lingh, put in a sublime ride of  78.62 percent, topping Van Grunsven’s 78 percent and earning a spontaneous standing ovation from the crowd.

The Grand Prix scores do not count towards the World Cup title but serve only to set the starting order for the Grand Prix freestyle on Saturday. The 12 top rides from today will compete in the Final and the remaining six face-off in the B-Final tomorrow.

After they claimed the individual gold medal at the Athens Olympics in August, Van Grunsven and her electric gelding seemed unstoppable. But Gal and Lingh were simply amazing. They performed the kind of ride that displayed all the hallmarks of exemplary dressage–harmony, suppleness, elasticity, and obedience­–totally controlled power with total grace.

While the four Americans in the Final could not match the two Dutchmen’s scores, they presented a solid force to be reckoned with on their home turf.

Debbie McDonald and Brentina led the charge as usual. Second of the 18 riders to go, McDonald rode a careful test. The mare was as dependable as always and was very steady, with beautiful rhythm and tempo, but lacked power and pizzazz. She scored 7s and 8s on all the movements, with a few 9s for her transitions but it was enough to finish third in the Grand Prix with a 75.95 percent.

Right on her heels was Robert Dover and the flashy chestnut FBW Kennedy (75.62%). Dover rode a wonderful, professional and technically adept test–the kind of test one would expect from a man who has ridden in six Olympics. But Dover’s partnership with Kennedy is also marked by sheer joy. The two seem to get along famously and Dover encouraged his horse to enjoy himself in the arena. Their piaffe tour and their flying changes highlighted their test and made team coach, Klaus Balkenhol crack a rare grin.

Sweden’s Jan Brink, on the stallion Bjorsells Briar were fifth with a 75.58 percent and Andreas Helgstrand, from Denmark, on Blue Hors Cavan, were sixth (73.00%).

American Leslie Morse, who wowed the judges at the U.S League Finals (California,) 18 days ago to finish second, seems to have moved up to the next level in her partnership with her Dutch Warmblood stallion Kingston. She finished seventh today with a 72.79 percent.

In the past, her nerves have gotten the best of her in competitions and the Grand Prix as the first test and the one tempi flying changes have been her particular bugaboo. But Morse stuffed her nerves in a sack today, nailed her one tempis and allowed Kingston to display his enormous power and presence without letting him overpower her as he is wont to do.

Guenter Seidel and Aragon (71.12%), who performed so well last year to make the Olympic team despite the gray gelding’s Grand Prix inexperience, did not have a bad day, but they didn’t shine like they can and finished 11th.

Aragon is a piaffe and passage machine and he scored some 9s and 8s for both the piaffe tours. But the Bavarian Warmblood was not completely with his rider. he was notably not fully on the bit and lacked connectivity, which resulted in an obvious lack of throughness. The judges did not miss this and they gave the pair a 6 and 7s for submission.

Canadian Leslie Reid and Germany’s Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff had the most disappointing rides of the day.

Reid and Mark are usually a dream pair to watch, displaying the same harmony that Brentina and McDonald are renowned for. But it was not to be today. In the first piaffe, Mark had to take a bio-break (bowel movement) and practically stopped in the middle of the piaffe. Reid was never able to fully get his attention back after that and when she tried to push him he resisted with some uncharacteristic disobiedence.

Linsenhoff too had a below par ride. She was marked down on her canter half-passes, scoring only 4s and her transitions between piaffe and passage were not forward at all. Renoir-Unicef, who is normally so powerful and impressive, seemed to be suffering from jet lag. He lacked impulsion and was not as obedient as a good dressage horse should be.

Linsenhoff and Reid may well be dissapointed, but at least they got to ride.  Germany’s Isabell Werth did not compete today as Antony FRH did not pass yesterday’s jog and was withdrawn.  The 19-year-old gelding has competed in the World Cup Final six times and this year’s competition was to be his swan-song before Werth retired him.

Canada’s Evi Strasser benefitted from Werth’s withdrawl and was invited to ride in her place.  First in the arena she laid down a soild test, scoring a 67.33 and earning a place in tomorrow’s B-Final.