German Christoph Koschel and Eaton Unitechno, a 2009 KWPN gelding by Wynton owned by Unitechno, Inc., rode to a score of 70.065%, the only combination in the day’s class to earn above a 70%.
“He felt a bit spicy today,” began Koschel. “The horse is really expressive, but he can do better in the canter tour, so this is definitely something we want to improve. He has competed well lately, but the atmosphere is a little chilly tonight, and he knows this arena, but he was still a little nervous. For a start to this season, I was pretty happy with it.”
Koschel, who is the coach of the Japanese dressage team, took over the ride from one of his team riders and expressed his gratitude for the talented mount. He explained, “He’s been in my stable for a while because he belongs to one of my Japanese team riders. He gave me the ride on this horse, and the horse was a little hot, so he thought it would be good if I took over. It was really kind of him, and his sponsor was very kind to let me ride the horse, so I am thankful for that. I am lucky that I can keep competing him!”
Koschel’s winter plan is to give the gelding more time in the competition arena before taking him back to Europe for the summer. “We want to get as much experience together as we can get,” he continued, “and I am looking forward to my first freestyle with him on Sunday. When he feels good, I want to keep competing and see where we end up. We can do better with more suppleness and less tension, but that will come.”