Delphine Meiresonne, sixteen and Belgian Pony Champion. It has gone very fast. In only one year time she evolved from a beginning rider into a successful FEI Pony rider, all thanks to her trainer Coby Van Baalen and the wonderful support of her parents.
Four times a week her mom needs to drive one hour from Schoten, Belgium to Brakel, The Netherlands. Two hundred kilometres, up and down, but the results are as impressive as the performed exertions.
With Casper (Welsh Pony - sire Downlands Folklore) she became immediately a member of the Belgian Pony team and she was the only Belgian rider who knew how to reach the individual finals at the European Championships for ponies. Later that year she also conquered the national pony title.
Season 1998 will probably be as splashy as the year before. Her newest acquisition Top Yellow (German riding pony - sire: Till The Champ), who already became double German Dressage Pony champion under his former owner), gave her the achievement of Dutch KNF champion, but this year's goal is to finally break through with Casper.
by Rob Delafontaine
