Winning the bronze medal on their first European Pony Championships' outing were Lydia Camp on the delightful palomino pony Dulcia.
A new comer on the FEI pony scene, Camp had a decent start with 67.85% in the preliminary test (8th), strongly moving up in the rankings with 71.60 % and fourth place in the team test. Camp and her only 6-year old Rhinelander mare outclassed many other combinations in the individual finals by scoring 73.22% in the individual test and finishing in an overall third, bronze medal, position.
Although 6-year old Dulcia has only competed at FEI Pony level since 2003, the lovely palomino mare is not unfamiliar with the show ring. Camp and Dulcia already won the German Bundeschampionate in 2001 and 2002. The introduction to the FEI pony tests went with great ease. Finishing sixth in the Preis der Besten and third in the Bad Salzuflen Pony Dressage Derby, Camp and Dulcia impressed pony chef d'equipe Cornelia Endres and the DOKR/FN selection committee and became members of the German pony team.
Although Dulcia won the bronze individual medal in Ireland, the mare is not put to rest as she has another future project in sight. Camp and Dulcia have qualified for the 2003 Bundeschampionate, held in Warendorf the first weekend of September, where they will attempt to capture a third title.
Dulcia is a Rhinelander mare by Dancer-Boy out of Demara (by Derbino) and was bred by Hermann Arts. She is owned by Lydia Camp herself, who lives in Geldern, Germany. The combination is trained by Hans-Werner Rix. Lydia Camp is member of a highly talented and successful dressage family. Her mother Katja and father August Camp are both professional dressage riders.
Image copyrighted: Paul van Oers