Dana van Lierop, 2009 Dutch Indoor Pony Champion

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2009 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships

Not the European individual silver medallist Antoinette te Riele, nor the highly routined mutiple FEI pony owner Maria van den Dungen, but the rising 13-year old Dana van Lierop reigned supreme at the 2009 Dutch Indoor FEI Pony Championships in Wanroij, The Netherlands, February 28, 2009.

Though none of the scores hit the 70% barrier, Van Lierop topped the leader board with strong 68.25% Aboard the 8-year old warmblood horse bred Equestricons Lord Champion (by Le Champion), Van Lierop was the last to enter the ring to end up first in the ranking.

Photo courtesy: Digishots.nl

"He felt really good and I thought he was going very well," Van Lierop told Eurodressage. "My goal this year is the same as for any other pony rider: have fun riding, to go for it and make the team for the 2009 European Pony Championships."

Van Lierop disclosed that she doesn't train differently running up to a Championship. She is coached two to three times with her mother Nicolet van Lierop and one time a week she is trained by judge and Grand Prix Karin Retera, who teaches Dana to test-ride.

Maria van den Dungen and the licensed Welsh pony stallion Rembrandt (by Renoir) became reserve champions with 67,54%. Rembrandt possesses fantastic basic gaits but remains very unsteady in the contact with the bit.

The bronze medal went to Antoinette te Riele on her 7-year old German Reitpony mare Golden Girl (by FS Don't Worry). Trained by Coby van Baalen, te Riele was assisted at the show by her aunt Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn. A mistake in the simple change kept Te Riele from scoring higher than 66,93%.

Judges Knols, Stokkermans and De Haas were quite consistent in the scoring of the top ranked riders, which deserves credit. Dutch pony chef d'equipe Christa Laarakkers was happy about the performances of her kids. "Dana has already proven a few times that she's on the right way. At the selection trial in Emmeloord in January she also took home the victory. But it is amazing that everything also worked at the show that it really has to go well. After all, all the big names were there," Laarakkers said.

Results
Judges: Knols - Stokkermans - De Haas

1 Dana van Lierop - Lord Champion - 265 - 252 - 261 --- 68,25
2 Maria van den Dungen - Rembrandt D.D.H. - 259 - 252 - 259 --- 67,54
3 Antoinette te Riele - Golden Girl - 258 - 248 - 257 --- 66,93 3
4 Anne Meulendijks - Boticelli - 255 - 250 - 243 --- 65,61 4
5 Puck Slaats - Neptune vd Beekerheide - 248 - 250 - 240 --- 64,74 5
6 Julia van Schaik - Den Ostriks Dailan - 244 - 242 - 243 --- 63,95 6
7 Nikita Raijmakers - Rietheim's Hilbert - 243 - 244 - 241 --- 63,86
8 Klinte de Rijck - Omira - 240 - 244 - 240 --- 63,51
9 Justine Mudde - Wonderboy - 237 - 235 - 246 --- 62,98
10 Suzanne van de Ven - Lamento III - 236 - 242 - 239 --- 62,89
11 Franka Loos - Schermeer's hof Arendsoog - 242 - 236 - 235 --- 62,54
12 Sanne Gilbers - Harry Potter - 234 - 238 - 233 --- 61,84
13 Jeanine Nieuwenhuis - TDN's Renaldo - 233 - 237 - 234 --- 61,75
14 Jennifer Smit - Spirit - 235 - 229 - 234 --- 61,23
15 Sanne van Gelder - Nicolai - 232 - 222 - 243 --- 61,14
16 Christien Kerbert - Cinderella du Bois - 231 - 231 - 234 --- 61,05
17 Lars op 't Hoog - Chazzay - 229 - 227 - 235 --- 60,61
18 Aimee Weise - Kelly - 229 - 226 - 230 --- 60,09
19 Anouck Taalman - Kasjan Al Flevo Lodge - 224 - 228 - 229 --- 59,74
20 Freja Piersma - Celica - 219 - 208 - 219 --- 56,67
21 Kenna Bakker - Rubicon - 211 - 218 - 213 --- 56,32
22 Danielle van Bergen - Kimberly - 211 - 213 - 206 --- 55,26
23 Ailene Dessing - Dempsey - 208 - 216 - 206 --- 55,26