The Under 25 generation made a perfect start in the international equestrian sports festival Horses & Dreams meets Russia CDI at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen, Germany on Wednesday 17 April 2013. Totally unphased by the competition the 20-year old Charlott-Maria Schürmann (Gehrde) triumphed in the CDI Prix St Georges at the dressage stadion.
Charlott-Maria Schürmann, silver medallist at the 2012 European Young Rider Championships, presented Hanoverian stallion Burlington (by Breitling x Rohdiamant) in the Prix St. Georges. The young rider from Lower Saxony had previously won the final of the 2012 Nürnberger Burg-Pokal in Frankfurt with her chestnut stallion. In Hagen, she scored 73.132% to claim victory.
"To be honest, I wasn't totally sure that I should ride the first Grand Prix with him in Hagen a.T.W. There are always so many good pairs here," grinned the student mischievously, "and on top of that this is our first show since the BurgPokal, and our first time outdoors."
The decision to do the so-called small tour was made with one eye fixed firmly on her plan for the rest of the season. Schürmann hopes to ride Burlington in the Louisdor Prize, the developing Grand Prix horse series later this season.
Burlington and his rider left a number of well-known competitors in their wake in the Prix St. Georges. Swedish rider Patrik Kittel, who came third at the 2011 European Championships, took second place with Deja (by Silvano x Don Schufro), and team silver-medallist in London, Dorothee Schneider (Framersheim), followed in third place with Fackeltanz OLD (by Florencio x Feinbrand).
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Link
Scores 2013 CDI Hagen