It was a Dutch young lady duo which dominated the Young Rider section at the 2013 CDI-PJYR Roosendaal held on 3 - 5 May 2013. While Danielle Houtvast and Rambo taking center stage in the team test on day one, team mate Stephanie Kooijman and Winston were able to score top spot in both the individual and kur tests to follow.
Making her mark early on in competition, Danielle Houtvast scored 72.149% in the team test. She feels that her first day triumph was for sure her CDI Roosendaal highlight.
"Roosendaal went well and Rambo gave me a nice feeling throughout this show," said Danielle. “Particularly that first day, where I was really happy with the points we earned in the canter with high marks for both the pirouettes and the tempi changes."
A stallion by Gribaldi, Houtvast's Rambo is 14-year old and has been with Danielle for the past four years. "He is a stallion with a really nice character," she added.
Working for Leida and Tim Collins, Danielle works at stable 'Team Collins-Strijk' which is based in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands. "I currently have a 12 year-old gelding by Kennedy also in work at the stable.
He is a super nice horse and we are just getting everything more established before we go out and compete. I am planning to do some tests with him next year."
For 2013 Danielle hopes to ride a couple of internationals and also qualify for the Europeans. "This is my last year of Young Riders so it would be a nice finale to compete in Compiegne at the Europeans."
Starting off third on day one in the team test with 69.956%, Stephanie rose in the individual and the kur, winning with 72.895% and 76.542%.
"Roosendaal was very good and I was very happy with the results," said Stephanie. "At the show Winston felt really good and really fit and I could feel that he was very happy to be there. The highlight for me was his trot and canter and I felt there was no real challenge for us in Roosendaal. I felt really good after the show and while I did ride safe, I did my best."
Winston, a 10-year old by OO Seven x Cocktail, is a calm and sweet horse, trained at Academy Bartels in Hooge Mierde, the Netherlands, where Stephanie is a stable rider. "My trainers are Imke and Tineke Bartels and in addition to Winston I have Dibert L, a 5 year-old by Vivaldi x Balzflug, who is doing the selections for the World Championship for young horses in Verden. He is a stallion but a very nice one, who is easy to handle.”
Like Houtvast, Kooijman does not hide her amibition to be reselected on the Dutch team for the European Championships. Both girls have been long-time fixtures on the team the past few years.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photos © Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed (No Facebook!)
Eurodressage's Astrid Appels photographed all riders at the CDI-PJYR Roosendaal. If you are interested in buying photos, please contact us with the rider's and horse's/pony's name.
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