The Junior divison at the 2013 CDI Compiegne on 30 May - 2 June 2013 saw some talented youngsters take the stage with Maisie Scruton taking out the team test, leaving Claire Louise Averkorn to steal victory in the individual and kur. The British and German junior both relished their victories and look forward to the European Championships at the same venue in five weeks.
"The win in the team test on Friday was the highlight of the CDI for me, but also the support from the all of team GBR, including Carl Hester, was very special," Scruton told Eurodressage.
Following up her win with a third in the individual and a fifth in the kur, Maisie felt her horse Hot Chocolate, a 16-year old Oldenburg mare by Sandro Hit x Landstreicher, was very tense in the kur after a confusion regarding the music. This was not the only confusion of her weekend. "At home she was training very well but this was our first international competition," said Scruton. "We were very pleasantly surprised with a win and two very good placings on equally good scores each day. The real challenge of the competition was the individual test where I had a 9% difference between the E and B judges which was difficult but taken on the chin as I cannot please everyone all of the time! So I have work to do!"
In her first year at junior riders, Scruton acknowledges that the change from ponies to horses is a hard one. "It was a difficult transition and I really feel I underestimated how difficult it would be," she said. "Also, Hot Chocolate and I took a while to come together but we are really starting to form a lovely partnership."
Owning "Madam Hot" for just over 8 months, the mare was previously ridden by Italian rider Chiara Prijs-Vitale and since coming to Maisie, has already taught the British youngster a lot! "While I have had many fantastic experiences on my pony Rembrandt DDH, the highlight of my career has to be winning the team test in Compiegne on Friday with Hot Chocolate. Hearing the British national anthem play for me was surreal and has always been on my bucket list!"
Trained by Julie Blanchard for the last ten years, Maisie keeps her competition horses at Julie's yard, Ninegates Farm in East Yorkshire. "We are currently working on harmony between horse and rider and we use training from Jenny Loriston-Clark and the German system learned from Julie's time in the USA."
Set to fulfill that dream of competing in the junior European Championships in Compiegne this year, Maisie aims to continue the success and to enjoy her time with her talented horses. "And to learn as much as possible to use in my future dressage career," she added.
From Florida to France, Matute Shows Consistency
Travelling from Wellington, Florida, for the summer championships in Europe, Spanish Juan Matute Guimon and his Hanoverian Don Diego (by Don Frederico) showed remarkable consistency throughout the weekend. Third in the team test, Matute claimed a second in both the individual and the kur tests with 70.421 and 72.875%.
"I'm very happy, particularly as it was my first CDI in Europe after a successful season in Wellington," started Juan. "My horse gave me his best and I enjoyed being at such a big show with very good riders from a number of nations. The highlight for me was seeing Carl Hester train and compete everyday with his new horse."
Setting himself the personal challenge of keeping his scores in the 70s in Europe, Juan achieved what he set out to do and loved making new friends along the way. "The atmosphere was just fantastic with lots of interesting young people to meet," he added.
Junior Juan spent the summer season competing in Wellington at small tour level on some of his other horses. "The plan is to move Don Diego forward to Young Rider tests after the European Championships this summer.”
The 10-year old Don Diego is known as a noble, sweet and generous horse. He has been trained and competed by Spanish WEG team rider Jose Antonio Garcia Mena. “My dad bought him as a 4 year-old at the Hanoverian Auction," said Juan Jr. "My father continues to train me in Wellington, Florida. We follow the classical scale of training, focusing on building up the strength of our horses, both physically and mentally. We believe that a happy horse gives always his best to the rider."
Working on the bend in the lateral movements and the collection, Juan is also training the 7 year-old P.R.E. stallion, Escritor de Ymas II, owned and bred by Yeguada de Ymas. The bay stallion is currently showing juniors with daughter Paula Matute.
Averkorn Does the Double
Very happy with his results, Juan's consistency still couldn't quite match Germany's Claire Louise Averkorn, who, after finishing second in the team test on 70.135%, rose to victory in both the individual and kur tests with 71.974 and 73.5 % aboard the 9-year old Hanoverian Condio B (by Contendro x Willems Ass x Weltmeyer).
"We drove to Compiegne Thursday morning with the hope to have a good competition and a nice weekend but we did not except results like this," said Claire. "The weather was really good and for our first test I felt we went okay with only a few little mistakes. However this was just a really good beginning of a great weekend. The individual test on Saturday was much better as our trot was much more expressive and the whole test was comparatively faultless. We were really happy with the result.”
Claire's trainer, German pony team trainer Cornelia Endres, was also very satisfied with Claire's performance, particularly with her winning kur. "Ms. Endres has trained me for over seven years at her Eulenhof in Dülmen and we felt the freestyle test on Sunday was for sure a highlight of this competition. Nearly everything happened how it was planned!"
Condio B was purchased from Stephan Baumgart in 2005 when he was just a yearling. "As a result of his breeding we hoped that he would be a good jumping horse and in the beginning he started in a few jumping competitions for young horses.
We quickly had to accept that his bigger talent was dressage," Averkorn explained.
With a number of other talented horses in work, Claire is currently training Condio’s 5-year old nephew, Untouchable B (by Uccello x Contendro) and the 5-year old gelding Wat’n Wunder N (by Wakantanka M x Lauries Crusador xx). "I’m also really lucky that the family Henglein offered me the ride on Henglein’s Licosto. This 8-year old stallion has been trained by Ms. Endres since December and he has a really remarkable workmanship. I hope that I am permitted to ride him for a longer time.”
With a total of nine horses in work, six of them being her own horses, Claire travels to Eulenhof six times a week for lessons and trains at home with mother Petra. Averkorn has planned on competing at the 2013 CDIO-PJYR Hagen next week with Condio B and Licosto.
"My big dream is, of course, to start for the German team at the European Championships this year," said Averkorn.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction Allowed
Eurodressage photographer Astrid Appels took photos of (almost) all combinations competing at the CDI Compiegne. Contact us if you are interested in prints of your photos!
Related Links
Scores 2013 CDI Compiegne
British Teams Selected for 2013 European Junior and Young Riders Championships