It was a game of double Dutch in the Under 25 Intermediate II and Short Grand Prix at the 2013 CDI Roosendaal Indoor on 5 - 8 December 2013. The Netherlands' rising Grand Prix riders Kyra Klinkers and Danielle van Mierlo took centre stage in the Under 25 division in a field of 10 international riders.
Kyra Klinkers and her liver chestnut Dutch warmblood mare Tara took victory in the Intermediate II and dropped to third in the Short Grand Prix, leaving Intermediaire II runner-up Danielle van Mierlo and Ucento to step into the Grand Prix winning position.
With a winning 70% Intermediaire II test and a 68.178% for third in the Grand Prix, 22-year old Kyra Kinkers was very happy with her 13-year old Tara (by Jazz x Juvenus), particularly as it was his first time competing at Under 25 international level.
“The intermediaire II with Tara was really good and I had no big mistakes and was very happy with my test,” Kyra told Eurodressage. "However, the Grand Prix U25 is, of course, a more difficult test than the inter II and Tara still did a great job again with no big mistakes.”
Kyra says the horses she rides are all bred at home and as Tara is the first horse her father ever bred she holds a special spot in the stable. She knows that both her horses are very talenteda nd Kyra feels lucky to have the ride on them. She enjoy her training life with her dad at home and away once a week at the stable of Stephanie Peters. “My other horse Whoopydoo (by Lord Sinclair x Jazz) is a 10-year old son of Tara and both horses I trained myself with my dad and coach Stephanie.”
After a close second in the Intermediaire II with 69.693%, 24-year old Danielle van Mierlo and her 12-year old Ucento (by Metall x Allegro), rose in the Grand Prix to take the title with 69.961%. Van Mierlo, who was a bronze medallist at the 2010 European Young Riders Championships, feels that Roosendaal was a very nice and very succesful competition for the young athlete.
“With Ucento I have been training with Hans Peter Minderhout, working very much on the piaffe and the basic trot," van Mierlo explained.
Feeling that these aspects of training that she has most focused on were performed very well in test conditions, Danielle couldn't be any happier with her ride. She stated hat after the training she did with Hans Peter the week before Roosendaal it seemed as though everything fell in to place.
“I was a bit nervous before the first test because the last time we rode this test was in Denmark (in August) so I didn't know quite how Cento would react," she explained. "Luckily he has has a super mentality and although he is a little bit shy, when he comes into the arena, he grows two meters and comes out of his shell.”
With complete trust in her horse that he will always try to do the right thing and never willingly make a mistake, Danielle told Eurodressage that Ucento has never let her down. She hopes that will continue as they step into the big league. "I am looking forward to next year in January, when we will start Grand Prix for the first time," she said.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photos © Astrid Appels - Eurodressage was on the scene taking pictures of all pony riders, young riders and U25 riders at the CDI Roosendaal. Contact us for prints.
Related Links
Scores 2013 CDI Roosendaal Indoor
Dutch Ladies Reign at 2013 CDI-YR Roosendaal Indoor