Dutch FEI level riders dominated the rainy and windy 2014 CDI Roosendaal hosted at equestrian centre Den Goubergh on 9 - 11 May 2014. Kyra Klinkers, Petra van Esch and Marlies van Baalen claimed the small tour trophies. Dinja van Liere reigned supreme in the Under 25 division and Patrick van der Meer and Marlies van Baalen ruled the big tour.
Three Winners in the Small Tour
The small tour classes featured three different winners and three days of competition, even though the top three in the Prix St Georges, Intermediaire I and Kur to Music was quite consistent. Former young rider Kyra Klinkers briefly took over the ride on her home bred 11-year old Dutch warmblood Whoopydoo (by Lord Sinclair x Jazz) from junior rider sister Rivka, who was studying for her school exams at home, and won the Prix St Georges. Scoring 71.447%, Klinkers topped a field of 24 competitors. The pair went on to finish second in the Intermediaire I and third in the Inter I Kur.
"Whoopy went really well all three days. He was a bit impressed by the arena and the flopping plastic in the wind, but you only feel that and you didn't see it," Klinkers told Eurodressage. "Whoopy always does triple his best in the show ring. He has only competed at small tour a few times so I'm super pleased with the results."
Petra van Esch and her 8-year old NRPS registered Fido Dido (by Florencio x Climax x Ex Libris) climbed from a 10th place in the Prix St Georges to a first spot in the Intermediaire I with 70.421% despite entering the arena with the whip, which cost her 10 points off her total score. In the kur they dropped back to a 9th spot.
"Fido Dido went really well. He handled the weather well, but got a bit scared of the plastic around the speakers. It caused a few expensive mistakes in the St. Georges. But after such a mistake, he continues to show his throughness and submission," said Van Esch. "The Inter I went treally well, so I could afford the -10 points. It was very stupid of me to enter the ring with the whip, but I got nice compliments from the judges that my horse was well presented. Fido is very talented and I love riding him each time. It's pure joy."
Marlies van Baalen and her drop dead gorgeous 10-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Zinidi (by Gribaldi x Wisconsin x Legaat) were very consistent throughout the weekend, capturing two second places in the Prix St Georges and Intermediaire I and the victory in the kur to music with 72.100%.
"It was Zinidi's first multiple-day show and international competition," Van Baalen explained. "I was very happy how he behaved with all those ponies around. He is a stallion. He performed very consistently and is such a nice horse."
Dinja Van Liere Supreme in the Under 25 Division
The 23-year old Dinja van Liere produced a repeat performance in Roosendaal. In 2013 she made a winning international Under 25 debut at the same venue and this year she swept the board once again on the 16-year old KWPN mare Roumanda (by
Rubiquil x Matador).
Van Liere twice placed well ahead of her rivals, acing the Intermediaire II with 69.053% and the Under 25 Grand Prix with 69.163%. Spanish Laura Beatriz Reija Belart and Wobelisk were the runners-up in the former test, Jeanine Nieuwenhuis in the latter.
"Roumanda really went very well. She really is in shape and I notice that she is stay improving," Van Liere told Eurodressage. "She's now really getting looser in the tests, which makes them flow more. It also helped me in my tempi changes. The piaffe, passage and transitions have always been her highlights. Roumanda always does her best at shows and we didn't notice the weather at all. I was lucky that during my warm up and tests it was actually pretty dry."
Van der Meer and Van Baalen Big in the Big Tour
Dutch A-team rider Patrick van der Meer brought his rising Grand Prix horse Zippo to Roosendaal. Coached on the scene by Diederik Wigmans, Van der Meer and his 10-year old chestnut KWPN gelding (by Rousseau x Haarlem) aced the Grand Prix with 69.280%, just a fraction ahead of Danish Anders Dahl on Fiona Bigwood's Hanoverian gelding Wie Atlantico (69.060%). In the Grand Prix Special Van der Meer cracked the 70% barrier and claimed the throphy with 70.647%.
"I was super happy with Zippo," Van der Meer explained. "He was still a bit tense but I'm able to ride him more each time. I had a few mistakes, and there still were many little things that need improvements, but there were many good things."
Maries van Baalen and her number one Grand Prix horse, the 13-year old Westfalian Miciano (by Medici x Dialekt) were third in the Grand Prix but climbed the ladder and won the Kur to Music with 72.775%.
"It was Miciano's first outdoor show of the horse. We had to get in the swing of things in the Grand Prix as the conditions were hard with the storm," Van Baalen stated. "In the Kur he was really nice to ride and did a flowing test without mistakes."
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed
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Eurodressage's Astrid Appels was on the scene taking photos of a few youth riders competing at the CDI Roosendaal (we shot pretty much all PSG and GP riders). Contact us if you are interested in photo prints, collages or albums.
Related Links
Scores 2014 CDI Roosendaal
Big Action in Bad Weather at 2014 CDI Roosendaal