For 13-year old Ukrainian Anastasiya Pavelko her first international competition in the Children's division at the 2015 CDIO Vidauban on 5 - 8 March 2015 turned out to be a fluke. With her own horse not ready to compete, Pavelko still landed twice into the winner's circle on Bernadette Brune's Kasimir TSF which the show host generously gave her to ride.
Pavelko only arrived in Vidauban one week before the show, coming by plane all the way from Ukraine. Her recently acquired Austrian horse Hans im Gluck (by Harvard x Leggiero) was deemed unfit to compete and Brune did not want to disappoint the 13-year old who had her hopes up for the show. Bernadette kindly offered Pavelko to ride her own 13-year old Trakehner licensed stallion and small tour horse Kasimir TSF (by Ivernel x Charly Chaplin).
With just one week to get used to her ‘loaner horse’ Pavelko worked very focused with Brune, who coached her on Kasimir on a daily basis.
"She really listened so well to my tips and each day she improved on Kasimir," said Brune. "She's a pleasure to work with and has shown great enthusiasm and dedication. At age thirteen she is so talented. She really impressed me!"
Anastasiya is very grateful for the opportunity to ride Kasimir. "I'm so thankful to Bernadette for that horse,” Anastasiya told Eurodressage. “He was very good, and so well prepared for the competition. I was very pleased to get the ride on him!”
Winning two of the three children’s tests, Anastasiya earned a 70.833% and a 70.722%, and dropped to second place on the third day with 70.269% behind Italy's Leonardo Protti.
Anastasiya has been training with coach Olga Chuchkova in the Ukraine since she was six and she rides every day, while also attending school and playing the piano.
“We train in Dnipropetrovsk city at my horse stable named ”Horses of Anastasiya". Olga trains very professionally," she added.
Anastasiya’s plan for 2015 is to participate in as many competitions as possible, with her major goal being the 2015 European Children's Championships held at Domaine Equestre des Grands Pins in Vidauban the first week of July.
Text by Sarah Warne - Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed
Eurodressage's Astrid Appels took photos of all riders competing in the CDIO Vidauban. If you are interested in photos, contact us by email with your name and the name of the horse
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Eurodressage On the Scene at the 2015 Vidauban Dressage Festival
