It was a Belgian blitz in the Junior and Young Riders Nations Cup events at the 2015 CDIO Saumur on 30 April - 3 May 2015. The small country, wedged between France and The Netherlands, took victory in the Junior Riders CDIO with 3789 points ahead of Switzerland while in the Young Riders CDIO the Belgian team riders won with 3891 points with their Swiss rivals again in the runner-up spot.
Belgian CDIO Juniors Swap Places for Victory
Junior Team test winner Laura Luyten and her 8-year old gelding Dark Chocolate (by Damon Hill x Florestan) led the Belgium team to CDIO Nations' Cup victory with 69.162%. Laura was particularly pleased as the horse has little competition experience.
“My parents bought Dark Cholocate as a foal and he was trained in our stable J2L Dressage Horses in Belgium from the age of three,” said 15 year old Laura. "In November 2014 I started to train him with my coach Arlette Holsters and in March 2015 I entered my first Junior test.”
Two months after their debut, the pair arrived in Saumur without any real expectations. Because her trainer was not able to come to Saumur, Belgian Grand Prix rider Wim Verwimp stepped in to coach her at this event.
“He convinced me to try to ride a convincing test," said Laura. "I was the first rider to enter the CDIO Team Test and my test really went well. I had a super feeling and was very happy with my percentage but I didn’t even imagine this would be the winning score. It was like a dream!”
Laura says it felt great to be part of a top team and they were all united in their victory. “I guess all members of the Belgian team dreamed of finishing first in the Nations Cup and as you can see sometimes dreams come true," she added.
Antonia Arl and her 11-year old Dutch warmblood mare Equestricons Ziggy (by Riverman x Flemmingh) contributed greatly to team victory with her third place in the team test and 67.973%. She went on to win the CDIO Individual Test with 69.316% and was fifth in the Kur to Music with
"I had a few small mistakes in the team test, but still finished third. All Belgian riders were in the top 10 so we got the gold," Arl reminisced. "Our chef d'equipe was super happy as it was the first time that a Belgian junior team won gold in Saumur, as well as the young rider team."
Arl, who is currently training with Dutch coach Nicollete van Lierop, has made a nice jump on the FEI Youth Dressage World Ranking List, moving from 24th to 11th place after a string of success during her two week campaign in Wellington, Florida in March. In Saumur she was able to prove form once more.
"In the individual test Ziggy went so much better and I had a great feeling," said Arl. "We xon the test! The kur was a nice way to end the competition. I had a great feeling and she really went well to the music."
Fifth in the team test with 67.676% were Numa Verberne and his 17-year old Riverdance (by Wolkentanz x Hill Hawk xx). They were the last to go in the team class, and while Riverdance felt very well in the warm-up, the long wait and walk to the show ring meddled with an optimal performance. Like most riders the pair had to walk 10 minutes to get from the warm up to the show ring through the rain. Numa guesses that he lost his horse somewhere during that time.
“He was a bit tense and I could not place him and so I missed a bit of the precision. That’s why I rode little mistakes,” said 17-year old Numa, who trains with Sophie Van Lent-Baetens. “I know we can do much better, but fortunately my colleagues Antonia and Laura did a great job. The team spirit is high in the Belgium team and we know each other quite well from national competitions since the pony years. It is also due to the hard work of Laurence van Doorselaer, our Chef d’Equipe. She knows us and never puts pressure on us, always giving us good direction and advice.”
Numa was able to improve his riding after the first, rainy competition day and finished second in the individual with 68.500% and second in the Kur with 73.375%.
Alexa Fairchild Leads Belgian Young Riders Train
American born Belgian team routinier Alexa Fairchild led her team to victory with a second place in the Team test on her brand new ride, the 9-year old Oldenburg mare Sunrise (by Sion x Aarking xx). They scored 68.684% and spearheaded the Belgian campaign in Saumur.
“It felt amazing to win the gold as a team in Saumur. We were all very excited," said 20-year old Alexa. “My new mare has the sweetest personality and she is so loving and learns very fast.”
Although completing a very good team test, Alexa was disappointed with the last extended canter diagonal, where she made a big mistake causing her mare to fall into trot. Alexa is trained by Virginie Deltour and believes the Belgian Young Riders have formed a great team, with some new comers and some others that have been around for a while.
The Brussels based rider proved herself a force to be reckoned with as she went on to win the Individual test (70.605%) and Kur to Music ( 73.675%).
Fairchild was assisted in capturing team gold in the Nations' Cup by Sanne Kielenstyn and the 10-year old Dutch gelding Air Miles PB (by Turbo Magic x OO seven). The new team combination ranked third with 68.632%. Saumur was only their third international show and Sanne was delighted to be part of the winning team.
“For me it was the first time part of the Belgium team and during the whole show it was raining very badly, but my horse was very brave," said 20-year old Sanne.
Sanne's family acquired Air Miles PB as a 4-year old and the horse is praised for its excellent attitude. “I’m also studying at the Johan Cruijf University in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and since November 2014 I have been training with Wim Verwimp," Kielenstyn added.
As a rookie on the team, Sanne believed there was a good atmosphere in the team. Before the show she didn't know her team members very well, but "they all had a blast."
The third rider on the Belgian Young Riders' team was Soraya Brison and her 11-year old Giorgio Armani (by Goethe x Donnerhall) who finished fifth in the team test scoring 67.500%. While they had one big mistake, their team test was pretty fluent overall.
“My pirouettes were my highlights, but as first to go in I did feel a bit more nervous," Soraya admitted. “It was a great feeling to ride with the team in Saumur, and I know Sanne and Alexa from previous years. For Sanne and I it was our first CDI and my trainer Carmen De Bondt was with me throughout the competition.”
Photos © Karin Leon - Herve Le Louarn - Astrid Appels - Rui Pedro Godinho
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