Anna Tallberg and the 12-year old Westfalian bred Fernet D (by Furst Heinrich x Fagott) won the 2015 Finnish Young Riders Championships held in Mariahamm, Finland, on 22 - 24 May 2015. After a two year break from competition, Tallberg made her mark now in the young rider division to claim the gold medal after having won two junior bronze medals before.
Tallberg and Fernet D, a horse she bought from Danish Junior Team rider Sille Engermann less than a year ago, were on form and scored 68.632% in the first round and 71.525% in the kur to music to total 140.157 points for gold. The silver medal went to Merita Kelo on Saluut (135.771) and the bronze was for Terhi Lehtimaki on Wilma II (132.404).
"I'm reallt happy," the 19-year old Tallberg commented. "This achievements gives me more enthusiasm for the training. I've worked so hard to come back after one and a half years without horses. it's great to be back in the show ring with such a result."
Tallberg is currently training with Danish based Finnish Grand Prix rider Mikaela Lindh and is preparing for the 2015 CDIO-YR Hagen in the lead-up to the 2015 European Young Riders Championships in Vidauban, France.
Merita Kelo and the 16-year old Dutch warmblood Saluut (by Flemmingh x Cocktail) landed second place with 65.921% and 69.850% scores. Kelo is a seasoned competitor in Finland and has already won two silver medals as a young rider and three medals as a junior.
"To win a medal is a great achievement," said Kelo. "Saluut is very responsive when I ride him and he's always willing to work. He always tries his best. He might be muscular and macho looking but he is a sensitive soul."
Terhi Lehtimaki and the 12-year old Hanoverian mare Wilma II (by Worldly x Trapper) got bronze with 65.579% that earned her third place and 66.825% in the Kur which ranked her sixth. Lehtimaki is based in Poytyalta but has also been working with Lindh in Denmark for the past two years.
"When I went to Denmark with my horse two years ago I was still very green," said Lehtimaki. "We worked intesively on the basics and took care of that so that it becomes routine. It's been a long road but we are heading in the right direction."
Photo © Satu Pirinen
Results - 2015 Finnish Young Riders Championships
Round 1
- 1. Anna Tallberg – Fernet D - 68.632%
- 2. Merita Kelo – Saluut - 65.921%
- 3. Terhi Lehtimäki – Wilma II - 65.579%
- 4. Sara Lehtilä – Cayenne - 63.421%
- 5. Essi Hiidensalo – Umberto B - 62.500%
- 6. Susanna Therman – Rossini III - 62.421%
- 7. Riikka Kuosmanen – Minet J - 62.395%
- 8. Emma Valtola – Babybell - 61.947%
- 9. Laura Kock – Ishar - 60.763%
- 10. Susanna Therman – Dragonheart - 59.947%
- 10. Vilma Vajanto – New Hill Rossellini - 59.947%
- 12. Assi-Jutta Kuusela – Hillaby - 58.289%
- 13. Melina Laakso – Loreno - 57.211%
- 14. Iida Melgin – ZZ Top - 56.605%
Round 2 - Kur to Music
- 1. Anna Tallberg – Fernet D - 71.525%
- 2. Merita Kelo – Saluut - 69.850%
- 3. Sara Lehtilä – Cayenne - 68.350%
- 4. Laura Kock – Ishar - 67.025%
- 5. Emma Valtola – Babybell - 67.000%
- 6. Terhi Lehtimäki – Wilma II - 66.825%
- 7. Riikka Kuosmanen – Minet J - 65.275%
- 8. Essi Hiidensalo – Umberto B - 63.325%
- 9. Susanna Therman – Rossini III - 63.125%
Overall Ranking
- 1. Anna Tallberg- Fernet D - 140,157
- 2. Merita Kelo - Saluut - 135,771
- 3. Terhi Lehtimäki - Wilma II - 132,404
- 4. Sara Lehtilä - Cayenne - 131,771
- 5. Emma Valtola - Babybell - 128,947
- 6. Laura Kock - Ishar - 127,788
- 7. Riikka Kuosmanen - Minet J - 127,670
- 8. Essi Hiidensalo - Umberto B - 125,825
- 9. Susanna Therman - Rossini III - 125,546
Related Link
Finnish Team Selected for 2014 European Young Riders Championship