Middelberg, Allard, Rothenberger Win the 2017 German Youth Riders Championships

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2017 German Youth Riders Championships

Pony rider Anna Middelberg, junior rider Romy Allard and young rider Semmieke Rothenberger became the grand champions and titleists at the 2017 German Youth Riders Championships, which were held this year at the legendary show grounds in Aachen, Germany, on 8 - 10 September 2017.

Anna Middelberg Upward Bound to Gold

Anna Middelberg and the 9-year old German Riding Pony Drink Pink (by FS Don't Worry) saw their incredible culmination in form and level crowned with the national title. Show after show the duo has been performing better and scoring higher this 2017 show season. At the 2017 European pony Championships they won team gold and were fifth in the Kur to Music Finals.

In the absence of 2017 European Pony Champion Lucie Anouk Baumgurtel, who stayed home because of tonselitis, the field was entirely clear at the German Pony Championships for 14-year old Anna Middelberg to take the title. She was second in the team test (73.162%), and won the individual test (75.163%) and kur to music (80.75%) for gold. Middelberg's 80% earning freestyle was based on music from Disney's Frozen. Middelberg's pony Drink Pink came from Sweden, where Ella Viebke rode her on the Swedish team at the 2015 European Pony Championships. After that competition Viebke advertised Drink Pink for sale on Eurodressage and the pony's new owner became the Middelberg family from Germany.

"We found her a year ago and tried her out in - 14° C temperature, but we knew straight away that this was it," said Middelberg, who had set as goal for the show a top five placing. "It is so cool to ride here in Aachen."

Middelberg's biggest challenger was team mate Jana Lang on Cyrill (by Champion de Luxe), who had won kur bronze at the Europeans in July. Lang won the team test in Aachen (73.889%) and was second in the individual (75.041%) and freestyle (77.175%). The 14-year old Lang rode to music of Hier Kommt Die Maus by Stefan Raab. Jana is based in Schmidgaden, Bavaria, and drives to Bad Homburg near Frankfurt three times a week to train Cyrill at his owner Stephanie Krause's yard. The bronze medal went to 14-year old Moritz Treffinger on the liver chestnut mare Top Queen H (by Top Anthony). The combination placed third three times with 72.137%, 73.130% and 74.500%. Trained by Joachim Neubert, Treffinger rode a kur based on music by David Guetta.

Shooting Star Romy Allard Goes for Gold

The junior riders division in Aachen included only one member of the German team that competed at the 2017 European JR Riders Championships! European Champion Lia Welschof and European silver and bronze medal winner Linda Erbe both decided not to compete at the German Nationals, and team rider Rebecca Horstmann decided to move to Young Riders level. Only Johanna Sieverding was on duty and she saw new comer Romy Allard take the gold.

The junior podium with Johanna Sieverding, Romy Allard, Franz Otto Damm Allard has been competing both at Pony and Junior riders level this year. With pony Dujardin B she was sixth in the final ranking of the German Pony Championships and with her horse Summer Rose (by Sir Diamond) she won Junior Gold. The 15-year old Allard and her 8-year old Oldenburg mare scored 71.351% in the team test, 73.114% in the individual and she got 76.375% for her freestyle to music of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sister Act. Allard borrowed an M-level kur from her coach, young rider Anna Christina Abbelen.

"I still have three junior riders years to go, so I never expected that it would go this well," said a thrilled Allard. "My goal was just to do my best."

The silver medal went to 17-year old Johanna Sieverding on the Oldenburg mare Lady Danza (by Dimaggio) who scored 71.486%, 71.930% and 76.475% for her freestyle based on music by Mark Foster and Robbie Williams. The bronze medal went to the 16-year old Franz Otto Damm on the 7-year old German Sport Horse bred Lifestyle (by Lord Fantastic), who was acquired by the Damm family as a foal. Franz Otto scored 69.775%, 71.535% and 72.900% in their Mission Impossible-Kur for an overall third place.

Rothenberger Wins with 10% Dominance

The Young Rider podium with Leonie Richter, Semmieke Rothenberger and Luca Michels Semmieke Rothenberger opted to ride her second horse Dissertation (by Don Crusador) at the German Nationals, while she chose for Geisha (by Gribaldi) for the 2017 European Young Riders Championships, where she twice placed fourth in the individual classes. In Aachen Rothenberger was a league of her own and won all three rounds with big scores of 75.614%, 74.649% and 82.150% for the title. Semmieke Rothenberger is now a two-time German Pony Champion, one-time Junior Champion and first-time Young Rider Champion. She rode a brand new freestyle in Aachen based on music by Yanni. Dad Sven Rothenberger also rode to Yanni music at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

"When the others spoke at the dinner table aboard riding in Aachen, I was just sitting, listening and thinking, this is not my theme," Semmieke admitted. However, now she made her Aachen debut. "It is a fun feeling to ride here in the same conditions as the big guys."

The 21-year old Leonie Richter brought her second horse to Aachen, Florine Kienbaum's Oldenburg gelding Don Windsor OLD (by Don Cardinale). She scored 72.412%, 73.465% and 77.000% for silver. German YR team member Luca Michels and Rendezvous (by Riccione) scored the bronze with marks of 71.491%, 70.000% and 75.775% on the board. The 19-year old Michels studies psychology at the Munster University.