Photo Report: Barbançon and Bolero Waltz to Double Victory at 2019 CDI Sint-Truiden

French Morgan Barbançon Mestre and her sister Alexandra's Dutch warmblood Bolero waltzed to a double victory at the 2019 CDI Sint-Truiden on 19 - 22 April 2019. 

Morgan brought two horses to the intimate, early spring international competition hosted at Stable Gravenhof located at the heart of the Belgian apple growth industry of Haspengouw. With the apple orchards in full bloom and blessed with summer temperatures of 25 C°, the CDI Sint-Truiden was a massive success this year, even though the event burst out of its seams with an unexpected 160 competitors entered.

Morgan's start with the 13-year old Dutch mare Black Pearl (by Painted Black x Negro) was not so much of a success. Her new ride of six months, which was first shown by Charlotte Fry and in 2018 by Danish Charlotte Heering, did not cope with the atmosphere and the black mare was retired half way into their Grand Prix. 

Aboard sister Alexandra Barbançon's 13-year old KWPN gelding Bolero, however, Morgan has a power ride in store. The bay gelding by Johnson x Vincent is a very gifted horse with a lovely, expressive passage and a very sympathetic silhouette. Morgan is in her second year competing Bolero at Grand Prix level after Alexandra competed the bay at Under 25 from 2015 through 2017. The piaffe is still wobbly with the horse getting very narrow behind, but the judges loved what they saw and rewarded the pair with a double victory. They scored 71,587% in the Grand Prix and 71.511% in the Special. Morgan has lately been working with Dorothee Schneider. 

The double victory was not an easy feat as the Belgian home riders were on Barbançons heels throughout the weekend. Jeroen Devroe rode the 12-year old Belgian warmblood Hyrano (by First Junior x Weltgeist) in its third international competition in a year time for the French owners François and Catherine Proust. They landed second place in the Grand Prix (70,891%) and third in the Special (70.064 %).  After a phase of training more intensely with Belgian team trainer Sjef Janssen, Devroe has returned to his long-time coach Bert Rutten for touch-ups.

Fanny Verliefden and her gorgeous 11-year old Belgian warmblood stallion Indoctro van de Steenblok (by Rubin Royal x Gribaldi) have taken a great start in 2019. At the CDI in Lier as well as in Sint-Truiden they safely locked onto the seventy percentage scores. In Sint-Truiden they were third in the Grand Prix with 70,087% and second in the Special with 71.319%. The pair is coached by Fanny's life partner Wim Verwimp as well as by Anky van Grunsven.

Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed

Eurodressage photographed all riders at the CDI Sint-Truiden. If you are interested in photos for social media or prints, email us!

Related Links
Scores: 2019 CDI Sint-Truiden
Photo Report: Abbelen Gets an Under 25 First at 2019 CDI Sint-Truiden