The second day of competition at the 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele started with the CDIO Junior Riders Team Championship Test in the main arena. The class was won by Spanish Barbançon on her 8-year old Westfalian Dankeschoen. At this sunny competition in Belgium, the Spanish shooting star went on to win the Individual Test, whereas her strongest rival, Belgian Mieke Mommen, captured the Kur to Music victory.
In the team test Morgan Barbançon Mestre and her powerhouse dark bay gelding (by Douceur x Ehrentusch) excelled with their total self-carriage and lightness in the hand. The 17-year old Spanish was able to keep a very steady, clear rhythm in all three basic gaits. Only the rein back lacked some throughness and the end halt was crooked. The flying changes were ground covering, uphill and over the back. The combination scored 69,73% to earn the trophy.
Dutch Emma Peper and the bay 14-year old Oldenburg Westenwind (by Werner) finished second. For their forward and accurate ride they received 69,640% and ranked ahead of team mate Kimberly de Jongh on golden oldie, 19-year old Inspekteur (by Darwin x Amor). The greying dark bay stallion has clearly lost much strength in the hind legs, tripping over his own feet in the extented trot and executing shorter flying changes from behind, but he is highly routined in all the movements and stays nicely in the frame at all times. A generous 69.009% put them in third place.
Belgian Junior Rider champion Mieke Mommen took a start below par. Her expressively trotting Rocky (by Rockwell) lacked some balance at the beginning of the ride and the rein back was hesitant. The extended walk was excellent but in canter the bay gelding appeared tired and there could have been more impulsion, which explained why one flying change was in two phases. The combination scored 68.559% and placed fourth. Team mate Noemie Goris and Wunderbar (by Waikiki) impressed the judges with lightfooted trot work, but the half pass right was a bit sloppy at the beginning and there should have been more overtrack in the extended walk. Goris and Wunderbar put down a solid canter tour to slot in fifth with 67,117%
In the nations' cup ranking, the Dutch dressage team won the gold medal, the Belgians got silver and the mixed European team, consisting of Spanish Morgan and her younger sister Alexandra Barbancon and Italian Giulia Pignatti earned bronze.
Barbançon and Mommen Go Head to Head
Barbançon and Mommen were involved in two neck-to-neck races in the individual test and kur to music finals on the other competition days in Moorsele. In the Individual young Morgan clearly distanced herself from the pack with a 72,544% score. Mommen, who is trained by Jeroen Devroe, slotted in second with 70.702%
The Kur to Music finals were scheduled on a very sunny and quite hot Whitsunday, Monday 24 May 2010. Mommen and Rocky were on the edge claiming victory with a fantastic 75.417%. Jan Nivelle's student Morgan was only a few points behind them with 74.750%. Belgian 16-year old Noemie Goris, who is also trained by Devroe and De Bondt, rose to the occasion and finished third on Wunderbar with 73.250% riding to Barry Ryan's Eloise and U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday.
"I really liked riding in Moorsele," Barbançon told Eurodressage. "He was more concentrated there than on other competitions, which really lots of fun. He know nows when he's at a show and that it matters. It's a pity he felt a bit tired in the Kur because of the heat, but I'm still very happy. Two judges had me first. I think we're on the right way with 'Dan'."
Juggling School and Horses
Junior riders are between 14 and 18 years of age, which means that these internationally competing riders are still going to high school. Looking at the school results of the top three ranked kur riders, the young ladies seemed to do equally well in a class room as in the show ring. Being away for five days at competition means doing home work either in the lorry or at the hotel early in the morning or late at night after a show.
Barbancon disclosed that she attends an International School in her home town but gets much freedom in arranging her own schedule. "Our school is very open in letting us go on shows," Morgan told Eurodressage. "They really do not prevent us from going to competitions, but only on one condition: that we have to keep up and do not hand in work late. It is not so easy to combine riding and school, especially towards the end of the year with upcoming exams, but we handle it perfectly at the moment."
Diepenbeek based Mommen chose mathemathics as major in highschool, whereas 16-year old Goris studies Latin and modern languages.
Mommen stated, "To stay at this level I have to train daily and my training hours are very variable. I also have to adjust to the hours of my coach, Jeroen Devroe. At the moment I can combine riding with school but I don't have any other hobbies than riding.
Goris's situation is similar to Barbançon's. Her school 'Vita et Pax" in Schoten, Belgium, gives plenty of freedom to its students to pursue a competitive sport career but only on the condition that school results remain excellent. "I have to make sure I keep my grades up," Noemie told Eurodressage. "When I come home from shows, I have to catch up on missed lessions and get notes from my fellow class mates."
As most junior riders have final exams in June they are unsure about their show schedule for the month. This weekend there is the CDI-PJYR Compiegne in France and two weeks later the Youth Riders Festival at the CDI Hagen, Germany.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Scores 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele
Theile and Mattson Win on the First Day at the 2010 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele