French Victoria Boree and her 12-year old German Reitpony gelding Doppelspiel (by Dornik B x Dancer) won the consolation finals today at the 2010 European Pony Championships in Bishop Burton, United Kingdom. Seventeen riders, who finished lower than the 25th position in the team championship test, were invited to ride the consolation class on Saturday morning 31 July 2010.
Boree a put in a secure ride in which the lovely silhouette of her chestnut gelding appealed to the eye. The trot work was correct and fluent, though Doppelspiel could have more ground cover in this gait. The rein back was lovely, the left halt pirouette tiny and the extended walk scored 6s and 7s. In canter the pony scored highly in the extensions, but he lost the collection especially in the counter canter right. The final extended canter was very uphill. Boree totalled 65.842% with French judge Prain definitely offering a helping hand towards the victory with her 68.684% score.
The second placed rider was also French: Celine Miereanu on the elegant, lightfooted mare Oualidaluna (by Valido). The bay mare has amazing capability to lengthen her stride in trot though in the second extended trot she was crooked on the diagonal in the onset. In the reinback the pony could have been a bit more steady in the contact but the extended walk was nice. In general Oualidaluna could have been more impulsive and naturally forward in all the movements in order to score higher. Her total was 64.947% but the judges were off balance as Belgian judge Leyman had the combination at 60.526% whereas French judge Prain scored them 68.421%. Et voila!
Third place went to the Norwegian pair Karoline Kumle on the European Championship veteran Dumbldore B (by Dornik B). Kumle travelled the ring riding Dumbledore in a very impressive trot with much elevation and scope, but the young Norwegian was not able to maintain that posture throughout the test. However, Kumble showed she is able to get something truly special out of her pony which is promising for the future. The pair achieved 64.211% in total.
Belgian Nastasja Roussel, whose mom broke her foot in three places by falling off her bike at the show grounds on Friday, was totally going for it in the consolation finals. Aboard her Welsh bred gelding Surprice (by Sergi van Vreeburgh) she rode a confident trot tour, but she got shaken to her core when the judge at C rang the bell in the extended walk. Roussel rode the diagonal to F instead of P and due to this program error she had to redo the movement. The new comer to the Belgian pony team lost her focus and was not able to ride the canter work as meticulously as she's able to do. Roussel, who is trained by FEI rider Sophie Baetens-Van Lent, ended up with a 63.316% score and finished fourth.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels
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