Dutch pony riders Rachell Fokker and Mandy van den Hoek won the CDI-P tour classes at the big nations' cup international youth riders competition at Zilveren Spoor in Moorsele, Belgium, on 19 - 20 May 2011. Aboard her Danish bred Welsh pony gelding Majos Cannon (by Marchi), Fokker won the team test and individual. Van den Hoek and her Dutch Welsh pony Voorwijks Celeste (by Orchard d'Avranches) won the Kur.
Fokker has her hands full riding the precarious liver chestnut Majos Cannon. The gelding is not the bright shining picture of obedience and rideability but on a good day the pieces quickly fall together and the pony can truly excel. In Moorsele this was the case and Rachell Fokker, who went through an enormous growth spurt, now has the leg power to ride Majos Cannon in the frame. The pony is quite numb in the mouth but is very expressive in his basic gaits: especially his super walk and canter extensions push the score up. They won the team test with 68.935% and the individual with 69.868%.
In the team championship test British new comer Aimee Witkin was on Fokker's heels, finishing second with the Danish riding pony Ferrari. Witkin has taken over the ride on this pony from Charlotte Gill, who competed him at the 2010 European Pony Championships, and is really making a beautiful combination with this chestnut gelding. They scored 68.426% in the team test, were fifth in the individual (68.465%) and third in the freestyle (71.042%).
Dutch Sanne Gilbers followed the winners on their heels aboard her second pony, German Riding pony Geronimo B (by Golden Dancer), which was previously owned and competed by Belgian now-junior Loranne Livens. The golden buckskin "Gerrit", as he is nicknamed, has a very ground covering trot with great suspension. In canter he can become strong in the bridle which forces Gilbers to half-halt quite visibly. Nevertheless this is a very promising pair with excellent scores to boot. They were third in the team test (68.102%), second in the individual (68.947%) and fourth in the Kur (69.125%).
German based French pony champion Joy Albeck rode her second pony Wimbledon in the CDI-P tour and finished fourth twice (67.963% and 68.596%). In the freestyle they climbed the ladder and were second with 72.625%. The chunky chestnut Wimbledon lacks a bit of willingness to go forward but produces wonderful extensions but is very settled and confirmed in the traversal movements and counter canter.
Mandy van den Hoek and Voorwijks Celeste rose to the occasion in the kur to music. The 13-year old Welsh pony mare has trot extensions phenomenal in ground cover but a bit rushed in tempo. In the kur to music she surprised friend and foe by winning the class with 72.750% a fraction of a point more than Albeck on Wimbledon.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (NO FACEBOOK) without permission!
Related Links
Scores 2011 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele
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Dutch Juniors Lead the Way at the 2011 CDI-J Moorsele