Switzerland's Ramona Schmid showed that pony power can happen in the junior riders' ring when she won the junior riders individual test at the first week of competition at the 2013 CDI Vidauban on 28 February - 3 March 2013. Aboard the German Riding Pony Honeur, Schmid booked a winning international debut but was in fact surprised to achieve such a great result so early on in her career.
"My result in Vidauban is incredible, particularly as it was my first international start," Schmid told Eurodressage.
Second in the Junior Riders team test with 66.982%, first in the individual with 67.456% and fourth in the Kur with 69.125%, Schmid posted solid scores on the board and will be vying for a Swiss team spot soon. "To be ranked number one in the individual was very exciting, I almost could not believe that I won," Ramona confessed.
At just 14 years of age, Ramona has been riding for the past 11 years. The Meinisberg based rider now has two junior riders' horses to compete with: Honeur and the 17-year old Oldenburg bred World Challenge.
"I began riding at 3 years of age, when I got my first Shetland pony, because I was falling asleep still dreaming of animals. When I was 9 I completed my rider's pass and in 2013 I obtained my dressage licence," said the ambitious Schmid.
Invited into the Swiss Junior National Squad, Ramona and her talented pony Honeur have been together for the last three years, training at her home in Berne, Switzerland. Honeur originally came from Germany, where he was measured to be a pony. He finished 12th at the 2004 Bundeschampionate and 4th at the 2005 Bundeschampionate under Krystina Nielsen. In 2006 Friederike Hahn won the qualifying test at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, but did not make it into the Finals test as the pony spooked and slipped after the prize giving and both sustained minor injuries.
In 2007 and 2008 Christina Ellendt showed the pony at FEI pony level at mainly national pony shows and once at a CDI-P in Neubeeren. In 2010 Swiss pony rider Camilla van Burgsdorff competed Honeur at a few CDI-P shows before the pony moved to Ramona. Stricter measurement rules in Switzerland forced Honeur to move into the junior riders' division as he was standing tall enough to be officially considered a horse.
"Honeur is a super horse and I feel like when I am riding him the two of us become one. I really feel like I have a great junior horse and hope that I will never be too old for him," she said.
Trained by Susanne Eggli, Ramona rides everyday after school. "My training aim is to constantly improve myself and my horses," she said, but added that "my ultimate goal, however, is to secure a permanent place in the Junior team.
by Sarah Warne/Astrid Appels for Eurodressage
Photos © Rui Pedro Godinho
Related Links
Scores 2013 CDI Vidauban
Eurodressage Photo Database: Honeur