Julie de Deken and Lucky Dance Show Their Moves at the 2014 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland

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2014 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland

Julie de Deken and her number one Grand Prix horse Lucky Dance showed their moves at the 2014 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland, placing second in the Grand Prix and fourth in the Kur two weeks after making their World Dressage Masters' debut at the 2014 CDI 5* in Vidauban. The duo is well on its way to qualify on the Belgian team for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France.

Julie and her 13-year old Hessian licensed stallion Lucky Dance (by Lucky Lionell x Placido Sun x Pik Bube) made their senior team championship debut last year at the 2013 European Championships in Herning, Denmark, and they hope to recapture that spot in 2014. In order to cement her position amongst the Belgian top Grand Prix riders and to improve her scores this season, she has not lingered by relying on luck. Instead she worked hard during the winter months.

"I focused on training the basic qualities," Julie explained. "I wanted to be able to ride him with more power as well as confirm the piaffe and passage even more. It was there last year, but still small. I wanted to be ready to take it up a notch before returning to the show ring."

Her improved scores this outdoor season are the fruits of careful and dedicated training the past half year. Julie and Lucky Dance started the off in sunny France for two weeks of competition at the CDI Vidauban. The first week the pair had a rolling start getting re-accustomed to the show atmosphere and captured a second place with the Belgian team in the CDIO Nations' Cup.

Julie and Lucky Dance at the 2014 CDI Vidauban World Dressage Masters The second weekend in Vidauban they found their groove in their first World Dressage Masters. They scored 68.560% in the CDI 5* Grand Prix and qualified for the WDM Kur to Music finals in which they finished 8th with 71.050%.

"It was such a unique experience to ride the World Dressage Masters," Julie admitted. "The show received a lot of attention and some big names were there. I really had to focus on switching the button after the first week to improve my act. I had this underlying worry that something could go wrong but fortunately I was able to ride a solid test and for the first time scored above 68% internationally. I was thrilled that in both classes Lucky really wanted to go for it. It was also a fun extra that for the first time I could actually go home with a bit prize money."

Vidauban proved to be the ideal preparation to kick off the season in the lead-up to the 2014 CDI Outdoor Zeeland in Nieuw en St. Joosland. De Deken scored 69.980% in the Outdoor Zeeland Grand Prix and finished right behind Belgian Olympian Claudia Fassaert on Donnerfee. Riding to a Joost Peeters arranged kur, the pair went on to place fourth in the freestyle with 72.275%.

"Nieuw en St. Joosland was an absolutely highlight for me," Julie rejoiced. "Of course I wanted to confirm what I had achieved at the World Dressage Masters. Lucky was top fit and I rode my best Grand Prix to date with a personal best score as a result. It was such an amazing feeling. Also in the freestyle I had a best score. It proved to me that I'm on the right track."

Julie and Lucky Dance in Nieuw en St. Joosland De Deken, who was Belgian Talent of the Year in 2010, is based at Arjen Teeuwissen's exquisite yard in Malle, Belgium, where she works with her three horses. She also travels to coach a small amount of young, talented students, and rides a few sales horses for clients. In her daily training she is assisted by Teeuwissen, who was Holland's biggest medal winning rider in the early 2000s after the retirement of Anky's Bonfire. Julie also regularly commutes to Belgian team trainer Sjef Janssen in Erp, The Netherlands, for some fine-tuning.

"The next show I want to compete at is Glock's event in Treffen, Austria, followed by the CDIO Rotterdam in June, then the CDIO Aachen and the Belgian Dressage Championships," De Deken stated. "My ultimate aim are the World Equestrian Games and if everything keeps moving along the same way, it should be a realistic goal. It would be fantastic to ride at my first WEG!"