There were no surprises in Germany grabbing team gold at the 2016 European Junior Riders Championships in Oliva Nova, Spain, on Thursday 21 July 2016. As a matter of fact the entire podium, with Holland in silver medal position and Denmark with bronze left little to the imagination. While the other nations showed clear improvement in their horse stock and riding, it became clear that they still need to follow up on the ever-developing leading European dressage nations.
The Junior Riders Team Championship test was split into two groups competing on Wednesday and Thursday 20 and 21 July 2016. The weather in Oliva Nova, which is one hour south of Valencia, is hot with temperaratures rising to 32° and an occasional sea breeze offering more than welcome relief. The organization was smart enough to schedule all classes in the morning to prevent riders from competing in the worst heat. With two rings going on at the same time, it's a matter of choice what the spectators wants to witness - juniors or young riders - as both can not be watched simultaneously.
The show grounds are gorgeous with palm trees, very little advertisement and wonderful mountains and small white mountain villas in the back ground. The staff is highly accommodating to make the best out of this show, which definitely has the championship format going on.
The German junior riders' team was unbeatable in Oliva Nova with Semmieke Rothenberger spearheading the team. This year she saddled her newest ride Dissertation, a 9-year old Hanoverian mare by Don Crusador x Gluckspilz, which has been making leaps of improvement over the last few months. The mare has incredible elasticity in the trot work and showed three perfect square, balanced halts. The extended walk had good overstep but could have been a bit more relaxed. The walk pirouettes were tiny but the right one needed a bit more impulsion. The extensions were ground covering, the four flying changes outstanding. Overall the mare could be more uphill oriented in the canter work and slightly more collected.
The junior team test was assessed by Verbeek (NED), Leyman (BEL), Ebert (GER), Guerra (ESP) and Matthiesen (DEN) and they unanimously placed Rothenberger first with 77.351% Their marks were very much 'n sync with 76.081% as low score and 77.973% as high score.
German compatriot Hanna Erbe finished second on her 9-year old Rhinelander gelding Carlos (by Carabas x Weltmeyer). The trot work was very well carried, with the horse up in the bridle and the poll as highest point. The onset of the trot half pass right was a bit unbalanced, but the rein back was good. The extensions were excellent, both in trot and walk. The horse broke into canter at the corner near F. The flying changes were big and sweeping, the extended canter had good power control but the frame could have lengthened more. They scored 74.811%
The overnight leader, Dutch Lisanne Zoutendijk and her 13year old Rhinelander bred Ringo Star (by Riccione x Laredo) ended up in third place with 73.865% in the final ranking. Her markings ranged between 72.838% and 75.135%.
The Dutch based Turkish rider Lina Uzunhasan steered her 8-year old Dutch bred mare Donna Ray (by United x Negro) to a stellar fourth place with 73.784%. The dark bay was beautifully steady in the contact, always up in the bridle and neatly at the vertical. The rein back was a bit of a problem but all flying changes were well extended. The final halt could have been a bit more neatly executed. Her marks ranged from 72162% and 75.676%.
Dutch Esmee Donkers completed the top five aboard her 12-year old Dutch bred mare Zaffier (by Painted Black x Pion). The gorgeous bright bay mare produced a very expressive trot tour with good forward energy and flow from one movement into the other, but entire trot tour lack structural bending and elasticity in the body and the self carriage needs to be developed more. The trot extensions were great, the walk extension had two hooves overstep but appeared at its limit. The turns on the haunches were well ridden and the flying changes were well confirmed. They scored 73.595%.
The best scoring Danish rider was Celine Rorbak Silfen on the 11-year old Danish bred Romio Hojris (by Romanov x Don Schufro). They finished seventh with 72.324%. The black gelding was nicely up in the bridle and showed wonderful trot extensions. In the rein back he took reversed with big steps but not diagonally. The extended walk had good overstep but the horse could stride more elasticly over the back. Overall in the trot, the horse could stretch slightly more into the contact instead of curling himself up. The canter work was outstanding with each stride uphill and dead straight flying changes.
The individual test begins on Friday 22 July and will be spread over two days, coming to a conclusion on Saturday 23 July with a medal ceremony.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed
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Eurodressage coverage of the 2016 European Children, Junior and Young Riders Championships