Pony rider Meja Karlsson, children rider Tuisku Maria Lamberg, junior Margarita Anashkina, young rider Ella Paloheimo, small tour rider Ksenia Ershova and big tour rider Anna von Wendt were the big winners at the well attended international indoor competition in Ypaja, Finland, on 23 - 25 March 2018.
The winners were clear in Ypaja with all first-place getters of the first class also scoring the victory in their second test of the weekend. The 2018 CDI Ypaja did not work with a three-class format, but instead all competitors got to ride two tests. For the youth divisions it was the team and individual test, and for the seniors the Prix St Georges and Inter I, whereas the seniors were the only ones to do the freestyle aside from the Grand Prix.
Swedish pony rider Meja Karlsson dominated a field of 15 pony riders aboard her new mount, 10-year old Dutch Welsh pony Wise Guy (by Bodo x Orchard d'Avranches). She was the only rider to notch 70% or more twice with 73.286% in the team test and 70.892% in the individual. She was twice ahead of Russian Alena Kuznetsova on the 14-year old Dutch pony Lemniscaat Rapsodie (by Anjershof Rocky x Downland Folklore).
"This was first international competition for me. So i'm really happy with results," said Karlsson. "Wise Guy is really good pony and we've been together only 6 months now."
A big delegation of Russians travelled to Ypaja to contest the children's division against one Finnish combination. It was a home side victory for Finnish Tuisku Maria Lamberg, whos scored a winning 70.885% in the team test and 68.679% in the individual test on the 9-year old Danish warmblood bred Netstutteriets Bachio (by Blue Hors Don Schufro x Come Back II).
Five young riders were originally entered for Ypaja, but only three combinations ended up in the races. Seasoned Finnish rider Ella Paloheimo and her 15-year old Hanoverian Wolle Wolkenstein (by Wolkenstein II x Buenos Aires) moved into the winner's circle twice with 67.706% and 68.765%.
Russian Ksenia Ershova successfully moved from young riders' level into the senior small tour and beat seventeen competitors in the Prix St Georges and fifteen in the Intermediaire I. Aboard her partner of six years, Marina Komina's 16-year old Trakehner Kabriolet (by Broksai), Ksenia scored 70.088% and71.559%.
"Our best scores at an international competitions," said a thrilled Von Wendt at the end of the competition. "Yesterday he felt little bit better, but today's scores were higher. I'm really happy with results."
Photo © Hanna Heinonen
Related Links
Scores 2018 CDI Ypaja
Huttunen, Peltoniemi, Paloheimo, Hagelstam Win 2017 Finnish Dressage Championships
Anna von Wendt: A North Star on the Rise
