Van Peperstraten Stays on Top and Wins Individual Gold at 2018 European Junior Riders Championships

Dutch Daphne van Peperstraten was the early morning and overnight leader in the Individual Test at the 2018 European Junior Riders Championships in Fontainebleau, France, and she firmly stayed in that number one position after the second group of riders had ridden on Saturday 14 July 2018 to secure the gold medal. Valentina Pistner and Romy Allard captured silver and gold.

The scoring in the Junior Riders individual test  was marred on Friday 13 July by strange, stricter judging and unfortunately in an effort to correct the problem, the scores went up significantly on Saturday morning which rearranged the board in a way where some riders were placed in awkward positions; either too high up or too low. 

Van Peperstraten had scored 74.471% but her scores went from 68.971% to a huge 78.382%. Her total could not be reached by any other rider and Daphne and her 16-year old KWPN gelding Cupido (by Johnson x Duko) deservedly won gold. 

German Valentina Pistner benefit much from the judging panel's corrective measures as she got a remarkably high 74.088%. The German team new comer and her 10-year old Oldenburg gelding QC Flamboyant (by Fidertanz x De Niro) certainly had highlights in her test: the trot work had much bounce as Flamboyant maintains much airtime and the extended walk was superb, but the collected walk could have been more active, also in the simple change. In canter Flamboyant produced sweeping flying changes, but overall he needed to be more on the hindlegs and in better self carriage to be a medal getter. The horse was strong in the contact and he was quite handheld the entire time. The judges zoomed in on the highlights and ignored the lack of lightness. They rewarded the test with marks going from 72.206% (more accurate) to 75.441%.

German Romy Allard and her 9-year old Oldenburg mare Summer Rose (by Sir Diamond x Rubinstein) were second after group one, and only dropped on spot on the score board after the second group. She achieved 74,000 % and got bronze, but the silver would have been the more rightful placing for her after a lovely test with a steady contact, balanced trot work and secure canter work.

The rider who benefit the most from the judges' U-turn in their scoring trend was Dutch Kimberly Pap on the 16-year old Dutch mare Vloet Victory (by Jazz x Ulft). As the first starter on Saturday morning, the talented and expressive mare was visibly scared of the wet footing and small puddles in the corners and stayed tense and jumpy throughout the test. Pap had her hands full steering her scared mare through the program. In trot Victory certainly is a big, expressive mover but she was too tight in the neck, strong in the contact, and dropped consistently behind the vertical as Kimberly did her best to stay on track. The collected walk was tense but the extended walk was very nice with a clear 4-beat rhythm. The flying changes were crooked, even though the canter work was ground covering. When the score of 72.853% (marks going from 71.176% from Saleh to 75.294% from Tornblad) flashed on the board, the rider pulled a face of surprise upon leaving the arena, which said enough about the judging. 

Dutch Thalia Rockx and her 7-year old home bred KWPN gelding Golden Dancer de la Fazenda (by Bretton Woods x Florestan) placed fifth with 72.588%. The trot work was very expressive and forward, but lacked collection and the horse did not really take enough weight on this typical Bretton Woods hindlegs, that swung out in the corners as all the trot work was ridden in a medium trot tempo. Still, Rockx had the liver chestnut nicely up in the bridle with the poll as highest point. When given the rein, he could have stretched out more though. Also in canter there could have been more collection, but to make everything look a bit more in balance and under control. The sweeping flying changes were huge and secure and certainly a highlight of the test. 

The junior riders ride their Kur to Music finals on Sunday noon 15 July 2018.

Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED

Eurodressage was on the scene in Fontainebleau to photograph. If you are interested in prints or files for social media, send us an email.

Related Links
Scores: 2018 European Children, Junior, Young Riders Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2018 European Junior/Young Riders Championships