Olaia Aguilar Marimon and Exposition Boy at Forefront of the Game at 2019 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas

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2019 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas

Olaia Aguilar Marimon and the KWPN bred stallion Exposition Boy moved to the forefront of the game in the small tour classes held at the 2019 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas in Spain on 15 - 17 March 2019.

CDI debutant Exposition Boy made his first ever CDI ride count and won the Prix St Georges in a field of 13 international dressage riders. Olaia Aguilar Marimon steered the bay to a 69.735% winning score ahead of Mónica Blázquez Lopez-Muñiz on Flash -(66.824%) and Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo in Grison (66.647%).

In the Intermediaire I the next day the pair landed second place with 67.265% behind Cristobal Belmonte on the 8-year old Oldenburg bred Santos OLD (69.412%) and ahead of Spanish based Luxembourg rider Isabelle Costantini on Fifth Avenue (67.206%).

"At this show Exposition Boy was a little bit hot with the mares, but he is so nice and working was really concentrated," Olaia told Eurodressage. "We only competed two days because we just start with this level and we are making the kür. He was really good both days, but we have a lot to improve."

Owned by Polish Barbara Skup, the 10-year old Dutch warmblood Exposition Boy is by Spielberg out of an Obelisk dam). He made his first headlines six years ago by winning a Dressage Talent Competition in Holland as a 4-year old under Carola Kulik-Paauwe. Olaia began riding him a year ago.

"Barbara is the most sweet and nice person in the world," Olaia gushed. "We have a such a nice connection; we think really similar and we have a lot of projects together! For me Barbara is a such a good friend and a really smart and nice girl. And we have a such a nice team! I'm really in love with Barbara and her horses."

Agular Marimon made her international show debut as a young rider in 2014, competing the then 20-year old KWPN gelding Management (by Investment x Zuidhorn) for one year. Olaia returned to the CDI ring four years later in 2018 with Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's 15-year old Dio Domingo (by Don Frederico).

The 25-year old Olaia is an assistant trainer at Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's Villa Equus in Barcelona, Spain. The professional rider worked her way up the ranks, starting out as a held at a yard in Ronda, Spain, before becoming a working student there. She then worked a stint at Lucas Elias and Nuria Vila's BCN Horses in Barcelona before moving to Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's three years ago.

"First i started there as a working student, but now I'm a rider there and i'm so happy," said Olaia. "In the afternoons I teach some students and I ride some horses of some clients out of Villa Equus. I love my job! And i love Villa Equus. I'm learning a lot from Bea, but I have to say that the most important thing that i leant is the system to make the horses happy in their work. We change a lot the work, we go hacking and do new things to make them stronger and healthier. I love this training."

With Exposition Boy, Olaia aims to go to the 2019 Spanish Championships this summer, as well as gain some mileage at international shows. She praises the stallion for his temperament and work ethic.

"All my horses are really different, but if have to talk about Magic (Exposition Boy), I have to say he is a gentleman," said Aguilar Marimon. "He is so calm and serious and a such a good worker, but also strong and with really clear ideas! I think he is happy working and he is one horse that loves to work, go hacking and do different and new things. He is so funny and intelligent."