Mija Brnic Wins Senior Small Tour Division at 2019 Croatian Dressage Championships

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2019 Croatian Dressage Championships

Senior rider Mija Brnic took top honours and the national title in the senior division at the 2019 Croatian Dressage Championships held in Zagreb, Croatia, on 27 - 28 July 2019.

With dressage in Croatia in full development, the pickings are slim at FEI level with just very few riders able to compete at the standard level for their age. There are only three divisions are ridden at FEI level. There is no traditional separation of the age groups with their according FEI level. The junior riders compete at a children level, the young riders compete at pony level (L-level), and the seniors (which also includes junior riders) is ridden at two levels (M-level, YR level and small tour level).

The pony champion is last year's winner Gita Sulsi Mukulan on the 18-year old Money Maker and the children champion is Kaya Probst on the 14-year old Rain in Otago (by Starlyte Royal Fanfare). Last year she won the same title on Precious (by Parco)

The junior riders, which competed in two rounds with the L6 & L-Freestyle test comparable to the FEI Children Test, featured a field of seven riders. Maja Kunstic took the gold meal aboard the 6-year old Lippizaner Maestoso Slavonia XX-5 (by M Batosta). Paula Pecanic and the 9-year old Bolek (pedigree unknown) landed the silver and Lana Marjanovic ended up with bronze on the 5-year old Elenita (by Nerokan x Shadi B).

Young rider champion Paula Polic on Ferrero

The young riders contested the national LM6 and LM-Freestyle tests, but is comparable to fei pony level. Three riders were entered for the division so they were all medallists. The gold went to Paula Polic on the 9-year old Ferrero (by Casacabel IV x Quimico), who also won last year. Dora Nestic and the 12-year old Brentino F (by Brentano II x Feiner Stern) bagged the silver, staying far behind the leader. The bronze went to Karla Korvat on the 11-year old Alfa (by Amadeus x Cortez), who was breathing down Nestic's neck.

The seniors had the option to ride at three different level, but those choosing for Intermediaire I level earned more points towards the championship. They could ride an M level tests and freestyle, or the Prix St. Georges (+ Young Riders test Freestyle) or Intermediare I (+ Internediare I freestyle) tests.

The senior Croatian Dressage Champion is Mija Brnic on the 15-year old Lily of the Valley (by Lensen x Cashmere). The pair scored 65.676% in the Prix St Georges, 65.990% in the Inter I and 65.822% in the Inter I Kur. The silver went to FEI junior rider Vanda Ljolje on the 10-year old Dutch warmblood Eros (by Johnson x Metall). She scored 63.647% in the Prix St Georges, 65.000% in the Inter I and 64.324% in the Inter I kur. The bronze medal went to Pia Damjanic on the 12-year old Frodo (by Flogiston x Li Gold) with 59.265%, 60.020% and 59.643%.

The senior podium with Ljolje, Brnic, Damjanic

Brnic is one of the few Croatian FEI riders that compete internationally. In 2019 she went to CDI Lipica in May, and the 2019 Balkan Championships, also in Lipica, in June, where she finished sixth in the Kur.

Complete results here

Junior Maja Kunstic took the gold meal aboard the 6-year old Lippizaner Maestoso Slavonia XX-5

The pony podium with Ida Vidošević and Gita Sušić Mikulan

Kaya Probst on Rain in Otago

Mija Brnic on Lilly of the Valley

Vanda Ljolje on Eros