Salo, Lahtinen, Paloheimo, Packalen, Von Wendt Win 2020 Finnish Dressage Championships

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2020 Finnish Dressage Championships

Pony rider Roosa Salo, children rider Venla Lahtinen, junior rider Veera Paloheimo, young rider Mea Packalen and senior Grand Prix rider Anna von Wendt became the winners of the 2020 Finnish Dressage Championships on 17 - 20 September 2020.

The 2020 Finnish Nationals were held during the Woikoski Dressage Derby at Sari and Clas Palmberg's equestrian centre at the lake, WHD Gard, in Nurmaa, Finland, a 2-hour drive north of Helsinki.

Salo Earns Pony Gold

In the FEI pony division Finnish European Championship team rider Roosa Salo reigned supreme on her 9-year old cross bred Sir Maximus Welshwarrior, who is by the warmblood stallion Sir Oldenburg out of a Shamrock Silent Squadron dam. The pair won both rounds with 68.971% and 73.100% and totalled 142.071 points for the title. The silver went to team mate, 16-year old Pinja Pohjosmaki on the 18-year old German bred Caramba, who is by top pony producer Constantin and out of a Granulit dam. They were third in round 1 (67.943%) and second in the second freestyle round (70.755%) to finish second overall with 138.698 points. For Pinja it was her first national Championships in her last year on ponies. She is trained by Any Korppoo. The 14-year old Matilda Piispa and the 17-year old Vasehojs Kashi (by Bohojgaaard's Mirage x Darino) got bronze with 137.602 points. She also rode on the Finnish team at the European Pony Championships in Hungary three weeks ago.

"I'm so pleased with Max. He's really lovable and the world's best pony," said the 13-year old. "Now I'll do only fun things, jump, ride him bareback and go cross country." The pair, who has been together for three years, is coached by Marika Poyri-Pirkola.

Lahtinen Gets Children Gold

The 13-year old Venla Lahtinen cruised to the title in the Children's division aboard her 7-year old Holsteiner Classified (by Clarimo x Carpaccio), winning both rounds with 75.875% and 72.451%. She totalled 148.326 points and stay far ahead of the rest of the competition. Eleven pairs competed in the division and the 13-year old Selma Maula and the 8-year old Finnish warmblood Butterfly Tirlittan (by Dancier x Ravallo) were good for silver with 143.248 points, scoring 71.850% and 71.398%. This pair trains with Maarit Raiskio. The fairly new pair, Adalina Halinen and the 12-year old Oldenburg La Mason (by Levantos x Mitjulands), who came together just five months ago, followed in third place with 135.343 points after posting 71.475 and 63.868%.

"We came here to gain more experience and the good placing was an extra," said Lahtinen. "It went pretty smoothly. I got over 75% for my first test, which was surprising and I was pretty happy." Her 7-year old horse will now get a break. "I will probably have to bake a carrot cake for him," she joked. Next year she wants to work on the flying changes and see if he's up for the junior level work. Venla trains with Eeva-Maria Porthan-Broddell.

Paloheimo Gets Junior Gold

Twenty combinations competed in the junior rider's division and Veera Paloheimo topped the board on the routinier, 17-year old Hanoverian Wolle Wolkenstein (by Wolkenstein II x Buenos Aires) on 143.046 points. The pair won the first round with 69.606% and ruled the freestyle with 73.440%. Martta Palola and the 13-year old Danish bred Hottas Hojris (by Hotline x Don Schufro) were the runners-up with 139.310 points after earning 68.000 and 71.310%. The pair has been together for almost two years and showed significant progress this year. The bronze went to Johanna Simila on the 11-year old Hanoverian Mein Freund (by Falsterbo x Mazaad xx) with 136.429 points. She scored 66.394% in round 1 and 70.035% in the Kur. This duo has only done four competitions this year. All three medalists are 18 and will have to move on to Young Riders in 2021.

"Fortunately he didn't come up with pranks," said winner Veera about her cheeky chestnut ride. "I'm very happy today. After last year's silver medal I was looking for gold and we succeeded." The pair trains with Ville Vaario.

Strong Packalen Goes for Young Riders Title

Twenty combinations were entered for the Young Riders Championships and it was European Championship rider Mea Packalen on her 10-year old Feuerball (by Furstenball) who were a league of their own, winning the gold and champion's sash with 146.695 points in total. Packalen won both rounds as sole combination to twice score over seventy percent. She posted 72.735% in round 1 and 73.960% in round two. Janna Pursiainen and the 15-year old Hanoverian Hiero (by Hochadel x Aalborg) and Louise Jonsson on the 10-year old Hanoverian Dayna (by Dancier x Prince Thatch xx) battled it out for silver and bronze and were neck-to-neck throughout the weekend. In the end, Pursiainen got silver with 140.660 points, while Jonsson finished with bronze with a fraction less, 140.291 points. Pursiainen and Hiero, her equine partner of three years, were second in round 1 (68.735%) and third in the Kur (71.925%), while Jonsson started with a 66.706% but surged to a second place in the kur with 73.585%.

"I had a really good feeling in general, even though there were a few mistakes today (in the kur)," said Packalen who trains in Denmark with Mikaela Fabricius-Bjerre (née Lindh) and is in her last year as a Young Rider. The pair is now slowly looking at the future and under 25 level. "He still needs to learn the piaffe and passage. So far we've focused on the movements for the youth classes."

Von Wendt is the 2020 Finnish Grand Prix Champion

The 2020 Finnish Grand Prix Championship was contested by just 9 pairs, of which just 6 scored enough (above 60%) to move on to the second round.

Finland's biggest names in dressage, Henri Ruoste, Mikaela Fabricius-Bjerre, Terhi Stegars, Emma Kanerva, and Kristina Böckmann all live abroad and did not make the long trip north for the Nationals (or do not have the horses at the moment). Other ringing Finnish names, such as Eevamaria Porthan-Broddell, Elisabet Ehrnrooth, Kikka Suomio (Flourian), and Niina Nilosaari were also absent from the most important national dressage competition of the year.

Anna von Wendt and her fairly new ride, 14-year old Rhinelander stallion Sir Fashion (by Sir Donnerhall x Rosenkavalier), earned highest honour and returned home with the senior title. The pair took a rather "slow" start with a third place and 63.196% score in the Grand Prix, but surged to the top of the board in the freestyle with 70.125% to place first overall on 133.321 points. The silver medal went to Pilvi Tuominen on the 14-year old Belgian warmblood G-Renzo (by Krack C x Wendekreis), who are in their first season at Grand Prix level. She won the Grand Prix with 65.587% but were fifth in the freestyle with 65.405%. Their total of 130.992 points was good for silver. The bronze medal went to professional and four-times Finnish Champion Stella Hagelstam on Linna Jenni's 10-year old Oldenburg bred Franziskaner (by Fidertanz x Sevilano xx). They got 62.456% in the Grand Prix (5th) and 67.920% in the Kur (2nd) to finish third on 130.376 points.

"I had nothing to lose so I gave it my all today (in the kur)," said Von Wendt, who won her second Finnish champion's title. Her first was in 2016. "Yesterday I wasn't sharp enough and rode a bit sluggishly. Today I went for it and it turned out well. My horse has a lot of expression and is high quality. He just needs more power so we can ride faultfree and be more secure." Von Wendt has owned Sir Fashion for 1.5 years but kept him in training with coach Jonny Hilberath the first year, before brining him to Finland.

Results - 2020 Finnish Dressage Championships

Pony Riders

1. Roosa Salo - Sir Maximus Welshwarrior - 68.971 - 73.100 --- 142.071
2 Pinja Pohjosmäki - Caramba - 67.943 - 70.755 --- 138.698
3 Matilda Piispa - Vasehöjs Kashi - 68.457 - 69.145 --- 137.602
4 Ellen Vuorinen - Fairytale Twilight - 63.780 - 68.290 --- 132.070
5 Mila Pietarila - Rosengårdens Night Hawk - 64.943 - 66.460 --- 131.403
6 Saana Hannula - Dacapo de l'Aube - 64.886 - 65.960 --- 130.846
7 Rebecka Olsson - Pin Rock's Cotton Candy T- 65.000 - 65.730 --- 130.730
8 Gea Patricia Salminen - Hazelberg's Macho - 63.229 - 64.955 --- 128.184
9 Ada Tarvonen - Klockas Innishannon - 62.514 - 65.305 --- 127.819
10 Rita Vaarala - Snow Princess - 62.629 - 65.065 --- 127.694
11 Halla Suonvieri - Okkie - 62.343 - 65.260 --- 127.603
12 Venla Lahtinen - Maskerade HE - 64.400 - 62.805 --- 127.205

Children

1. Venla Lahtinen - Classified - 75.875 72.451 --- 148.326
2 Selma Maula - Butterfly Tirlittan - 71.850 71.398 --- 143.248
3 Adalina Hälinen - La Mason - 71.475 63.868 --- 135.343
4 Coco Roine - Kameo - 70.900 64.336 --- 135.236
5 Inka Autio - Don Rohmina W- 65.125 62.153 --- 127.278
6 Gea Patricia Salminen - Oeds V- 62.050 61.959 --- 124.009
7 Laura Rantamo - Samarah ox - 65.150 57.940 --- 123.090
8 Julia Reinikkala - Platon II - 63.050 59.783 --- 122.833
9 Ronja Holmström - Saffrons Musical - 63.275 58.118 --- 121.393

Junior Riders

1. Veera Paloheimo- Wolle Wolkenstein - 69.606 - 73.440 --- 143.046
2 Martta Palola - Hottas Höjris - 68.000- 71.310 --- 139.310
3 Johanna Similä - Mein Freund - 66.394- 70.035 --- 136.429
4 Sanni Heliste - San Heinrich - 66.546 - 69.800 --- 136.346
5 Emma Liikanen - Capac - 67.243 - 67.580 --- 134.823
6 Tinja Ekroth - Whenever Klint - 66.061- 67.825 --- 133.886
7 Tuisku Maria Lamberg - Netstutteriets Bachio - 68.424 - 64.810 --- 133.234
8 Pinja Järvinen - Fahrenheit - 64.849 - 67.295 --- 132.144
9 Lia Lundström - Wald Hit - 64.515 - 67.225 --- 131.740
10 Emmi Alahonko - Sandrina- 64.151 - 66.330 --- 130.481
11 Anni Plith - Midt-West Zalando - 63.182 - 67.105 --- 130.287
12 Sabina Saloniemi - Glenn van't Gestelhof - 63.151 - 65.590 --- 128.741
13 Mette Kauppila - Donna Lottchen - 63.152 - 64.190 --- 127.342

Young Riders

1. Mea Packalén - Feuerball - 72.735 - 73.960 --- 146.695
2 Janna Pursiainen - Hiero - 68.735 - 71.925 --- 140.660
3 Louise Jönsson - Dayna - 66.706 - 73.585 --- 140.291
4 Emmi Salminen - St' Ophir - 68.118 - 68.685 --- 136.803
5 Jenni Kinnunen - Cobain - 67.265 - 69.490 --- 136.755
6 Lotta Luomajärvi - May Deveraux WS - 67.353 - 69.330 --- 136.683
7 Eerika Hakala - American Beauty - 63.824 - 68.430 --- 132.254
8 Alexandra Haglund - Laram - 66.147 - 65.915 --- 132.062
9 Karla Rasilainen - Tara Felicity - 63.970 - 66.420 --- 130.390
10 Milla-Iida Laari - Martha 127 RP - 64.823 - 65.100 --- 129.923
11 Emma Metsänoja - Armas Zarzo II - 63.412 - 65.715 --- 129.127

Seniors

1 Anna Von Wendt - Sir Fashion - 63.196 - 70.125 --- 133.321
2 Pilvi Tuominen - G-Renzo - 65.587 - 65.405 --- 130.992
3 Stella Hagelstam - Franziskaner - 62.456 - 67.920 --- 130.376
4 Pilvi Rientonen - Denzel - 63.326 - 65.800 --- 129.126
5 Kira Joanna Kanerva - Dorazio - 62.587 - 65.975 --- 128.562
6 Elli Tuominen - Woodcroft Rockstar - 60.544 - 64.815 --- 125.359
7 Jonna Aaltonen - Riccardo L - 59.543 - 0.000 --- 59.543
8 Tiia Hyysalo - Betty B - 59.435 - 0.000 --- 59.435
9 Susanna Hyypiä - Avemmo - 58.348 - 0.000 --- 58.348