Triple Gold and Two World Records for Rose Oatley at 2021 European Pony Championships

Already a double medalist at last year's European Pony Championships, Germany's Rose Oatley can now add the title of triple European Champion to her achievements.  The 14-year old Oatley finished the week at the 2021 European Pony Championships in Strzegom, Poland,  with a convincing win in the freestyle section, also collecting her second world record score.

Triple Gold

Oatley and her long-time ride, the 11-year old palomino gelding Daddy Moon (by FS Daddy Cool x Capri Moon) were the hot favourites for the individual gold medals, and lived up to the expectations all week. In the first test, Oatley set a new world record with a convincing performance and helped secure team gold for team Germany by a significant margin of 15% overal. She repeated her feat by staying just shy of the world record in the individual test, and breaking the record again in the freestyle to take undisputed gold medals in both.

In the freestyle Rose started as one of the last five riders in the second group to go, and immediately rose to the top of the leaderboard after posting 89,700%. She shattered Phoebe Peters and SL Lucci's world record score of 85.825%, which stood since the 2015 European Pony Championships in Malmo, Sweden.

Oatley performed to a combination of a Star Wars medley and classical music.  The pair started their test with a wonderful extended trot, followed by a series of three half passes down the centerline, and then a shoulder in sequence. In the first half pass left in trot the quarters trailed slightly, and the extended walk could have had a bit more overtrack. The pony tends to appear more supple and bent better to the right than he does to the left and this was visible slightly more in the lateral work of the trot tour. The extended trot and simple changes of leg were some of the highlights of the test both of which received multiple 10s from the judges. Rose rode a very well choreographed freestyle with a lot of transitions between the paces throughout, and a lot of innovative lines, for example a complex counter canter and simple change serpentine which ended in a transition to (an almost immediate) extended trot. The music was written exceptionally well, and Rose rode flawless transitions to the music - the performance was really a joy to watch. Oatley finished her record breaking freestyle with an extended trot diagonal and halt. Throughout the test Rose and Daddy Moon had a very nice consistent rhythm with a convincing ride which earned them the gold.

The panel of five judges, consisting of Marietta Almasy (FRA), Agnieszka Majewska (POL), Ulrike Nivelle (GER), Paula Nysten (FIN), and Eduard De Wolff Van Westrrode (NED), rewarded the pair with a total of 89,700% with scores ranging from 86,375 (Nivelle) to 92,125 (Almasy). 

"I can’t really describe what happened today. I’m overwhelmed with my feelings. My pony was just amazing in the test and I can’t believe that we are now the European champions," Oatley stated.

Second Silver for Antonia Roth

Rose Oatley’s compatriot Antonia Roth repeated her feat from the Individual test in the days prior and secured a second individual silver medal of the championships and her fourth individual medal at the Europeans overall.

As last rider to go, Roth was the main rival of Oatley for the gold, after coming close in the individual test. However, the task was great as she had Rose Oatley’s freshly posted world record to beat when she started. In the freestyle the pair rode to film style, at times fictional, sounding music which complimented them well. 

Antonia and 10-year old stallion Daily Pleasure WE (by HB Daylight x Dressman) started their test with a canter entrance, followed by a shoulder-in down the centerline, an 8m 8 shape at x and a shoulder in to the other side, this was followed by an extended trot. The walk pirouette could have been clearer, and there was a small hesitation in two of the simple changes which brought down the score for the movements. The stallion also has a tendency to lean more on the hand which was especially evident in the trot tour, but better in the Kur than in the two previous tests. The extended walk was executed exceptionally well with a clear and energetic rhythm, and the extended trot and square halts at the beginning and the end were some of the highlights of the test. Roth beautifully rode a difficult extended canter to walk pirouette to canter transition as well as an innovative serpentine combination which added to the difficulty score. Overall Antonia Roth and Daily Pleasure WE did a wonderful test with a great floorplan for a well deserved silver medal.

The panel rewarded the pair with a total of 85,090% with scores ranging from 82,875 (De Wolff Van Westerrode) to 86,625 (Nysten). 

Second Bronze for Obel Jorgensen

Denmark's Sophia Boje Obel Jorgensen proved herself able to collect her third medal of the week, after a bronze medal in the individual test and a silver in the team competition.

The penultimate rider to go aboard the 2019 European Champion, 15-year old gelding Adriano B (by De Angelo B x Flying Dream), Obel claimed a convincing third medal of the week riding to some electrical and pop style music. 

The pair started off their test with a trot entrance followed by an extended trot and a shoulder-in on the quarterline. The shoulder-in left did not maintain a consistent angle and the turn on the haunches could have been more fluid and balanced. The head position seemed to be a problem in the extended trot. The ground covering trot half passes and straight simple change of leg, especially to the right, were the highlights. Although the test included some beautifully executed movements, the floor plan was not as intricate as some other ones that we saw on the day, but the test was still very well executed. 

The judges rewarded the pair with a total of 83,05% with scores ranging from 78,875 (De Wolff Van Westerode) to 86,375 (Nysten). 

Beyond the Podium

German Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen finished just outside of the podium by a margin, scoring 82,810%. Two judges had her second. She rode to more funky instrumental music which included a trumpet solo section. 

Completing the top five was Denmark's team newcomer Cornelia Munch Sinding aboard Terbofens Charico (by Charivari) on a score of 78,425%. She placed fifth for the second day in a row.

Austrian sisters Fanny and Florentina Jöbstl finished 6th and 7th with scores of 77,160 and 77,115 respectively. Fanny’s freestyle included electric pop music for the walk section, and the instrumental version of “All of me” by John Legend. Florentina’s kur included voice and instrumental music from ‘Diamonds” by Rihanna and a more classical instrumental part for the canter tour. 

German based Polish Veronica Pawluk and former Danish European individual medal winning pony D'Artagnan finished 8th on a 76,970 score riding to a beautifully choreographed freestyle which included Christmas tunes in the canter tour.

Belgian Liezel Everars and FS Capelli de Niro placed ninth with a wonderful and memorable pop music routine including an instrumental version of ‘Without You’ by David Guetta scoring 75,880%

Completing the top ten was Belgian Emilie Herweyers on Don't Dream, who rode to more nondescript lyrical music for her freestyle scoring her a well deserved 75,670%.

by Fevroniya Barinova for Eurodressage - Photos © Lukasz Kowalski

Related Links
Scores - 2021 European Pony Championships
Rose Oatley Secures Individual Test Gold at 2021 European Pony Championships
German Domination in Team Competition at 2021 European Pony Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2021 European Pony Championships