Lorena Morales and Santiago Ortiz Diez Win 2022 Mexican Grand Prix Champion's Titles

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2022 Mexican Dressage Championships

Lorena Morales Ponce and Santiago Ortiz Díez grabbed the title in the two big tour championship divisions held at the 2022 Mexican Dressage Championships the first weekend of December 2022.

The Mexican National Dressage Championships were held at equestrian centre La Hípica in Guadalajara and featured classes for young horses, youth riders and adults from novice level to Grand Prix.

Morales and Ortiz Win Big Tour Titles

Two big tour championship divisions were held: a smaller one in which the riders competed in the Grand Prix test twice, and a bigger 'Big Tour Freestyle' championship in which the riders competed first in the Grand Prix and then in the Freestyle.

The smaller one featured only one rider on two horses: Lorena Morales Ponce. Aboard the home bred 14-year old PRE stallion Orgulloso MOR (by Amoroso XLII) she won the division, scoring 63.623% on day one and 59.430% on day two. Morales trains with Spanish Olympian Juan Antonio Jiménez Cobo.

In the "Big Tour Freestyle" Championships, Santiago Ortiz renewed his champion's title. With Adan Alberto Benavides Jones' 11-year old Lusitano Gentil SS (by Altivo SQT x Pagode) he posted 64.674% in the Grand Prix and 72.406% in the freestyle. Ortiz also grabbed silver on the 14-year old Danish bred Bogha (by Don Romantic x Milan) and bronze with the 13-year old KWPN bred Dagasus (by Painted Black).

Titles to be won at the Mexican Championships

Five combinations in total competed in this division and the only challenger Ortiz had was Lourdes Ariza on two horses, the 16-year old Oldenburg bred Sir Cedric (by Sir Donnerhall I x Waldsee),) and the PRE bred Secreto (by ?). Ariza is coached by Spanish Olympian Jose Antonio Garcia Mena.

The other two pairs are from Morerias and they were ridden by Lorena Morelas. Lorena and her father Abelardo Morales are the breeders of Orgulloso Mor and Troyano Mor. They took first and second place in the Big Tour class. Juan Antonio Jiménez Cobo has been training and collaborating with Morerias for more than 10 years now.

The Medium tour was won by Maria Jose Hernandez on the 17-year old Westfalian Blickpunkt (by Belissimo x Fidermark), previously shown in the U.S.A. by Cesar Parra and Carlos Maldonado Lara. The pair scored 671.618% and 59.257. The Medium Tour Freestyle was for Santiago Ortiz with the 9-year old Lusitano bred Intrépido MOR after scoring 59.657% and 60.013%

Small Tour and Youth Classes

The Small Tour division was won by Spaniard Carlos Nieto Benavides aboard the Westfalian bred TS Causo with a combined score of 65.399 after the Prix St Georges (66.422%) and Intermediaire I (64.375%). The silver went to Irvin Leiva Guillermo on Pabellón with 65.17% and the bronze was for Irvin too, aboard Desafío with a total of 64.95%.

There was one junior, Catalina Menchaca on Husar, who posted 63.030% and 64.563%. Isabel Trapala on the KWPN bred Quinto was the sole young rider. They scored 63.284% and 64.594%

Young Horse Championships

Spanish visitors at the Mexican Nationals: Jose Mena

The 2022 Mexican Dressage Championships also included young horse championships and Spanish riders, in fact, swept the board taking three out of four titles on Mexican owned horses

Spaniard Carlos Nieto Benavides ruled a field of 9 combinations in the 4-year old division and took the title on TS Formosa (by ??) after having scored 86.00 and 87.400 points. He totalled a winning 86.70% ahead of Olof Nordlander on Elastic (81.50%) and Agustin Gonzalez Flores on the Hanoverian Sammy de Luxe (by Secret x Franziskus) with 80.60 points.

Three pairs competed in the 5-year old division, all Spanish riders. The winner was Katia Joven on the Friesian Emiel GHG (by Nane 492 x Doaitsen 420) with 76.80 and 75.40 to total 76.10 points. Three combinations battled it out in the 6-year old division and Spaniard Raul Marti Perez won aboard TS Bizcaya (by ??) with 71.80 and 76.60 (total 74.20).

There was only one rider in the 7-year old division: Mexican Jose Luis Padilla on the PRE Yeguero la Loma (by ?). He posted 64.757% and 64.10% to average 64.429%

(the score pages listed absolutely no proper, consistent info about pedigree, breed, age of the horses)