Germany's Lilly Marie Collin continued her winning streak at the 2023 European Pony Championships in Le Mans, France, and captured individual test gold on Saturday 29 July 2023. The silver went to German team mate Julie Schmitz-Heinen, while the bronze was for Belgium's Liezel Everars.
With 53 combinations contesting the individual test for a set of three medals, the class was split into two with the first group riding on Friday, while the second group competed on Saturday afternoon.
Collin's Golden Wave
Lilly Marie Collins carried on riding on Germany's golden wave and clinched individual test gold after placing first in the team championship test and leading her country to another team gold medal at the Pony Euros.
Aboard the 8-year old Westfalian stallion Cosmo Callidus, (by Cosmopolitan x Cyriac) she bested the field in the individual test with a whopping score of 81.189%. The ground jury, consisting of Isabelle Judet (FRA), Thomas Kessler (GER), Magnus Ringmark (SWE), Eva Vint-Warmington (EST), and Susanne Baarup (DEN), unanimously placed her first.
The 15-year old Düsseldorf based Collin is in her last year on ponies and certainly made the most out of her partnership with Cosmo Callidus, a triple Bundschampion pony. The two became a pair in December 2020 and last year already won individual test gold at the 2022 European Pony Championships in Strzegom. They were first trained by Anna Franz but for the past two years have been working with Stefanie Wittmann.
Collin has set high ambitions for Sunday's freestyle finals. "My goal is to do even better than today, but I will take it as it will and hopefully achieve another medal. Overall I will just enjoy as it's also my last pony year. i'm grateful for being here and winning two gold medals already."
When asked what advice she would give to young pony riders, Lilly said, "my advice is to always follow your dream; always follow your passion and do what you love and I think then everything will follow. You can just enjoy everything."
Silver for Schmitz-Heinen
Riding her third European Championships in a row, Julie brought the 11-year old Chilly Morning (by Calido G x Sandro Ace) to Le Mans while she campaigned her previous team pony Carleo Go in the CDI tour at the same venue. Julie and Chilly Morning posted 77.135%, pushing overnight leader Liezel Everars off the second step of the podium to bronze.
Last year Schmitz-Heinen won individual test bronze with Carleo Go, but Chilly Morning unlocked the next level and gave her silver. This is her last year on ponies too and Julie has already been competing at junior M-level with First Date OLD which her family bought a year ago.
Bronze for Everars
Belgium's long-time number one pony rider Liezel Everars went all in this year in her last year on ponies. Aboard her 12-year old Rhinelander gelding FS Capelli de Niro (by FS Champion de Luxe x FS Don't Worry) she scored 76.405% although the judges were divided on her performance with 74.459% (5th) as low score and 78.649% as high score (2nd).
Her result made her the overnight leader on Friday but the two Germans, Collin and Schmitz-Heinen, delegated her to a third and bronze medal earning spot.
The small dressage nation of Belgium has two European Pony Champions to date, Judith Godefroid in 1993 and Delphine Meiresonne in 1998. In 2008 Julie van Olst captured bronze after a positive medication test led to the elimination of the Swedish Elin Aspnas/Tim. A 15-year hiatus followed before another Belgian was able to capture an individual medal.
Off the Podium
Germany's team reserve, Maria Teresa Pohl on the 13-year old Der Kleine Sunnyboy (by Der Feine Lord x Valentino), stepped in only two hours before the horse inspection on Tuesday for an unfit Adriano B and proved their worth for team Germany. They won team gold and finished fourth in the individual test with 75.405%.
Great Britain's s Abigail Gray and George Clooney B.S., a British bred KWPN pony (by Caesar x Santano) scored a personal best of 74.811% to place fifth. The combination has only been competing together since October 2022. Having had her first riding lesson at just five years old, Abigail's family were completely new to horses when she took up the reins, however having seen how much Abigail enjoyed it she inspired her mum to take lessons too. Ten years later she has shown she is a bright star for Britain's dressage future.
Photos © Les Garennes - private
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the European Pony Championships