Germany's Lilly Marie Collin completed the task and made it a hattrick, winning her third gold medal of the week and wrapping up the 2023 European Pony Championships in Le Mans, France, with Kur gold on Sunday noon 30 July 2023.
On Clapping and Birds
The 2023 European Pony Championships were staged at Emmanuelle and Philippe Rossi's "Boulerie Jump - Pole Europeen du Cheval" in Le Mans and welcomed dressage, show jumping and eventing at the same time. This meant that the Championships were a highly busy affair with all three divisions coming to a conclusion on Sunday.
While the excitement and busyness of it all brought much atmosphere to the venue, the final rides in the dressage freestyle were held simultaneously with the eventing prize giving. At times the music was hard to be heard as the announcer was speaking and cheering non-stop, spurring the audience to clap, during the eventing medal ceremony. While the dressage ponies seemed unphased by it, it did affect the serenity and seriosity of dressage finale.
Another challenge the dressage ponies had to deal with were the huge amount of pigeons which landed in the arena for some pickings and flew up when ponies approached. None of the top ponies seemed bothered by it, but it painted an interesting picture with birds and ponies united in dressage.
Collin Makes it Three
Collin danced to victory to Michael Buble's "It's a Beautiful Day". The trot work was dynamic and forward, the extended walk had much overtrack and a clear rhythm, but the nose could have been more out. The collected walk at times stayed too open in the frame with two much overtrack. In one simple change the walk needed to be more articulated and in the canter strike off the pony gets short behind, especially to the left. Also the left counter canter could have been more balanced, but overall the ride was very clean and balanced, with lots of voltes, lines and circles showing the true and counter canter. Collin rode a volte one handed and finished with an expressive extended trot.
The pair scored 86.960% for Kur gold with marks ranging between 84.50 and 89.250%.
Everars Climbs to Silver
Riding to music by Beyoncé and 1990s techno beats, the pair began with a halt at entry that was wide behind. The trot half passes with huge crossing were a highlight, and overall the trot work was energetic and forward. In the extended trot the pony at times seemed short-long in front with more reach in the right front leg. Everars rode up tempo with lots of flow in the traversal movements. The first simple change was a bit hesitant, the others went smoothly. The collected walk before the right walk pirouette could have been clearer, but the extended walk was exceptional with textbook clarity and V-moment in the rhythm. At times there was a little tension and unbalance in the left counter canter and the right one could have been a bit more collected, but overall the canter work went smoothly. They finished with an extended trot.
The score of 80.150% put them in silver medal position. After team bronze on Thursday and individual test bronze on Saturday, Everars now concludes her pony career with Kur silver. She has already begun her junior time on Vigo Gold (by Vitalis), booking a triple victory at the CDI Grote Brogel at the start of July.
Everars now follows the line of four Belgian pony riders to have won an individual medal at the Europeans. In 1993 Judith Godefroid and in 1998 Delphine Meiresonne actually won individual gold and became European Champion (in those years the medals were decided over three rounds, not one per test as is done now). In 2008 Julie van Olst won Kur bronze.
Pohl Rises to Bronze
It's not the first time that a German reserve combination surprised everyone and ran away with the medals. In 2019 reserve Jana Schrödter was called up to substitute and ended up winning the 2019 European Junior Riders Championships in San Giovanni. This year pony rider Pohl had to step in two hours before the vet check and ended up with team gold and kur bronze!
Pohl and the 13-year old Der Kleine Sunnyboy (by Der Feine Lord x Valentino) rode to Marvin Gaye (Sunny I love you) and Phil Collins music. As last to go, she had the best advantage as this position has proven to be beneficial with the judges, even more so in the freestyle. They began with a nice halt at entry and uphill canter work. The counter canter had the best balance of all three medallists, there were good simple changes, but the right walk pirouette could have been more accurate. In the extended walk there was plenty of overtrack and relaxation, but the pony should march more through the back. In the half passes, Sunnyboy does not cross as much and especially to the left he needed to cover more ground. They finished with an extended trot and polished final halt.
German team trainer Caro Roost commented that, "we are particularly proud of Maria Teresa because she got better from day to day and really grow into the task. She can't believe that she won an individual medal today."
- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition).
Photos © Les Garennes - private
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the European Pony Championships