Collin, Mercker, Ruppert, Lang Win 2023 German Youth Riders Championships

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2023 German Youth Riders Championships

Pony rider Lilly Marie Collin, children rider Vivianne Mercker, junior rider Josephine Ruppert and young rider Jana Lang were the winners of the 2023 German Youth Riders Championships (DJM) in Munich-Riem on 17 - 20 August 2023.

Pony Riders: Lilly Marie Collin

Lilly Marie Collin from Düsseldorf and stallion Cosmo callidus NRW are the new German champions in pony dressage. They won all three special tests in the U16 age group. The pair received 85.125 percent for their freestyle after winning the team test with 78.282% and the individual with 79.902%. . For Lilly Marie Collin, her time as a pony rider has now come to and end with a highlight season. A month ago she won triple gold at the European Pony Championships in Le Mans.

"I'm very proud of our achievements," said Lilly Marie Collin after winning the gold medal at the DJM. “It's my last year as a pony rider. That's why it was a very special feeling for me to ride here in Munich and I really enjoyed the freestyle in particular.”

Silver went to Julie Sophie Schmitz-Heinen on Carleo Go, the pony who was her reserve ride at the European Championships. They were second in all three tests at the nationals. Mia Allegra Lohe and Tovdal's Golden Future Imperial won bronze.

Children: Vivianne Mercker

The German Children Championship is quite unique in Europe as it is held with a finals with horse change for these kids in the under 14 division.

Children podium: Gossmann, Mercker, Bernhard

Since 1997, the Children Championships have been held at different venues and as of 2007 it has been a regular of the German Youth Championships. The participants measure their skills in the FEI children (team and individual test) on a snaffle with special emphasis on the seat and the aids of the rider. After two qualifications, the three highest ranked riders go into a final with horse change in which they ride each others' horses.

On her own horse, the Oldenburg mare Belladonna, Vivianne Mercker became the overall winner after the first two rounds, but also in the finals with horse change she dominated. "I really learned a lot and I'm grateful that I got to ride these two great other horses," said the winner, Vivianne Mercker. For her, the DJM was a home game, the 14-year-old lives with her family in Munich. "I'm overjoyed to have won here and I can't really realize it yet.

Leni-Sophie Gosmann brought her mare Golden Girl to Munich. On the first day they were sixth, in the second round they came second and made it into the final, in which the 13-year-old from Bottrop scored 8.6, 8.6 and 8.3. "Vivi and Marie's horses were great to ride and very fine, it was an exciting experience," said Gossmann. The 13-year-old Marie Bernhard secured the bronze medal. She said: “Belladonna felt very good, I was still a bit unsure about the canter with Golden Girl, but otherwise I am very satisfied and I had a lot of fun with my own horse (For Rock G). I saw that I had to adapt quickly to the horses and ride them very differently.”

Junior Riders: Josephine Ruppert

Josephine Ruppert from Wielenbach in Bavaria and the 10-year-old Bellisimo mare Bella Donna won the gold medal in the junior championship. It is already their second gold medal this year: The two won team gold at the 2023 European Junior Championships in Kronberg.

Junior podium: Oatley, Ruppert, Paschertz

In Munich, they came second in all three rounds which brought their overall total to the highest score and the gold medal. "It was my goal for the year to be able to compete in the freestyle here at the DJM. I can hardly believe that I'm going home as the German champion," said the 16-year old.

The reigning individual European junior champion, Rose Oatley from Lütjensee in Schleswig-Holstein and her 8-year-old Oldenburg mare Sommernacht, won the first rounf with 76.459 percent and the second round with 75.605 percent. Just like at the Europeans in Kronberg, the freestyle proved to be more challenging and with issues in the canter tour, they dropped to 9th place in the kur but second overall for silver. Not selected for the European Championship but still on the podium at the DJM was Clara Paschertz on Danubio OLD (by Dante Weltino). They won the freestyle with 79.075 percent, which ultimately meant bronze in the championship for the pair from Cloppenburg.

Germany's junior team riders Lana-Pinou Baumgurtel and Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer were absent from the DJM. Baumgurtel did not show at all, Schmitz-Morkramer rode her sister Helen's Lifestyle in the Young riders division and gave junior horse Libertad a break.

Young Riders: Jana Lang

Young Riders podium: Schmitz-Morkramer, Lang, Derlien

The gold medal went to Jana Lang.

European Junior Champion Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer (Hamburg) from Schleswig-Holstein and the 13-year-old DSP registered Lifestyle scored silver. Up until the final day it was a neck-and-neck race between Lang and Schmitz-Morkramer. Allegra was second in the first round and won the the second round. In the freestyle, however, the couple finished ninth though, which meant silver in the final classification. With two fourth places in the first tests and a second place in the freestyle, Anna Derlien and her 12-year old mare Holly Golightly moved into bronze medal position.