Svalegårds Hot Driver, Blue Hors Bonsai and Monte Carlo, Danciero, Vividus QRE Win 2023 Danish Young Horse Championships

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2023 Danish Young Horse Championships

The 4-year old Svalegårds Hot Driver, the 5-year old Blue Hors Bonsai, the 6-year old Blue Horse Monte Carlo TC, the 7-year old Danciero and the developing Grand Prix horse Vividus QRE became the winners of their respective divisions at the 2023 Danish Young Horse Championships in Randbøl on 12 - 15 October 2023.

A Few Trends

With the legendary Blue Hors stud closing its doors in Randbøl in April 2024 and the top sport and stallion activities relocating to Stutteri ASK severely downsized, the Young Horse Nationals were probably the last major dressage competition held at this venue under the Blue Hors banner.

The Nationals are always a highlight on the calendar for Danish dressage breeders, riders, trainers and owners, but this year two champions of 2022 - Valerie B and Lyngbjergs St. Paris - were strikingly absent from the line-up. Both competed at the World Young Horse Championships earlier in August.

Another interesting fact to be noticed was that the finals round saw the score board severely reshuffled, with the winners of the preliminary test unable to maintain that top spot in the finals round. However, in the end, it were the familiar rider faces on the highest step of the podium with Denmark's Grand Prix team and A-squad riders (Kruth, Merrald, Kasprzak, Dufour) claiming the champion sashes.

The Winners

Carina Cassoe Kruth on Svalegårds Hot Driver

The title in the 4-year old division was won by Svalegårds Hot Driver (by Hesselhoj Doney Boy x Hotline), ridden by Carina Cassoe Kruth. After a third place in the preliminary test, the stallion was literally warmed up to cruise to the victory in the Finals round with 95.600 points. He received 19 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 8.8 for canter, 10 for rideability and 9.5 for potential from judges Dennis Fisker, Kurt Christensen, and Helle Westh. The winner of the preliminary round, KWPN stallion Opoque (by All at Once x Davino VOD) dropped to fifth place. Silver was for Feinsten (by Franklin x Rock Forever) and bronze for One to Remember (by Secret x Vivaldi).

The 5-year old age group was one by Nanna Skodborg Merrald's newest shooting star, Blue Hors Bonsai (by Baron x Royal Classic), bred in Germany by Irmgard Schmidt. The Blue Hors owned chestnut mare wielded the axe of power over a large group of (licensed) stallions that followed in her wake. Bonsai scored a total of 90.80 points and got 9 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 8.8 for canter and rideability and 9.3 for potential from judges Jesper Holt Hansen, Susanne Baarup, and Bjarne Nielsen. The silver went to Grevens Sirius (by Secret x Johnson), who was ridden by Michael Gronne Christensen in Ermelo but he left Helgstrand and Betina Jaeger was now on board. Bronze went to EQ Secret Surprise (by Secret x Gribaldi).

Nanna Skodborg Merrald on Blue Hors Bonsai

Merrald also topped the board in the 6-year old division on the KWPN stallion Blue Hors Monte Carlo TC (by Dream Boy x United). After a third place in the preliminary round, the bay stallion moved to the top of the leaderboard in the finals with 91.400 points. Judges Hansen, Baarup, and Nielsen rewarded the licensed stallion with 9.2 for walk, 9 for trot, 8.8 for canter, 9.5 for rideability and 9.2 for potential. The winner of the first round, Dufour on the Swedish bred Zimillione PT2 (by Gammelenggards Zappa x Furst Nymphenburg) got silver, while Guardia got bronze on the Vitalis full brother My Vitality (by Vivaldi x D-Day).

After winning the World Champion's title in the summer, Anna Kasprzak and the Hanoverian bred Danciero (by Dancier x Floriscount) bested a field of ten 7-year olds in the Finals. He scored 10 for walk, 9 for trot, 9.3 for canter, and 10 for rideability and potential. WIth a technical score of 80.286% the winning total was 88.443. Silver went to Hesselhoj Darwin (by Hesselhoj Donkey x Solos Landtinus), which Cathrine Dufour took over from Mikaela Lindhn who she got severely and is now unfortunately passed away. The bronze was for Susanne Barnow on Atoftens Dancing Memory (by ERA Dancing Hit x Benetton Dream).

For the first time ever, the Danish equestrian federation held a Developing Grand Prix horse championship, mimicking the Louisdor Cup final in Germany. Dufour and her rising Grand Prix hope, Swedish warmblood Vividus QRE (by Zaladin MI x Don Charly) reigned supreme with a winning 76.124% in the Short Grand Prix. Merrald followed in second place aboard Blue Hors Znickers (by Zack x De Niro) on 73.605% while Daniel Bachmann and Elisabet Ehrnrooth's Daytona (by Dante Weltino x Samarant) were third.

Photos © Ridehesten

Results - 2023 Danish Young Horse Championships - Randbøl

4-year olds
Rider - horse - trot walk canter rideability potential --- total

1. Carina Cassøe Krüth - Svalegårds Hot Driver - 9.5 10.0 8.8 10.0 9.5 --- 95.600
2. Anne-mette Strandby Hansen - Feinsten - 9.5 8.3 9.2 9.0 9.5 --- 91.000
3. Eric Guardia Martinez - One to Remember - 8.9 8.3 9.3 10.0 9.0 --- 91.000
4. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Farringhton - 8.5 9.5 8.6 9.2 9.0 --- 89.600
5. Mette Sejbjerg Jensen. - Opoque - 9.7 8.5 9.0 8.3 9.0 --- 89.000
6. Mette Sejbjerg Jensen. - Åtoftens Springtime - 8.4 10.0 8.2 8.5 9.0 --- 88.200
7. Mette Sejbjerg Jensen - Fifty-fifty - 9.5 8.2 9.0 8.3 9.0 --- 88.000
8. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Hp Viard - 8.2 8.8 9.0 8.5 8.8 --- 86.600
9. Ida Hofman-bang - Dribbler - 9.0 8.0 8.8 8.2 9.0 --- 86.000
10. Susanne Barnow. - Jack Daniel's Abn - 8.5 8.2 8.6 8.5 8.6 --- 84.800
11. Susanne Barnow - Kjeldgårdens Django - 7.8 9.5 8.0 8.2 8.4 --- 83.800
12. Anne-marie Hosbond Élysée - 7.9 8.2 8.6 8.5 8.5 --- 83.400
13 Kecia Sanvig Foxy - Secret Mj - 8.0 8.5 8.2 8.4 8.5 --- 83.200
14. Frederikke Gram Jacobsen - Valiant - 8.2 8.8 7.8 8.2 8.5 --- 83.000
15. Alvaro Oliveira - J'adore Dior H - 8.7 7.8 8.0 8.3 8.4 --- 82.400
16. Anne Troensegaard - Slangerupgaards Saffron - 8.0 8.0 8.2 8.5 8.4 --- 82.200
17. Mette Sejbjerg Jensen - Straight Horse Sun King - 8.8 8.0 7.8 8.0 8.2 --- 81.600
18. Nanna Josephine Grovn - Don Diego - 8.0 8.5 7.8 8.0 8.0 --- 80.600
19. Liv Marie Stignæs - Svalegårds Designa - 7.6 8.5 8.0 8.0 8.0 --- 80.200
20. Michael Nielsen - Skovdals Fiji - 8.0 7.8 7.8 8.0 8.0 --- 79.200
21. Isabell Jepsen - Coinoffer - 7.5 8.3 8.0 7.8 8.0 --- 79.200
22. Marianne a. Poulsen - Alby's Springtime Msf - 7.8 8.0 7.6 7.5 7.8 --- 77.400

5-year olds
Rider - horse - trot walk canter rideability potential --- total

1. Nanna Skodborg Merrald - Blue Hors Bonsai - 9.5 9.0 8.8 8.8 9.3 --- 90.800
2. Betina Jæger Jensen - Grevens Sirius - 9.0 8.5 9.0 9.0 9.0 --- 89.000
3. Susanne Barnow - Eq Secret Suprise - 9.0 9.0 8.7 8.3 8.9 --- 87.800
4. Marianne Helgstrand - Alkaline - 8.2 8.8 9.2 8.9 8.8 --- 87.800
5. Merita Hagren - Zanetti - 8.6 9.0 8.8 8.3 8.7 --- 86.800
6. Thomas Sigtenbjerggaard - Be Sure - 8.7 8.8 8.3 8.0 8.5 --- 84.600
7. Silje Bakken Lille - Kærgårds Sisco - 8.3 9.0 8.0 7.9 8.3 --- 83.000
8. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Sk Farnello - 8.6 8.0 8.2 8.0 8.3 --- 82.200
9. Anne-marie Hosbond - Fabulosa - 8.5 8.2 7.8 8.0 8.2 --- 81.400
10. Mette Sejbjerg Jensen - Sybil Nobel - 8.3 8.5 7.8 7.9 8.2 --- 81.400
11. Lisette Berner - Kastaniegårdens Philina - 7.5 9.5 7.8 7.8 7.9 --- 81.000
12. Josefine Dahl Hoffmann - Fabergé - 7.6 8.7 8.0 8.0 8.0 --- 80.600
13. Emma Ahlberg - Ice Queen Eden - 8.0 7.8 8.0 7.6 8.0 --- 78.800
14. Laila Wittendorff Petersen - Top Shelf - 8.5 6.8 7.0 6.2 7.0 --- 71.000

6-year olds
Rider - horse - trot walk canter rideability potential --- total

1. Nanna Skodborg Merrald - Blue Hors Monte Carlo Tc - 9.0 9.2 8.8 9.5 9.2 --- 91.400
2. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Zimillione Pt2 - 8.7 8.5 9.2 9.7 9.4 --- 91.000
3. Eric Guardia Martinez. - My Vitality - 8.7 8.5 9.3 9.2 9.0 --- 89.400
4. Nanna Skodborg Merrald - Blue Hors Santiano - 9.2 7.7 8.8 8.8 8.8 --- 86.600
5. Anne-marie Hosbond - St. Tropez - 8.7 8.2 8.5 9.0 8.7 --- 86.200
6. Anne-marie Hosbond - Myou De Jeu - 8.3 7.8 8.3 8.3 8.4 --- 82.200
7. Michael Søgaard - Cocktail Ki - 8.0 8.5 8.0 8.0 8.2 --- 81.400
8. Trude Hestengen - Svalegårds Hot Boy - 7.8 7.9 8.5 7.8 8.2 --- 80.400
9 Frederikke Gram Jacobsen - Roxette - 8.2 8.1 8.0 7.8 8.0 --- 80.200
10. Ditte Mikkelsen - San Amorino - 8.0 7.5 8.2 7.9 8.0 --- 79.200
11. Frederikke Gram Jacobsen - Zanderry Danheat - 8.3 7.8 7.7 7.9 7.9 --- 79.200
12. Cristian Tudela Ruiz - Højgaardens Zacksmir - 7.8 7.8 8.3 7.5 7.9 --- 78.600
13. Tania M. Joensen - Lybækgårds Rihanna - 8.2 7.8 8.0 7.2 8.0 --- 78.400
14. Frederikke Gram Jacobsen - Rosie K - 7.8 8.0 8.0 7.5 7.9 --- 78.400
15. Selina Solberg Vittinghus - Atterupgaards Bonamassa - 8.0 7.5 7.8 7.5 7.8 --- 77.200

7-year olds
Rider - Horse - trot walk canter rideability potential -- subtotal -- technical score --- overall total

1. Anna Kasprzak - Danciero - 9.0 10.0 9.3 10.0 10.0 -- 96.600 -- 80.286 --- 88.443
2. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour - Hesselhøj Darwin - 8.6 8.7 8.0 8.8 8.6 -- 85.400 -- 75.714 --- 80.557
3. Susanne Barnow Åtoftens - Dancing Memory - 8.7 8.8 8.5 8.8 8.8 -- 87.200 -- 72.286 --- 79.743
4. Emma Ahlberg - Ambjergs Delgadino - 8.3 8.0 8.4 8.3 8.5 -- 83.000 -- 70.143 --- 76.572
5. Helene Melsen - Ranger - 8.8 8.0 8.4 8.2 8.5 -- 83.800 -- 69.143 --- 76.471
6. Helene Melsen - Roger - 8.3 7.0 8.0 8.5 8.2 -- 80.000 -- 68.857 --- 74.429
7. Marianne Helgstrand - Le Grand - 8.7 7.5 8.2 7.3 8.7 -- 80.800 -- 67.000 --- 73.900
8. Helene Melsen - Gunfire V. - 8.4 6.0 8.2 8.4 7.8 -- 77.600 -- 68.286 --- 72.943
Susanne Barnow - Skovdals Dexter - Ret
Nadja Aaboe Sloth - Satchmo - Ret

Developing GP Horse - Short Grand Prix

1. Cathrine Laudrup-dufour Vividus Qre - 76.124
2. Nanna Skodborg Merrald Blue Hors Znickers - 73.605
3. Daniel Bachmann Andersen Daytona - 73.411
4. Rikke Dupont Grand Galiano - 70.233
5. Carina Cassøe Krüth Koblenz-st - 70.232
6. Jim Rasmussen Nissumgaards Odine - 64.961
7. Laura J. Rasmussen Hjorths Rapsody in Blue 6 - 62.713