Otazu, Feel the Wind, Roo Win 2023 Croatian Young Horse Championships

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2023 Croatian Young Horse Championships

The 4-year old Otazu, the 5-year old Feel the Wind, and the 6-year old Roo became the winners of the 2023 Croatian Young Dressage Horse Championships held in the city of Varaždin at equestrian club Garestin on 16 September 2023.

The weather was sunny and with a very pleasant temperature, it was the perfect day to ride. For a developing dressage nation such as Croatia, this event was a benchmark for the future.

Garestin Setting Standards

Equestrian center Garestin is investing a lot of time and ideas to develop young horse sport in Croatia, so they held a special public training at their venue a week before the show, and they flew in the Portuguese judge Miguel Gonçalves for the Championships. A day before the start a discussion for riders, coaches, owners and other judges was held, where Gonçalves talked about judging young horses. This new approach showed the eagerness and appetite for dressage sport to develop in Croatia and Garestin is taking a lead role but putting in the extra bit of effort into dressage, and especially dressage for young horses.

The Championship was truly up to international standard with proper prize giving ceremonies, as the organising committee had invested into rugs, sashes, big trophies and big, flowy ribbons. While these decked out horses are a common sight in the rest of Europe, for Croatia the are a first.

4-YO: Otazu

Three horses in total participated in the 4-year old division and the Dutch warmblood bred Otazu (by the Belgian warmblood show jumping sire Nestor De Mariposa x Freedom VDL) performed a solid test, with a bit more fluidity and relaxation than the others, with a good rythm, and placed first. Otazu sold via the 2019 KWPN Foal Auction to Croatia. The Dutch bred stallion Omarinus showed the biggest trot and canter of the whole Championship. However the atmosphere got the best of him on his competition debut) and he showed basically no walk at all which definitely cost him a higher position. He's one to watch for the future.

1st place: Otazu (KWPN gelding by Nestor De Mariposa), owner: Paula Udović), ridden by Paula Udović – 73,6%
2nd place: Vox SD (Croatian sporthorse gelding by Valentino), owner: Dorotea Kindl), ridden by Petra Laslo – 69,6%
3rd place: Omarinus (KWPN stallion by Cizandro, owner: Vedran Bučević), ridden by Tajana Mrazović – 69,2%

5-YO: Feel the Wind

Seven horses participated in the 5-year old division and it was nice to see some return guests from last year's 4-year old championships, as quite often young „dressage“ horses in Croatia get switched to jumping pretty soon. The Croatian bred and Hanoverian registered Feel the Wind (by Furst Jazz) topped the board and claimed the title. After a 5th place last year as a 4-year old, Feel the Wind now moved into the number one spot under Pia Damjanic.

Last year's 4-yo champion Salidor VDF took 6th place this year Calypsa B kept her Vice Champion title and Ba'al moved into third place now after being sixth in 2022.

1st place: Feel The Wind (Hanoverian mare by Furst Jazz, owner: Karla Horvat), ridden by Pia Damjanić – 75,2%
2nd place: Calypsa B (Croatian sporthorse mare by Carpaccio I, owner: Ljubomir Božić), ridden by Elizabeta Božić – 73,2%
3rd place: Ba'al (Anglo European gelding by Best Off Uniek Z, owner: Karla Horvat), ridden by Pia Damjanić – 72,8%

6-Y0: Roo

Just two horses contested the 6-year old championship. Last year's reserve champion Roo (by Ramiro) was now the winner, while his rival, the mare 1760 Miss had to be retired for refusing to canter. 1760 Miss was 4th last year as a 5-year old.

1st place: Roo (AES gelding by Ramiro, owner: Anka Kelek), ridden by Saša Napan – 67%
RET: 1760 Miss (Croatian Warmblood mare by Pasha, owned by Angela Catherine Galešić), ridden by Lidija Rijavec

7-YO: Lukiano Stanzor JCS

With only one horses competing in the 7-year old age class, the victory automatically went to last year's 6-year old champion Lukiano Stanzor JCS (by George Clooney). The gelding, with barn name „Luka“, was in a league of his own anyway with an excellent rhythm, big trot and canter and with a final score of 68,713%.

Morana dedicated this win to her parents in an emotional post on social media:

„Mom and dad... this is for you. I know you were watching and are infinitely proud... you taught me that giving up is never an option, even when it gets the hardest. I love you and miss you endlessly," said Morana. The KWPN bred Lukiano only competed in two shows this year; the first at the beginning of September when he won on both days, and with a score of 70.231% on the second day. Thos was a pretty massive score in Croatia as only occassionaly riders get close to high 60s, but very rarely into 70s.

1st place: Lukiano Stanzor JCS (KWPN gelding by George Clooney, owner: Morana Torre), ridden by Morana Torre – 68,713%