Russian Grand Prix rider Maria Klementieva has declared for Cyprus. She will be making a return to the competition arena after a three year break.
The 42-year old Klementieva took up serious dressage only ten years ago in 2014 when her daughter began taking riding lessons. Although Maria has grown up with horses, she only realised her true love for horses at that time and committed to the sport.
Globe Trotter
A mother of three with a major in Public relation at EFAP International School of Communication in Paris, fluent in four languages, Maria trains with Russian-Ukrainian Inna Tzydrenkova.
She made her international show debut in 2018 aboard the American bred Hanoverian Doctor Wendell MF (by Don Principe x Sandro Hit). That year she also acquired two stallions from Wilhelm Rüscher-Konermann in Germany: Champagner (by Catoo x Aljano), who won silver at the 2016 Bundeschampionate, and Baccardi (by Belissimo M x De Niro), who was sixth at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships.
Those three have been her key horses ever since, all of them now produced to Grand Prix level. In 2021 she was a contender for the spot on the Russian Olympic team but in June had to pull out due to an injury.
Maria's last show was in October 2021 at the CDI-W Zakrzow in Poland. As of 2022 she was no longer allowed to compete internationally as the FEI banned Russian athletes following Putin's invasion and war in Ukraine. Primarily based in Europe instead of Russia for years, Maria stayed busy in the saddle and moved her horses to Dubai, where she spends her winters.
Cyprus
With strong ties in Cyprus, she has now declared for this country. She is Cyprus' third declared dressage rider after German Gabriele H-Kiefer. Also Maria's dressage loving daughter Vasilisa Komissarova is declared for Cyprus. She competes in the children division.
"I’m a citizen of Cyprus for already 10 years, I have house there, my family is spending quite a lot of time in Cyprus, so I live between two countries for many years. So when the situation came to the point where I had to make a decision - I had no doubts - Cyprus has always been a home for me!"
Horses Gammelenggards Zappa as well as KWPN breeding stallion Ferdinand have also joined Maria's string of horses.
Winters in UAE
The family has been spending winters in Dubai, where mum and daughter are competing nationally for now.
"Dubai is amazing in winter and is very good for the children to study and grow and they love it," Maria told Eurodressage. "They are multi lingual. They speak Chinese, English like their mother tongue, French, Spanish, learning Arabic… They have always been studying in a British school..so I want them to continue their life in an international surrounding."
When asked when she will make her come back in the CDI arena, Maria smiled and said, "hopefully very soon."
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Gammelenggårds Zappa Sold to Switzerland
KWPN Stallion Ferdinand Sold to Russia
Maria Klementieva, Six Years in the Saddle, Focus on Paris 2024
Maria Klementieva Out of Olympic Race for Russian Team Spot