Baumgurtel and Pidgley Add Kur Gold to Tally at 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships

Young Rider Lucie-Anouk Baumgurtel and Under 25 Grand Prix rider Annabella Pidgley added a gold medal to their tally on the concluding day of competition at 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships in St Margarethen, Austria.

Hosted at Reiterhof Stückler, these Europeans were blessed with hot summer weather and a wet thunderstorm. The 18 best riders of the individual test (only three per nation) moved towards the freestyle final on Sunday 21 July 2024, which started bright and early with the young riders going first. 

Young Riders: Triple Gold for Baumgurtel

Young professional rider Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel made these Europeans her own and scored triple gold aboard her 12-year old KWPN gelding Hugo (by Spielberg x San Remo), whom she's been competing since 2021. After being a triple European Pony Champion (2016, 2017, 2020) and the European Junior Riders Champion (2021), she can now crown herself European Young Riders Champion, a hattrick of titles bestowed on only very few youth riders. 

In the Kur to Music Baumgurtel topped the board with a 78.670% earning freestyle. Judges Lars Andersson, Ulrike Nivelle, Thomas Lang, Hans Voser, and Malgorzata Pawlowska scored her between 77.375% and 81.650%. Four judges had them first, one judge second. 

The podium in the freestyle is often a copy of the individual test but not this time. Two new riders wiggled themselves on the silver and bronze step of the podium.  Dutch team rookie Tessa Koole and the 9-year old Hexagon's King Robert (by Capri Sonne Jr x Rubiquil) achieved a personal best of 77.665% to finish second with silver.  She scored between 76.625% and 79.425%. Kole is a professional rider at Leunus van Lieren's stable Hexagon in The Netherlands. She is a student of Thamar Zweistra since she was 12.

Danish Frederikke Gram Jacobsen, who is now a professional assistent rider for Danish Olympian Anna Kasprzak, got the bronze aboard the 9-year old Danish bred Oldenburg mare RGS Finest Alegra (by Finest x Ampere). She posted 76.180% for a third place. Although the individual scores were not far apart (74.775% and 77.350% she placed between second and seventh). This is a sign of how tight the competition was. 

Individual test silver medal winner Valentina Pistner landed off the podium after scoring 75.960% for fourth place.  She and Flamboyant (by Fidertanz x De Niro) had some issues in the half pirouettes. The third German to have made it into the freestyle, Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer on Libertad (by Londontime x San Remo) placed fifth with 75.845%. The individual test bronze medal winner, Robin Heiden and Gasmonkey, were sixth with 75.700%. They lost points in the walk part.

Under 25: From Silver to Gold for Pidgley

British Annabella Pidgley has made a seamless transition from young rider to Under 25 Grand Prix level. With a barn full of Grand Prix talent, it made sense to move up a level after winning the 2023 European Young Riders Championships on Espe. 

In St. Margarethen the student of Charlotte Dujardin won individual test silver on Saturday, but put the icing on top Sunday afternoon by claiming Kur gold aboard her 13-year old KWPN gelding Gio (by Apache x Tango). As last to go into the arena and riding to Dujardin's music composed for Gio, Annabella produced a forward and fluent test which judges Alice Schwab, Kurt Christensen, Isabelle Judet, Clive Halsall, and Maarten Van der Heijden rewarded with the winning score of 79.515%. The panel was slightly divided as three had her first, one third and one fourth. The marks ranged between 77.325ù and 81.400%.

No European Championships without a dose of drama. Yesterday the German equestrian federation lodged an official complaint with the organizing committee. There was a disturbance in the field of play during Helen Erbe's ride, which led to her losing a medal. The gate-keepers sitting in the corner of the Field of Play under a tent made 17-year old Rhinelander gelding Carlos (by Carabas x Weltmeyer) spook twice. The first time there was some tension in the corner in the passage, the second time the line of tempi changes was stopped as Carlos spun round. In the rest of the test the horse was fully with his rider. The Germans tried to get the situation corrected by demanding individual gold, but that was ultimately denied. It led to a delayed prize giving ceremony and much uncertainty what the individual podium would look like. 

A new day and new opportunities. On the hot and summery Sunday afternoon the 23-year old Erbe rode here third, consecutive European Under 25 Championships on her sister Hannah's horse and literally found a silver lining after the troubles on Saturday. Erbe sought to renew her title and Kur gold medal of 2023 and ended up second after posting 78.080%. The judges had her ranked between first and fifth place with 76.950% as low score and 80.175% as high score. Helen returns home with team gold and freestyle silver.

The bronze went to the winner of the individual test, Denmark's Sophia Ludvigsen on the 10-year old Hanoverian gelding Blue Hors Quintana (by Quentensprung x Desperados). The black, with his misleadingly feminine name, is a former licensed stallion. The pair landed third place with 77.985%. He ranked between first and seventh with marks going from 75.900% to 80.950%.

The top five was completed by Marten Luiten on Fynona (by Ampere x Gribaldi)  with 76.840%.  Danish Thea Bech and Dionisos (by Spielberg x Sir Sinclair) won double bronze in 2022, were fourth twice in 2023, and this time had to climb up from a 29th place in the Intermediaire II, to a 9th place in the Short Grand Prix, and a fifth place in the freestyle. 

And that concludes the 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships in Austria. Next year the meeting point for the European YR/U25 Championships is at Gestut Schafhof in  Kronberg (10 - 13 July 2025).

Text © Eurodressage - Photos Lukasz Kowalski

Related Links
Scores: 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2024 European Young Rider & Under 25 Championships