Viva Vegas, Svalegards Hot Driver, Bonsai, Lyngbjergs St. Paris Win 2024 Danish Young Horse Championships

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2024 Danish Young Horse Championships

The 4-year old Viva Vegas, the 5-year old Svalegards Hot Driver, the 6-year old Bonsai, and the 7-year old Lyngbjergs St.Paris became the winners of the 2024 Danish Young Horse Championships held in Martofte on 10 - 13 October 2024.

The event was staged at the new Blue Hors facility, where the Kirk Kristiansen family runs a severely downsized facility. Horses qualify for the Championships at selection trials held in the summer. The turn-out is always great for these young horse nationals and this year it wasn't any different.

4-YO: Viva Vegas

Danish Olympian Nanna Skodborg Merrald captured the title in the 4-year old division on an interesting horse, the Hanoverian stallion Viva Vegas (by Viva Gold x Rock Forever). Blue Hors stud acquired this 4-year old, fore sure expensive, stallion from Helgstrand Dressage in the period that it had just fired all its staff and was closing its doors in Randbøl. Helgstrand Dressage was also very much under fire at that time for animal welfare issues, so it raised a few eye brows that this transaction was made at the time.

Albeit the chestnut is a highly talented young dressage horse and judges Jesper Holst Hansen, Jens Holm Kristensen, Sabrina Hesselhede, and Susanne Baarup Christensen loved what they say in the finals. The chestnut scored a total of 96.833 and left all competition far behind him. He got 9 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 10 for canter, 9.8 for rideability, 10 for potential and 9.8 for harmony. Viva Vegas is bred by Anette and Simon Bürgers in Germany.

The silver medal went to Anne-Marie Hosbond aboard Risvangs Melody, a black Danish mare by Secret x Everdale bred by Linette Fjorback. The pair scored 91.500 points for second place with 9 for walk, 8.3 for tropt, 9.5 for canter, 9.3 for rideability and potential and 9.5 for harmony.

The bronze went to Betina Jaeger aboard Helene Geervliet's Kiran G, a Danish warmblood by Kremlin MD out of the dam of double WCYH champion Quinn G by Fassbinder. The duo totalled 89.667 points for third place and the dark bay gelding got 9.2 for walk, 8.3 for trot, 9.3 for canter, 8.8 for rideability, 9.2 for potential and 9.0 for harmony.

5-YO: Svalegards Hot Driver

The ever-popular 5-year old division was dominated by the offspring of Hesselhoj Donkey Boy with his three offspring out of 15 finalists taking the top three spots.

The division was won by Soren Wind aboard the licensed stallion Svalegards Hot Driver (by Hesselhoj Donkey Bou x Hotline). Wind took over the ride on the bay stallion from a suspended Carina Cassoe Kruth and piloted the horse to the winning score of 92.400 points. Hot Driver scored 9.5 for walk, 9.2 for trot, 9 for canter and rideability and 9.5 for potential.

The silver went to Anders Sjobeck Hoeck aboard the Buhl family's Brandtbjers Divya (by Hesselhoj Donkey Boy x Don Olymbrio) with 89.600 points. The bay received 9.2 for walk, 9.1 for trot, 8.7 for canter, 8.6 for rideability and 9.2 for potential from judges Dennis Holst, Mette Svare Ehlers, and Kirsten Søgaard.

Susanne Barnow and Kjeldgardens Django (by Hesselhoj Donkey Boy x De Noir), bred by Jorgen Nielsen, finished on the bronze step of the podium with 87.400 points. The dark bay stallion got 9.2 for walk, 8.3 for trot, 8.6 for canter, and 8.8 for rideability and potential.

6-YO: Bonsai

Last year's 5-year old champion, the Hanoverian bred mare Bonsai (by Baron x Royal Classic), renewed her title this year in the 6-year old division. Under Nanna Skodborg Merrald, the Blue Hors stud owned mare, bred by Irmgard Schmidt, was a league of her own and scored a winning total of 90.20 points. She got 8.3 for walk, 9.8 for trot, 8.9 for canter, 8.6 for rideability and 9.5 for potential. Pity a larger, international audience did not get to see her at the World Young Horse Championships. She was not presented for German team selection by team Blue Hors.

Susanne Barnow and the Danish bred stallion EQ Secret Surprise (by Secret x Gribaldi) slotted in second with 87.80 points. The black stallion got 9 for walk, 8.5 for trot, 8.6 for canter, 9 for submission and 8.8 for perspective.

German Grand Prix squad rider and horse dealer Lone Bang Larsen rode Stald Magic Secret Hope, a Danish warmblood by Secret x Tailormade Temptation and bred and owned by Stald Magic, to bronze with 87.40 points. This dark bay mare received 8.3 for walk, 8.7 for trot and canter and 9 for submission and potential.

7-YO: Lyngbjergs St. Paris

Victoria Vallentin's black mare Lyngbjergs St. Paris (by St. Schufro x Rockefeller) was the 2022 World Young Horse Champion and 2022 Danish YH Champion, but as a 6-year old was unable to get back on the podium at the WCYH and finished fourth. She did not show up for the Nationals. As a 7-year old she finished 7th in Ermelo, but nationally she was the best of the best according to the judges.

Victoria Vallentin on Lyngbjergs St. Paris

Bred by Bente Børjesson and owned by the rider in partnership with United Dressage, St. Paris was a league of her own on home turf and won the 7-year old title with a clear point advantage. She topped the board in the Finals test with 88.657%. Judges Sabrina Hesselhede, Mette Svare Ehlers, and Helle Westh rewarded the talented mare with 9 for walk, 9.5 for trot and canter, 9.8 for rideability and 10 for potential. Her technical score was 81.714%.

The silver medal went to Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour aboard the Swedish warmblood mare Zimillione PT2 (by Gammelenggårds Zappa x Fürst Nymphenburg). The pair was nominated to compete for Sweden at the 2024 World Young Horse Championships but was a no-show and replaced by the first reserve, even though Dufour kept competing her nationally in the same time period. At the Nationals the duo finished in second place for silver with a total score of 84.286%. The dark bay mare, bred by Per Trygg, received 8.5 for walk, 8.8 for trot, 9.2 for canter, and 9.5 for rideability and potential. The technical test score was 77.571%.

The bronze was for Nanna Skodborg Merrald on the Blue Hors stud owned Danish warmblood stallion and Straight Horse bred Santiano (by Sezuan x Romanov). The duo posted 82.986% with 8.2 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 9 for canter, 8.5 for rideability and 9.5 for potential. The technical mare was 76.571%.

Danish junior team new comer and rookie Anna Teibel Raben rode her 2024 European Junior Championship team silver medal winning Sparaday (by Torveslettens Spartacus x Don Frederic) to a fourth place. Sparaday is bred by Helle Wibe.

Complete Scores: Scores: 2024 Danish Young Horse Championships