Santiago Cardona Wins the Colombian Championships at the 2024 CDI Medellin

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2024 CDI Medellin

-- Text and Photos by Carmen Franco

It’s been a tradition to host the CDI & National Championships for Colombia in our capital city, Bogota, but for a few years now the Dressage Technical Committee of the national Equestrian Federation decided they needed to move to each main city where the discipline is practiced. So, it was the turn of the state of Antioquia to host this dual event and what an event they organized.

2024 CDI and Colombian Championships Move to Medellin

The Club Campestre Llanogrande, a beautiful country club located in Rionegro, a few kilometers away from Medellin, was our host. The Organizing Committee, together with the Dressage Committee of the Equestrian League of Antioquia surpassed every expectation in the way they handled the event named "2da Copa de la Montaña Tuyo Motor" (2nd Cup of the Mountain Tuyo Motor) that run from 6 - 10 November 2024. Not only the scenery was beautifully decorated, but they had a fantastic line up of FEI judges, wonderful prizes and awards, and overall, a very friendly atmosphere that made us feel at home.

The panel was composed by Magnus Ringmark (Level 4 / SWE), Omar Zayrik (Level 3 / MEX) and Miguel Gonçalvez (Level 3 / POR). They were strict, fair, and very educational at the same time, offering their advice on the things they thought we needed to improve and opening the chance to anyone who had questions to approach them.

Qualifier for 2025 Bolivarian Games

Veterinarian service manager Luis Carlos Mena and
judges Magnus Ringmark and Omar Zayrik at the trot up

For Colombian riders the Small Tour CDI classes were one of the qualifiers for the Bolivarian Games that will be hosted in Lima, Peru in November 2025. Our National Technical Advisor Albrecht Heidemann was with us for the whole week, giving a clinic and helping different participants warm-up for their tests.

Santiago Cardona and Fair Lady (a 10-year old Hanoverian mare by Franziskus FRH x Rascalino, riding for the Bogota League) rose to the occasion gaining the title of National Champion, winning all 3 classes with great scores; Juliana Gutierrez and Flanissimo (a 14-year old Rhinelander by Flanagan x Ferragamo - they ride for the Cundinamarca League), her loyal companion of many great successes in 2023, were crowned Reserve Champions; and Mariana England with Apachina (an 11-year old Oldenburg mare by Apache / Cundinamarca League), closed the podium.

Two Youth Winners

The Young Rider and Junior Rider classes were affected in participation by our first National Youth Games which will be hosted in Bogota during the week of 18 - 23 November. Many of those participants decided to stay at home to save the horses for this new event in our calendar.

The only Young Rider was Angelo Filippo Villamil (Cundinamarca League) with Kenzo (a 2010 BWP gelding by Gold Fever van T Heike out of Promise by Quick d’Argentan), and the only Junior Rider competing was Gabriela Arango (Valle del Cauca League) repeating the success from the August CDI, with her gorgeous and talented stallion Mambo (a 2016 born Lusitano by Garoto Valente out of Formosa Santana by Solar Pinhais).

Young Horse Action

The Young Horse classes had great results in each of the divisions.

The 4-Year-Old Championship was claimed by Santiago Cardona and KWPN mare Prima Donna TC (by Dream Boy x Zhivago) with an end score of 81.520%. The Portuguese rider Carlos Augusto Mareco participating for the Valle del Cauca League, became Champion in the 5-Year-Old division with the talented Oldenburg gelding Vin Diesel PS (by Vitalis x Sir Donnerhall) on 80.680%. Mariana England and Ferrez (a Hanoverian gelding by Foundation x De Niro) got the Champion title in the 6-Year-Old division with 82.480%, and she repeated the same place in the podium with Viva Vitalis (Oldenburg mare by Vitalis out of Apachina by Apache) in the 7-Year-Olds with 72.232%.

National Interest

The National side had wonderful performances too in all classes and divisions. Worth to highlight was the Medium Tour division with Carlos Augusto Mareco winning all 3 classes aboard the Lusitano Hechicero (2012 by Dragon Comando SN x Formosa Santana) but not being able to be crowned National Champion because of his Portuguese nationality.

Andrea Vargas with her special mare Milonga (2013 by Gozo PSL x Francia) took over the place with very deserving results.

I can’t close this article without mentioning the participation of our Para Riders in the Championship as it is a big effort for a great number of people to get there. Juan Carlos Uribe (Antioquia League) won the Championship in Grade III and Sofia Zapata (Valle del Cauca League) won in Grade V.

Without a doubt, Antioquia raised the bar on the quality of the event they organized. The turn is now for the Valle del Cauca League which will host not only the CDI & National Championships in October next year, but also a CDI Copa del Azucar in May. I’m sure we all look forward to being at the Club Campestre de Cali for these two events.