The first weekend of CHI Pärnu 2025 at Maria Farm in Estonia wrapped up on 25 May 2025 with Finland's Anu Sironen claiming the World Cup win in this Central European League qualifier.
Sironen and her 14-year old Finnish bred Fioretto (by Furst Romancier x Sir Donnerhall) topped the board in the freestyle with 70.210% after placing second in the Grand Prix with 66.630%.
From the U.K. Back to Finland
The winning pair are no newcomers to international Grand Prix sport. Competing in their third season at international big tour level, Sironen and Fioretto made their CDI debut in the UK at Wellington Heckfield back in June 2023. and have since shown in Hartpury, Lier, Addington, Windsor, Hickstead, and Ypaja. Pärnu is their second international win after acing the Grand Prix at last month's CDI Ypaja in Finland with 65.978%.
Anu was based and has trained in England under top coaches Kyra Kyrklund and Richard White for the past few years before returning home to Finland. She returned to her roots in Ypäja where she has signed a partnership with the Ypaja Equine College which will support her in her goal of competing internationally and improving her performance towards top-level championships.
She is part of the newly formed "Team Palapeli" training group, which focuses on the rider’s overall development. In addition to sport-specific training, the group emphasizes physical and mental well-being, with Kyrklund and White bringing their expertise from the international elite.
Anu is a senior research fellow at the University College London in the Genetics & Genomic Medicine Department and has taught at Turku University in Finland.
Finland on Top
The runner-up was Finland's Peggy Högsten on the 13-year old Hanoverian bred Frisco (by Furstenball x Stedinger) on a score of 69.370%. The pair was also third in the Grand Prix earlier on the weekend, with a score of 65.326%.
The Estonian home crowd was delighted by a significantly improved performance from Dina Ellermann and her legendary Tokyo Olympic team ride Donna Anna, a 17-year old Danish bred mare by Don Schufro x Heslegards Weltmeister. In the Grand Prix they were fifth with a score below par, 63.543%, but in the freestyle they moved to third place with 68.200%
The winner of the Grand Prix, Lithuanian Dalia Katinaite-Pranckeviciene on the 11-year old Hanoverian mare Amica (by Ampere x Rohdiamant) posted a 66.652% on Saturday for the trophy but dropped to a fifth spot in the Kur with 66.010%
Photo © kyllitedre.com
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