Thirteen juniors were entered to compete in the CDI tour of the international youth riders competition at Zilveren Spoor in Moorsele, Belgium, 19 - 22 May 2011. Five of them came from The Netherlands and they shared the throphies and ribbons amongst them. The field was topped by Justine Mudde and Stephanie Kooijman, who both saddled their second choice horses.
Aboard the 9-year old Swedish warmblood mare Fairytale T (by Cortus x Cortez), Justine Mudde dominated the team championship test scoring 69.685%. Trained by Tommie Visser, the Laren based 16-year old has a super talented new horse at her disposal which could outclass her number one horse Roh Magic in the future. Mudde tends to let the reins slip to a very long length which makes the contact with the bit slightly heavy, but the mare is an elegant mover brimming with potential. The chestnut mare was previously ridden by Antonia Ramel, who finished fifth with her at the 2006 Swedish Young Horse Championships.
In the team championships 18-year old Stephanie Kooijman followed Mudde in a distance aboard her second ride Westwood, a 13-year old Bavarian bred gelding Walk on Top (by Werther's Wels x Matador) owned by Tosca Visser of Moorland Stables. The drop dead gorgeous black gelding had improved considerably in two weeks time. At the 2011 CDI-J Roosendaal he was showing his tongue in the test, but in Moorsele he kept it "indoor". The gelding still appeared numb in the mouth but nonetheless trotted with much cadence and rhythm and Kooijman is a pro at riding super clean, meticulous tests. She finished second in the team test (67.658%), won the individual despite a program error (70.307%) and aced the Kur to Music (74.583%).
Dutch 17-year old Stefanie Verkooijen twice placed third aboard her grey Dutch warmblood mare Talent (by Jazz x Democraat). The pair earned 67.027 in the team test and 66.404% in the individual. In the Kur to Music they dropped to a sixth place with 66.563%.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (NO FACEBOOK) without permission!
Related Links
Scores 2011 CDIO-PJYR Moorsele
Defalque Does it Again at the 2011 CDIO-P Moorsele
Kooijman Means Business at the 2011 CDIO-JR Moorsele