Sandra Sysojeva Thrown in the Mix of Polish Riders Chasing Olympic Scores at 2024 CDI Wroclaw

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2024 CDI Wroclaw

- Text by Agata Grosicka, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Lukasz Kowalski

The spring edition of the 2024 CDI Wrocław was very important for Polish Grand Prix riders as the race for the spot on the Polish team for Paris 2024 is on. Just a few days before the competition Lithuanian Sandra Sysojeva declared for Poland which steamed up the atmosphere with a new player in town.

Clean Sweep for Sysojeva

Representing Poland for the first time Sysojeva swept the CDI Wroclaw, making a clean sweep winning all five classes she had enterede in. She won the three small tour tests on Found Boy and two big tour classes with her just 8-year old Maxima Bella.

The Oldenburg mare Maxima Bella (by Millennium x Competent) scored 71.609% in the Grand Priw and 76.225% in the Kur to Music. With the 10-year old Oldenburg Found Boy (by Foundation x Furstenball) she scored 68.177% in the Prix St Georges, 70.441% in the Intermediaire I and 74.095% in the Intermediaire I Kur.

“Five victories in one show Is a huge thing,n" Sysojeva stated. "I must admit I’ve been under the pressure. Everybody’s talking about Maxima Bella these days and want to see her compete so of course I wanted to do my best. It’s been a huge progress even since last month. She’s become much calmer. Here I was a bit more secure, yet there are still things to be improved. I’m not in hurry to do that. It will come. She was born to go Grand Prix. Since early age she’s been showing this potential. For her it is even easier to do passage than a circle. It is in her nature. Horses need time. I have invested a lot of time in her and given her my heart. I normally spend half of my day with her. She’s a mare – on one hand she likes to be a little wild, on the other she needs all cuddling and attention. She’s the one who wants to protect me. I take her for a walk in the forest in-hand like with a dog. I think she’s a special horse. A horse of a lifetime."

Sysojeva plans to show Maxima Bella in a local show in Poland before heading to either the CDI Hagen or the Aachen Dressage Days.

Thrown in the Mix

Sandra's very late declaration for Poland has caused some friction within the Polish dressage community as well as hope because a high scoring rider has been added to the group.

"I’ve been thinking about representing Poland for some time. Three years ago we had a discussion about that but at that moment I did not have such a good quality GP horse," she explained. "Now as a team we have it easier and I really have a chance to go further on high level than just to sit and wait for something to happen. I will do my best to prove that I could get good results and hope people will start believe in us."

Sandra last represented Lithuania at an FEI Championship at the 2021 World Young Horse Championships in Verden on 25 - 29 August 2021. Some disgruntled Polish riders are now questioning the FEI rules as they believe it would rule out Sysojeva for Polish team selection. The FEI has a two-year "waiting period" to participate in Championships under a new nationality: The FEI Rule 1.2.1.1. reads: "Athletes who change their sport nationality and want to participate in FEI Championships (except FEI Championships for Young Horses), and the team competitions at CIOs, must satisfy additional requirements: a) “Waiting period”: a two years gap between the last FEI Championship or CIO team participation for the previous country and the first participation in these categories under the new sport nationality." Furthermore the FEI makes an exception for FEI Young Horse Championships which do not fall under the waiting period rule (FEI General Rules Art 119).

Sandra explained, "it is difficult time for everybody in the team because we all want to get the qualifications and the best results. (The FEI minimum of) 67% for me it’s pretty low, 71% is ok but I want to get more. I’ve been waiting for such a horse for 30 years and definitely I will do my best to get good results. They say a rider gets such a horse only once in a life and some riders don’t even have such opportunity. I’m really lucky that I’ve found her.”

Chasing Scores

The second place in the Grand Prix went to Belgian Amandine Prevost and Quarterdance who scored 70,804% on Friday. The third position went to Polish Zaneta Skowrońska – Kozubik and her chestnut gelding Love Me, who scored 69,543% and got her second MER which qualified them for team selection for Paris.

“Love Me had a good winter rest and entered the new season with new energy. Today I got the second MER qualification for Paris 2024 which is a great feeling," said Zaneta. "I am very happy with Love Me. My horse is at the age and at the stage of training that he’s practically able to deliver all the GP elements. I don’t need to push him between the competitions so at the show he’s a happy horse willing to work. Here he just entered the arena, got focused and did it for me."

She continued, "our team is in the process of being shaped but who’s going to Paris will be decided right at the end of qualifications. Only then we will be able to say “we’re going to Paris”. The truth is that not all of the horses need to be in their top form in the beginning of the season."

Other Polish team candidates like Magda Jura and Aleksandra Szulc won their MER’s already last year and they can take their time now getting ready. Zaneta will also begin competing her new GP horse, Sunny Sunday G, at the CDI Gościszów next month The fourth position in GP went to Katarzyna Milczarek and Guapo who got their first MER by scoring 68,870%.

More Declarations for Poland: Campanella and Krohn

More riders declared for Poland in the hopes of making it to the Olympics. Italian Anna Paprocka-Campanella switched back to her native nationality and campaigned Chrevi's Ravello in Cascais, Motesice and Ornago but gave up the race and sold her horse last week.

German born Polish rider Susanne Krohn and Titolas finished fifth in Wroclaw with the score of 68,196% and got their second MER.

“I’s a crazy feeling to get two MER qualifications for the Olympics," said a thrilled Krohn. "It’s awesome! It is the biggest goal I’ve had in my life and it’s nice to have that. Now I can be more relaxed for other shows and will put some more activity for the passage work to improve my test for the next time. I have been officially appointed a member of the Polish team by Andrzej Sałacki – it is a big honour to ride for the country and I’m very happy about it."

Krohn bought Titolas as a foal and trained him to GP level herself. "It’s a long journey and everything has to go right," she said. "The training needs to be really settled and calm for the horse’s welfare. I’m really lucky that it went out so well and that we still can improve with every show. I’m not overacting with him so he doesn’t feel pressure. He’s very sensitive. If I got afraid going into the shows, so would he."

Elke Ebert Weighs in on Wroclaw

German 5* dressage judge Elke Ebert judged throughout the show and weighed in on the competition.

“Pola Guerquin-Korzyma, the winner of Pony class, is really well on her way in education. The Pony is a subtle pony and the combination is the one that for sure can represent Poland at European Championships. They’re on the high level in the European standards. As far as the Polish team performance goes – it has its ups and downs. There is a lot of pressure on the riders at the moment. Some of them showed very good basics, but then the nerves played a little bit. It will not be very easy, but Poland will get a good team. They just need time and some combinations can make it in a well performed way."

Ebert added, "It’s my first time in Wrocław – everything is well prepared and organized. Thank you to Daniel Karpiński, Andrzej Sałacki and Marlena (Gruca-Rucińska – the President of Jury) who could make it that way and all the staff behind. We had really good scribes and it’s really necessary to trust the scribes. Other judges and riders are really happy about these conditions. I have also noticed that there are over 50 school horses in the riding school here which is exceptional. They’re all in a very good shape. It is crucial for our sport that kid riders get the basic education, ride horses and make friends with them. We need good education system to build our sport and relations with horses.”

Show director Daniel Karpiński said, “when it comes to organizing the second edition of CDI Wrocław has been better than the show we had last October. We have a brand new concrete ground around stables which made access to the stables more comfortable. There are two more investments planned later this year before the October CDI-W – new footing in the warm-up arena and new surface in all boxes."

The Race Continues

The next CDI in Poland will be hosted in Gościszów will bring another chance for MER with three 5* judges confirmed: Lars Andersson, Kurt Christensen and Peter Holler. The foreign judges will also support and judge certain tests at CDN leven at the same venue.

"We already have four arenas ready. I do hope our riders will get more MER’s there to secure their spot on the long list," Karpinski added. "The more potential riders for the team, the better. The Polish Federation will submit to FEI the long list by 28 March 2024 which will close the first stage of Olympic preparations including 10 – 11 combinations.”

- Text by Agata Grosicka, edited by Eurodressage