![Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel and Hugo at the 2024 European Young Riders Championships :: Photo © Lukasz Kowalski](/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/database-story-thumb/2024-07/24_euyru25c_baumgurtel_hugo_02.jpg?itok=X5eYq77E)
Young rider Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel and Under 25 rider Sophia Ludvigsen became the winners of the individual test gold medal at the 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships in St. Margarethen, Austria on Saturday 20 July 2024.
After Germany topped the nations' ranking in both divisions at the start of the show, the competition continued with the individual test. For the young riders it's their identically named "individual test" while the Under 25 perform the original "short Grand Prix" which is now known as the U25 Grand Prix.
The individual test was spread out over two days - Friday 19 July and Saturday 20 July.
Young Riders: Baumgürtel Back on Gold
Seasoned youth team rider Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel is riding her eighth European Championships in her career, starting on ponies and winning the title in both 2016, 2017, and 2020. She was the European Junior Champion in 2021, got silver and bronze in 2022 and is now back on gold and the title in 2024.
The silver medal was for team mate Valentina Pistner aboard her 16-year old Oldenburg Flamboyant (by Fidertanz x De Niro). In her 10th year competing at international level, Pistner has five European Championships to her name. She won Kur gold as a junior in 2020 and has a wide array of silver and bronze medals over the years. Today she added another silver to her collection after posting 74.417%. The judges were quite divided with 76.912% as high score (1st) and 72.353 (6th) as low score. Pistner was a long-time student of Stefanie Kerner, but now she studies in The Netherlands and trains with Vincent van Gasselt.
Dutch team new comer Tessa Kole and the 9-year old KWPN bred Hexagon's King Robert (by Capri Sonne JR x Rubiquil) posed a personal best of 72.265 to finish fourth. British team rookie Oliver Gould pulled a similar stunt on the 12-year old Westfalian Virtue (by Vitalis x Krack C), bred by Dane Rawlins, and completed the top five on a personal best of 72.059%
Under 25: Sophia Ludvigsen On Top
Denmark's brand new Under 25 champion Sophia Ludvigsen proved that also on European level she is the best of the moment. Aboard the 10-year old Hanoverian Blue Hors Quintana (by Quantensprung x Desperados), she aced the class on a score of 72.231%. The collected walk was a bit problematic and the canter half passes lacked polish, but the pair scored well in the tempi changes. Judges Maarten Van der Heijden, Alice Schwab, Kurt Christensen, Isabelle Judet, and Clive Halsall ere fairly divided as 70.128% was the low score (7th) and 73.718% the high score (1st). Ludvigsen is the only rider the Kirk Kristiansen family retained, alongside Nanna Merrald, since Blue Hors stud closed its doors in April.
Unlike many of his colleagues, Germany's Moritz Treffinger has only ridden one other European Championships in his career: the 2018 European Pony Championships, where he won triple gold on Top Queen H. In 2019 he became a junior but never made it back on the German team until this year, when he decided to become a professional rider and take the number one riding job at Gestut Bonhomme near Berlin. With the 14-year old Hanoverian stallion Cadeau Noir (by Christ x De Niro), who has been trained to Grand prix level by Lena Waldmann and Simone Pearce, he finished third and got bronze. They earned a score of 71.795%. His low score was 70.00% (4th), his high score 74.487% (1st).
Text © Eurodressage - Photos Lukasz Kowalski
Related Links
Scores: 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2024 European Young Rider & Under 25 Championships
Germany on Top of the Team Podium at the 2024 European Young Riders / Under 25 Championships