Danish - Belgian Battle in Youth Classes at the 2025 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage

Text  © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's opinion and eye witness account of the competition)  - Photos © Eurodressage - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED / NO SCREEN SHOTS for social media

The youth classes at the 2025 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage on 3 - 6 April 2025 overall became a Danish-Belgian battle with German Madlin Tillmann and French Mathilde Juglaret sneaking through to snatch the trophy in several tests. 

The programme for the 2025 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage was action packed with big classes in the pony, junior and young riders' division. A huge group of Belgian and Danish riders travelled to the hollowed ground of Aachen to compete in the historic stadium. This year's edition of the Festival saw many Dutch pairs staying home as the CDI Tolbert the following weak stole their entries and also served as a magnet to more Danish and Swedish riders who saw their travel time shortened. 

Blessed with phenomenal sunny weather the Festival remained a highlight on the calendar and kept all attendees in the best spirit.

Ponies: Tillmann Takes the Trophies

Danish pony riders came to the fore in the rankings in all three tests, but it was German team rider Madlin Tillmann who returned home with all three trophies riding the 9-year old Mister Prime Time (by Movie Star x Hemingway B). The buckskin showed outstanding paces but was a little rushed through the test. He could have shown more collection and self carriage overall for ever higher marks. This was a general problem seen with a lot of the higher ranked combinations who had big moving ponies but appeared too chased forward. Tillmann won with 73.143% in the team test,  71.757% in the individual test, and a whopping 78.958% in the Kur for triple glory. 

Three times there was a different Dane in second place. In the team test it was Rikke Schoubye Johansen on routinier D'Artagnan, a 17-year old DRP by Don't Worry x Colano, who was the runner-up with 71.810%. In the individual test Sofia Rosenkilde and the 11-year old Cosmo Royale (by Cosmopolitan x Casino Royale K) who finished second on 71.577%. In the Kur to Music Victoria Bang Zindorff and the 9-year old German bred Del Classico (byD-Day x Classic Dancer) were second on a score of 75.692%

Children: Vanerom On the Move

Three Belgians were entered for the smaller Children division and it was newcomer Shirley Vanerom who persevered twice for the win. The 12-year old Vanerom only recently made her international show debut in Lier in February and is clearly moving on up in the ranking.

Aboard the 11-year old Belgian warmblood mare Ogami van het Beukenhof (by Sir Donnerhall x Fidertanz) she was second in the preliminary test with 73.911% and then won the team test with 75.675% and the individual test with 80.227%. 

Elise van Ost and the 8-year old Belgian warmblood gelding Reliv van 't Amaryllishof (by Ferdeaux x D-Day) won the preliminary and were twice in the other two tests. 

Juniors: Denmark Dominates

In the junior division the Danish junior riders dominated the ranking taking the top two spots in all three tests. 

Rikke Schoubye Johansen piloted the tall and impressive 12-year old Danish warmblood Baunehoejens Carpaccio (by Charmeur x White Talisman) to the win the team championship test with 69.798%. Judged by Truppa, Van Daele, and Kessler, there was quite a spread in individual marks with 71.212% as high score and 67.727% as low score. Coached by Jette Nevermann, the pair produced a consistent round but they lost some points in the extended walk. Winner Carpaccio did not enjoy the prize giving and was led out before the lap of honour.

Danish junior team rider Clara Cordes Arnkjaer and her 13-year old Danish mare Brianna (by Bogegardens Boney M x Romancier) were second in the team test with 69.798% and went on to win the individual with 72.255% and the freestyle with 75.467%.

Young Riders: Juglaret and Everars Neck to Neck

The Young Riders division turned out to be duel between French Mathilde Juglaret and Belgian Liezel Everars. 

Mathilde Juglaret made her international show debut on Françoise Niclaus' 9-year old KWPN mare Lightning Star (by Ferguson x De Niro) at the CDI Ornago in Italy,  where they scored a double win. Three weeks later in Aachen they topped the board in the team test with 72.059% despite a fair bit of tension in the mark who was spooky and distracted in that first round in the Deutsche Bank stadium. In the individual test, the French duo was third with 70,000 but on Sunday claimed victory again in the Kur with 76.083%. Juglaret is coached by her mother, Anne Sophie Serre and step father Arnaud Serre.

After tragically losing her junior rider's horse Vigo Gold in June 2024, Belgian Liezel Everars found consolation in full sister Venere (by Vitalis x Jazz). Although Liezel has one year left to ride at junior level, she decided to move up to Young Riders and debuted the liver chestnut in Aachen after a series of winning national starts in Belgium. They were second in the team test with  70.686%, won the individual with 71.9612% and were second in the Kur with 74.758%. Everars trains with Ton de Ridder and Suraya Hendrikx.

More Action in 1* and Under 25 Tour

The Festival featured classes from morning till night four days in a row. 

The small tour division was won by Belgians Suraya Hendrikx and Jorinde Verwimp. Hendrikx saddled her 13-year old Hanoverian mare Benicia (by Benicio x St. Moritz) to top the Prix St Georges with 69.421% and the Inter I Kur with 76.192%. Jorinde Verwimp and Korean Eon Jin Chin's 12-year old Holsteiner Vicomte de Reyves (by Viscount x Don Juan de Hus) was third in the Prix St Georges (68.774%), won the Intemediaire I (69.559%) and placed second in the Kur (75875%).

Ten combinations contested the Under 25 division which featured two different winners. The Short Grand Prix was won by British Harrison Ashton aboard Henri Ruoste's 9-year old Oldenburg Million Dreams (by Millennium x Sandro Hit). Ashton, who recently relocated from Great Britain to ride professionally as an assistant for Finnish Olympian Henri Ruoste in Germany, scored 69.274% for the win. The pair did not ride the Kur.  The kur was won by Swedish Siri Ehrnrooth on the 15-year old Danish warmblood gelding Moegelbjergs Romeo (by Rush Hour x Don Romantico). They posted 72.475% for the win.

Photos © Eurodressage 

Eurodressage took photos of all competitors in Aachen (except Under 25).  If you are interested in photos for social media use or print, send us an email and you can BUY our photos. No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

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