After two days of fierce competition at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders, Germany and the Netherlands were the top two nations on the Juniors’ leader board while, just like last year, the Young Riders reversed the score. Meanwhile Denmark lead by chef d’equipe Hans Kristian Matthisen showed remarkable homogeny, impressive by their light and classical riding dominated third place taking bronze for both the Junior and Young Rider teams.
In terms of professionalism and strive, the junior and young rider athletes place all the bets on their side as they gain that vital experience which will allow them to progress to the senior circuit when the time comes. Indeed, all the main trainers and actors on the senior’s circuit were present, among others, even Anky van Grunsven whose Olympic horse IPS Salinero is in quarantine flew to Lisboa to assist her student Marjolein Cho, and see her achieve the best result for the Dutch Junior team, with four times Olympian Grand Prix-rider Tineke Bartels-de Vries as Chef d’Equipe.
Junior and Young Riders events are mostly family affairs. This year, Sanneke Rothenberger, the daughter of Grand Prix riders Sven Rothenberger and Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn, clenched the highest score with 73,65% and together with Louisa Luttgen and Dreamy with 73,55% they effectively secured the Junior team gold for Germany. It’s a busy couple of weeks for the Rothenberger family as next week Sanneke’s brother, Sönke, steps up to represent Germany at the FEI European Pony Championships in Avenches, Switzerland.
The Van Silfhout family boasted daughter Jarissa in the silver winning Dutch Junior team and their son Diederik who is a former European Junior champion, in the gold winning Dutch Young Riders team. Their father Grand Prix-rider Alex van Silfhout was immensely proud, even more so because he also trains Lotje Schoots (19), also a member of the gold medal Young Rider team.
In the Dutch Young Riders gold medal team a well known horse was present again: Mix. Showed under elder sister Angela van den Berg, Mix had already collected important medals. This time, with Angela’s sister Cindy he did it again.
Incredible showed by Michelle van Lanen is another incredible horse indeed. In 2000 and 2001 then showed by Annemiek van der Vorm, he contributed to the, by that time historic, team gold for the Dutch. He can now add Junior team silver to the score.
Portuguese Hospitality…
This was the first time Portugal hosted the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders. The Portuguese character and spirit was present at every level of the event, whether it be in the atmosphere, the schedule or even the show program. FEI representative Mariette Withages, and the President of the Organising Committee Jorge Avillez opened the show while Rodrigo Torres with Quo Vadis delighted the audience with an excellent performance of Equitação de Trabalho, or working horsemanship.
INDIVIDUALS
Individual Honours…
Four individual gold medals were up for grabs at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders, and three talented riders stretched their efforts to take hold of them. Grasping every golden opportunity, Germany’s Junior Sanneke Rothenberger proved unstoppable, adding two individual gold medals to her team medal effort of the previous days, while Lotje Schoots and Diederik van Silfhout from the Netherlands in the Young Riders class added the Freestyle and Individual gold respectively to their golden team performance.
Basking in the Junior sunshine…
Rewarded with nothing but gold, Germany’s Sanneke Rothenberger aboard Paso Doble won both the individual test and the freestyle. Having only just clenched the individual gold ahead of compatriot Louise Luttgen the previous day, when it came to the freestyle, the decision was unanimous, an original performance with a cheerful and scenic atmosphere propelled Sanneke to her third gold medal of the Championship. Junior silver in the freestyle went to yet another German rider, Thea Felicitas Müller aboard her Hanoverian by Hohenstein, Highway (76,30%).
The Rothenberger family bought Paso Doble two years ago from Dutch Roger Schulkens, who also helped Sanne in the early stages. “I wanted Sanne to have a good start, just like I got from Johann Hinnemann and Ideaal when I began”, Sven Rothenberger explained. “I was pleased when Roger accepted.” Sanneke’s parents, German-born Sven Rothenberger and Dutch Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn, have both competed internationally for The Netherlands. Sanneke has dual citizenship and has another possibility to choose her favourite country when she will be 18. “Living in Germany and training and competing here in the middle of her compatriots of the same age, of course means a lot to her at the moment”, her mother Gonnelien explains.
The second surprise in the individual Freestyle rankings was produced by Dutch Michelle van Lanen. Last year she ended in fourth position in the Freestyle Final. And it appears that this year there would be no regrets and no fear. She decided to give it all – as did her horse! Her 18 year old stallion Incredible (by Voltaire) is a well known horse in the circuit. With his rider and owner Annemiek van der Vorm AES approved stallion Incredible already took the individual silver twice, in 2000 in the Dutch Junior team, in 2001 in the Dutch Young Riders team. Clearly, Incredible had decided not to leave the European show circuit without individual honours and did a perfect test, rewarded with the bronze medal. The music really fitted the rhythm and elasticity of the horse.
The individual bronze in the individual test was for another experienced European level pony rider, Dutch Angela Krooswijk with the KWPN-approved stallion BMC Roman Nature.
Young Rider Panache
In the Young Riders division for the individual medal the Dutch party celebrated a double victory with Lotje Schoots winning individual gold and her boyfriend Diederik van Silfhout silver. Both riders bank on mares, but Lotje’s Reine B looks almost a stallion in expression and strength. Schoots impressed through expression, smoothness and straightforwardness. Last year, Lotje won the RABO Talent of the Year award in The Netherlands.
Ruby, the mare of runner up Diederik van Silfhout, rested for a time because of an injury. Now she was back in full swing again.
However in the Young Riders Freestyle Final even more surprises were prepared. Two times gold medallist Lotje Schoots unfortunately had some mistakes. She dropped to fifth position. Diederik van Silfhout did the best Freestyle of this Championships and was fittingly rewarded with gold. His choreography was an example of well prepared and well showed lines, varied between straight and curved, and his great Neal Diamond-themed music echoed marvellously through the crowd and the Portuguese heat. Two years following his individual European gold medal at the FEI European Championships with the Juniors aboard stallion Paddox, Diederik van Silfhout did it again, this time with the elegant mare Ruby in the Young Riders class. He was followed by German Kirsten Sieber with the silver medal.
The last surprise of the championships came from Boaventura Freire. Aboard Derby-L the Portuguese rider took the individual bronze medal, a very deserved medal and happy ending for this professional riding young man. Two days prior while riding the team test, Portuguese rider Boaventura Freire was forced to leave the arena when his horse, Derby-L, appeared to have an injury to its mouth thus forcing the Portuguese Young Rider team to drop out of the rankings. In the individual test, Boaventura came back with a bounce, leading during the first half of the trial with 68,85%. The good individual test took Portuguese rider Boaventura Freire who lives in Germany to sixth place. To end with a medal was more than Freire would have dreamed of.
The Medal Count and the Form
With six gold medals up for grabs at the Championships, who else but Germany and Holland to share the six gold medals up for grabs at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders – three a side.
FEI Dressage Committee Chair Mariette Withages in the end praised the organisers, the atmosphere and the riders with their performances.
“Especially the Juniors were of a remarkably high level”, Mariette Withages emphasised. “The quality of the horses, the system in the riding and the preparation, everything shows the proper basics in the education and development of dressage. Also a relatively young dressage country like Portugal showed its upcoming form.”
Where to Next…
Next year the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders will be held in The Netherlands, near to the home of gold medallist Diederik van Silfhout. “Noblesse oblige”, the Dutch team chef Tineke Bartels said. “I am sure just like the welcoming Portuguese we will do everything to prepare a nice welcome in our country.”
TEAM RESULTS
Juniors
1. GERMANY (215,350) – (1. Sanneke Rothenberger- Paso Doble 73,65%; 2. Louisa Luttgen- Dreamy 73,55%; 6.Esther Rolfs- Rewano 69,15%; 9.Thea Felicitas Muller- Highway 68,10%*)
2. THE NETHERLANDS (213,700) – (3. Marjolein Cho Chia Yuen – Cho’s Pepper 71.70%; 4. Angela Krooswijk – BMC Roman Nature 71.10%; 5. Michelle van Lanen – Incredible 70.90%; 14. Jarissa van Silfhout – Trappel 66.90%*)
3. DENMARK (200,850) – (8. Camilla Orlof- Maneur 68,40; 11.Rikke Bollingtoft- Domingo Kilen 67,55; 29.Camila Blicher- Flying Diamond 64,90;
31.Carina N Torup- Distintive 64,85*)
4. AUSTRIA – 199,800
5. GREAT BRITAIN – 197,750
6. FRANCE -197,450
7. ITALY – 196,300
8. PORTUGAL – 196,250
9. SPAIN – 194,650
10. GREECE – 183,300
11. RUSSIA – 179,100
Young Riders
1. THE NETHERLANDS (212,800) – (1. Lotje Schoots – Reine B 72.48%; 2. Diederik van Silfhout – Ruby 70.57%; 4.Cindy van den Berg – Mix 69,73%; 6. Marrigje van Baalen – Roman Nature 68,40%*)
2. GERMANY (207,067) – (3. Kirsten Sieber- Charly 70.08%; 5. Kathleen Keller- Wonder FRH 69,28; 7. Lina Sofie Bockmann- Wolkenstein III 67,68%; 9. Anna- Kristin Dornbracht- Gryffindor 66,93%*)
3. DENMARK (195,600) – (11.Anna Kasprazak- Blue Horse Future Cup 65,64%; 12. Mette H. Schultz- Dawina 25 65,46%; 16.Camilla Rasmussen- Ratzo 64,48%; 19.Thit v. Jensen- Blue Horse Hertug 64,40%*)
4. FRANCE – 192,845
5. SPAIN – 192,578
6. GREAT BRITAIN – 191,689
7. ITALY – 187,156
8. RUSSIA – 184,711
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Individual Test JUNIORS
1. GOLD MEDAL Sanneke Rothenberger, Paso Doble (GER) 74,85%;
2. SILVER MEDAL Louisa Luttgen, Dreamy (GER) 74,30%;
3. BRONZE MEDAL Angela Krooswijk, BMC Roman Nature (NED) 72,35%;
4. Felicitas Muller- Highway (GER) 72,050%
5. Esther Rolfs- Rewano (GER) 71,05%;
6. Michelle van Lanen, Incredible (NED), 70,75%;
7. Jarissa van Silfhout, Trappel (NED), 70,45%
8. Mafalda Galiza Mendes, Dartagan (POR) 69,65%
9. Marjolein Cho Chia Yuen, Cho’s Pepper (NED) 69,30%;
10. Alessia Pignatti, BMC Oliver (ITA) 68,15%;
11. Kerri Bates, Donna Parina (GBR) 67,65%
12. Mieke Mommen, Rocky (BEL) 67,50%
Individual Freestyle Test JUNIORS
1. GOLD MEDAL Sanneke Rothenberger, Paso Doble (GER) 77,95%;
2. SILVER MEDAL 4. Felicitas Muller, Highway (GER) 76,30%
3. BRONZE MEDAL Michelle van Lanen, Incredible (NED), 74,80%;
4. Angela Krooswijk, BMC Roman Nature (NED) 74,55%;
5. Louisa Luttgen, Dreamy (GER) 72,95%;
6. Jarissa van Silfhout, Trappel (NED), 71,20%
6. Mafalda Galiza Mendes, Dartagan (POR) 71,20%
8. Camilla Orlof, Maneur (DEN) 69,80%
9 Kerri Bates, Donna Parina (GBR) 69,20%
10. Alessia Pignatti, BMC Oliver (ITA) 68,90%;
11. Mieke Mommen, Rocky (BEL) 67,95%
12. Alix Van Denberghe, De Othello (FRA), 67,3%
13. Sara Bergstrom, Garcia (SWE), 66,90%
14. Alexandria Barr, Dom Perry (GBR), 66,10%
15. Timma Zach, Vincidor (AUT), 65,30%
Individual Freestyle Test YOUNG RIDERS
1. GOLD MEDAL Diederik van Silfhout, Ruby (NED) 75,85%;
2. SILVER MEDAL Kirsten Sieber, Charly (GER) 73,00%
3. BRONZE MEDAL Boaventura Freire, Derby-L (POR) 71,80%
4. Anna- Kristin Dornbracht, Gryffindor (GER) 70,05%
5. Lotje Schoots, Reine B (NED) 70,25%;
6. Anne Kasprazak, Blue Hors Future Cup (DEN) 69,50%
6. Lillann Jebsen, Flyinge VDL Wetano (NOR) 69,50%
8. Thit V. Jensen, Blue Hors Hertug, (DEN) 69,15%
9. Cindy van den Berg, Mix (NED) 68,95%
10. Carmen Naesgaard, Ciowa (ESP) 68,10%
11. Lina Sofie Bockmann, Wolkenstein III (GER) 67,80%
12. Lara Griffith, Warlock (GBR) 67,70%
13. Ainhoa Prada Ortiz, Double O Seven (ESP) 66,85%
14. Mette H. Schultz, Dawina 25 (DEN) 66,20%
15. Maja Wieczorek Pandor ZH (POL) 64,70%