Rachel Proudley wins in the young riders category, Lieselot Kooremans takes gold in the children’s category
Lieselot Kooremans is the new individual European champion in the Children category. The 14-year-old Dutch rider and her 12-year-old mare Nini van HD remained clear throughout all six rounds of the U14 competitions, thus securing the gold medal. Silver went to Eleonora Ljungman from Great Britain, while bronze was awarded to Swiss rider Noah Philips-De Vuyst.
The second round of the individual final was fiercely contested: six riders out of a total of 31 participants entered the final test of their FEI Jumping European Championship with zero penalty points, including the two German riders, Johanna Hell and Justus Thomsen. Both had delivered flawless rounds with their horses Copacabana M and Clooney throughout the tournament, significantly contributing to the team’s gold medal on Saturday. In the end, perhaps the pressure was a bit too high; unfortunately, Johanna Hell was eliminated after two refusals from her mare, while Justus Thomsen finished 20th with 12 penalty points. The best German rider in the final standings was Luisa Charlotte Brocks, who advanced to fifth place with Cordijana after two clear rounds in the individual final.
Ultimately, a jump-off between the top three determined the color of the medals. Lieselot Kooremans has often proven that she can perform under pressure in a jump-off: last year, the daughter of Olympic rider Raf Kooremans won the silver medal at the Pony European Championships in Opglabbeek, Belgium, and yesterday, she secured silver with her team. Riding the Special de Muze daughter Nini van HD, she was the first to enter the jump-off, delivering a bold ride with a tight turn, finishing clear in 30.22 seconds. Eleonora Ljungman (GBR) and Jamaica Ebh had one rail down (4/35.08), while Noah Philips-De Vuyst (SUI) received four penalty points for a refusal (4/44.66). This decided the gold, silver, and bronze medal standings.
Results HERE
Individual Final of the Young Riders: Rachel Proudley delivers a golden sensation at her first European Championship
Britain’s Rachel Proudley celebrated a sensational success at her very first championship: bronze with the team and gold in the individual final for young riders. In June, the 19-year-old even broke her own record in a puissance competition when she cleared a 2.20 m wall at the CSI3* in Bolesworth. On Sunday, the young rider from North Yorkshire demonstrated to everyone why she was nominated for the British European Championship team this year. Riding the 14-year-old Irish-bred mare Quality Street, she maintained a perfect jumping record throughout the week. With just 0.7 points, she finished the individual final of the FEI Jumping European Championships as the last competitor and remained clear once again, securing the gold medal.
Proudley has been training with successful Irish rider Richard Howley for two years, and understandably, he was very proud of his student: “Rachel is a very talented rider. She is only 19 years old and has had very little experience at this level or in any kind of championship before. But she has once again shown her true class as a rider and her ability. She was just so solid throughout the whole week.”
French rider Eden Leprevost Blinlebreton won the silver medal riding the 11-year-old chestnut mare Barbie de la Roque Z. She also finished the tournament without a single rail down — no surprise, as show jumping is in the 21-year-old’s blood. Both of her parents are professional riders; her mother is none other than Olympic team gold medalist Pénélope Leprevost. Mathieu Guery celebrated team gold with his teammates on Saturday and added a bronze medal to his tally on Sunday afternoon. The 20-year-old, who is the son of Olympic showjumper Jérôme Guéry, was also faultless in both rounds.
The decision for the FEI Jumping European Championship medals in the individual category for young riders was the final jumping event of this weekend in Riesenbeck. The course designers, Peter Schumacher (GER), Phil Schmauder (GER), and Petr Mašek (CZE), once again created a fair challenge for these young talents.
Results HERE