Italy's Valentina Truppa was thrilled to win the first ever FEI Young Riders World Cup. “I can't believe it, it's incredible!” she said after a clinching overall victory by a whisker from Germany's Jessica Werndl. ” The World Cup is a great event and I'm so happy to win it. As Jessica is the European Champion I really thought she would win,” she said of her rival since junior days.
Valentina is the daughter of FEI 'O' judge Enzo Truppa and had to contest Thursday's first leg of the competition on her own as her father and trainer was officiating at the Olympia FEI World Cup qualifier. She has ridden her 14-year-old Baden-Wurttemburg gelding Don Rico since '99 and competed at every Championship level every year with him since 2000, winning a silver medal at last year's Junior European Championships and a bronze this year at Young Rider level.
Results
FEI Young Riders World Cup
Presented by Schenker Deutschland AG
1, Don Rico (Valentina Truppa ITA) 75.650
2, Duchess (Jessica Werndl GER) 75.5
3, Atoftens Volanti (Emma Kanerva FIN) 73.150