Charlott Maria Schürmann and her Hanoverian stallion World of Dreams led the Germans to win team gold by acing the Team Championship Test at the 2010 European Junior Riders Championships, hosted at Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff's Schafhof in Kronberg, Germany, on Thursday 22 July 2010.
Schürmann and World of Dreams, both 17 years of age and trained by Oliver Oelrich, scored a well earned 73.459% to win the team test. Their trot work was active, engaged, fluent and with much power. Not for a second did World of Dreams (by World Cup I x Cardinal xx) struggle with the rhythm. World of Dreams clearly showed he was making an effort for his rider flaring his nose loudly to his breathing rhythm. The walk was good but Schürmann started both pirouettes by taking a big step to the side and then made the tiny turn on the haunches. In canter the flying changes were a highlight though there was tension in the top line in the extension as the horse slightly lost his clear 3-beat rhythm.
The 17-year old Dutch junior Danielle Houtvast finished second. Aboard the 12-year old Dutch bred Rambo (by Gribaldi x Amor), the former FEI pony rider certainly put down the best ride of the entire Dutch team, which consists of four new-comers. Her black gelding was always in a nice uphill frame with the pole as highest point. Danielle had a lovely light contact with the bit which made the test look effortless. The traversal movements were lightfooted and swinging, the extended walk was good but in the collection he got a bit short. One of the walk pirouettes was quite rushed in tempo. In canter the charming combination showed four excellent flying changes. The judges were very much on the same wavelength with their marks and scored the test with 72.270%.
German Jill de Ridder slotted in third aboard the Rhinelander bred Charmeur, a Carabas x Ehrentusch offspring bred by Jill's grandfather. The huge bay gelding excelled in trot. There was much crossing of the legs in the half passes. The right walk pirouette was quite hurried. In the extended walk there was good overtrack though Charmeur could have stretched the neck a bit more. In canter the 8-year old gelding became more unsteady in the contact with the bit and was sometimes bopping his head with the strides. The flying changes were very nice as well as the half passes. The combination scored 71.730%. Adding Schürmann's winning mark as well as the third best German score, Florine Kienbaum's 70.649% (fourth rider Holkenbrink tied with her), the German team totaled 215.838 % to win team gold.
The Germans stayed three percent ahead of the silver medal winning Dutch team (212.432 %) whose leading rider was Danielle Houtvast and the second high scorer Stephanie Kooijman and her super talent 7-year old Winston, the provisional winners of day one.
The second Dutch rider competing in group 2 on thursday was Teddy Wiedeler with her Lingh-lookalike Seigneur (by Le Vainquer xx x Pablo). Trained by Yessin Rahmouni, Wiedeler had her hands full managing her powerhouse stallion. The contact was strong with much reliance on the curb. In an attempt to go for much expression, the horse got quick in trot and remained quite stiff in the top line in canter. It looked like Teddy was trying too hard to do her best and in due to this generated flamboyance she lost the easy-going of it all. The highlight of the test were the ground covering flying changes. The cheerful Wiedeler, who will soon start Law School, ranked 10th with 68.432 %.
Dutch chef d'equipe Tineke Bartels was very happy with silver. "I am very proud of my girls. They were all new to the junior riders team and did their best. We had strong competition from the Germans and Danes."
The battle for bronze always seems to go between Denmark and Belgium, with the former living up the expectations and the latter regretfully missing out on that medal earning total score. Each time the point difference between the countries is minimal and this year the Danes finished on 205.513 % and the Belgians on 204.649 % which is 0,864% less.
Danish anchor was the talented Cathrine Dufour on her young 7-year old Danish bred Atterupgaards Cassidy (by Caprimond x Donnerhall). The chestnut gelding competed at the 2008 World Young Horse Championships in Verden and sold two months ago to the Dufour family. Cathrine, who is trained by Rune Willum, had only competed at one show with this horse, but in Kronberg she was one of the most impressing riders in the entire junior team test. The trotwork was brilliant. Lightfooted, energetic, uphill in the frame and nose always at the vertical. The traversal movements looked like a piece of cake and the extended walk earned them 8s. The walk pirouette right was a bit big. Cassidy, who is half Trakehner, became hot in the canter and made several unscripted flying changes in the corners in between movements, which made the score drop dramatically. The required changes themselves were good as well as the extended canter. They finished fifth with 70.649% but there's much more in this chestnut tank!
Belgian Mieke Mommen had to score 70% for Belgium to win the highly coveted bronze medal. Mommen, who has been one of Europe's leading junior rider's this year with almost consistent scores over 70%, underwhelmed. During her entry and halt, Mommen's 12-year old Oldenburg Rocky (by Rockwell) went deep behind the vertical and Mieke struggled in the first few trot movements to get her horse uphill in front of the aids despite Rocky's very impressive way of trotting. The extended walk had the proper relaxation but could have been a bit more energetic. The canter work was super with big uphill flying changes and an extraordinary extended canter. They finished eight with 69.135% and tied with Dutch Anne Meulendijks, who rode the day before in group 1.
Danish Nanna Skodborg Merrald, who finished fourth individually at the 2008 European Pony Championships, rode her 9-year old Danish warmblood Millibar (by Milan x Liberty Dane) to a 10th place with 68.432%. The duo excelled with their light contact with the bit and consistency in the frame. The trot work flowed though in there was a small hiccup in a trot extension, the rein back was one of the best of the day and the extended walk was ground covering and relaxed. Only in canter the bay gelding tended to hollow its back a little and push himself high in the neck. The changes were all good. They were tenth with 68.432 %.
"We have a team in which the girls rode great," said Danish chef d'equipe Hans Christian Matthiesen, who is a vet by profession. "We were ninth after the first day but today we rode to the top. It was so good and now we go for an individual medal!"
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Text and Photos © Astrid Appels
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