In Germany the Piaff Förderpreis was the first kind of competition to allow former or even recent Young Riders to compete at Grand Prix- level without having to face the senior rivals during their first steps at the highest level. Many of today’s successful competitors have used this opportunity to grow into the Grand Prix sport with much benefit. Now the under 25 (U25) Inter II and Grand Prix competitions offer the same to young hopefuls from all over the world at CDI shows.
At the 2011 CDIO Saumur a field of seven riders started the international competition with the U 25 Inter II on Thursday morning in very moderate temperatures. For young hopefuls attending such kind of competitions it is essential either to buy an already experienced Grand Prix horse or to upgrade their Young Rider horse to this level. So from the seven horses presented three were well known faces on the dressage circuit, namely Painted Black, Chatham Park Jac and Hinnerk TSF.
The sale of Anky van Grunsven’s international winner Painted Black to Spanish Young Rider Morgan Barbancon last year had caught the attention of the dressage scene and Saumur was the first international occasion to see the new pair in action. This is at least a bit comparable to the situation in which Matthias Alexander Rath found himself when he first showed Sterntaler. Morgan could have felt some pressure as she needed to prove that this new partnership is working.
At Saumur she trained under the supervision of the stallion’s former rider Anky van Grunsven to work on the fine-tuning of the movements and it became obvious that the 14-year-old KWPN matches his new rider well. In the Intermediaire II Barbancon, accompanied by a whole troop of supporters with a big Spanish flag, showed some real highlights like the flying changes and the pirouettes. The piaffe on the other hand could have been more in place and the halt at the end became too short. Still the new pair’s victory was never in danger, not even with Morgan made a programme error in walk. With 70,28% she stayed well ahead of Juliette Ramel from Sweden who came second.
Coached by Ton de Ridder Ramel rode the former Australian Grand Prix horse Chatham Park Jac with whom she had already competed at this level the year before. The Swede and the bay form a pleasant pair and were able to execute a confirmed programme. They were a bit unlucky that during their ride a huge group of Cadre Noir visitors moved behind the judges’ huts, but Chatham Park Jac remained concentrated and Ramel risked something in the canter tour and showed in particular good canter pirouettes.
German Katharina Winkelhues followed in third position on the pretty Oldenburg gelding Wise Guy (by Welt Hit II). Dutch judge Mrs. Mouw even saw them in first position and sure they have the potential to place there in near future with the horse having all it takes.
About 1% behind followed another familiar face: The liver chestnut Hinnerk TSF had been trained by Carola Koppelmann to Grand Prix level and was briefly competed by German professional Hubertus Schmidt before selling to France. Presented by Julie Pellerin the Trakehner showed some nice moments in the trot as well as in the canter tour, but it could not be denied that Hinnerk TSF was not always accepting the bit as it should be and showed some resistance before the first passage which brought the marks down.
Diana Al Shaer from Russia, a student of Jan Bemelmans, placed 5th with the elegant Rhinelander stallion Lanciero, ahead of the Belgian sisters Manon Hoet with the Don Schufro-son Don Archipel and Anouck with Wild Diamond (by Diamond Hit).
Text and Photos © Silke Rottermann from Eurodressage.com
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