Larsson and Devroe Take Out the Big Tour at 2015 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland

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2015 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland

Swedish Jennie Larsson and Belgian Jeroen Devroe took out the big tour classes at the very well attended 2015 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland on 10 - 12 April 2015. Hosted at equestrian centre De Kroo, the "Outdoor Zeeland" competition had a massive field of entries from Holland, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark and had to be staged both indoor and outdoor to make the program work.

At the highest level it were Jennie Larsson and Jeroen Devroe taking highest honour and snatching the trophies. An assistant trainer at Tinne Vilhelmson's Lovsta Stuteri in Sweden, Larsson presented Zircoon Spring Flower (by Painted Black x Armstrong), Larsson won the Grand Prix with 71.400% and the Kur to Music with 74.825%.

"Zircoon was very good throughout the competition, especially during the Grand Prix, then he was fantastic," Larsson told Eurodressage.

Zircoon Spring Flower is an 11-year old Dutch warmblood who has proven to be a challenging ride in the past, not always entirely focused on his rider at competitions. Larsson has worked hard at getting the bay concentrated on her instead of the surroundings

"Zircoon is a special horse, not the easiest to ride," she admitted. "But with more power and experience he has become more easy to handle. During the winter we have done strength and environment training, which has given results."

Jennie will take Zircoon Spring Flower to the 2015 CDI Hagen in two weeks time but has not made any clearly defined plans for the rest of the season.

"I try not to set any special goals but to compete the best we can," she said. "And of course I want to keep him sound and happy."

Jeroen Devroe and Eres DL Belgian WEG team rider Jeroen Devroe is going strong aboard Daniel Lousberg's Belgian warmblood Eres DL (by Sir Lui x Balzflug). After the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, in August, the bay gelding continued to compete during the autumn and winter on the indoor circuit, with starts in Zandhoven, Stuttgart, Roosendaal Indoor, Mechelen, Amsterdam, and 's Hertogenbsoch before heading to Nieuw en St. Joosland.

Devroe and Eres finished sixth in the Grand Prix with 69.960% and won the Grand Prix Special with 70.510% ahead of Diederik van Silfhout and his rising Grand Prix horse Bonzanjo (by Jazz x Contango) who also finished second in the Grand Prix.

"Eres is really starting to feel more secure in the tests," Devroe told Eurodressage. "I've worked hard on gettin him more supple and quicker and more attentive to my aids."

Jeroen's weekend of success did not stop with his Grand Prix Special victory. Aboard the Lievens family's 10-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Aaron (by Florencio x Record) he also claimed the Intermediaire I (74.816%) and Intermediaire I Kur to Music (75.800%) after placing third in the Prix St Georges (71.237%).

"It was Aaron's first outdoor show of the year so he was a bit unfocused in the first test. In the Inter I he felt super, he was listening to me with the right amount of energy. In the Kur he gave me his all even though he was tired," Devroe explained.

Jeroen Devroe on Aaron Devroe has been riding the liver chestnut licensed stallion Aaron for almost two years. He was trained and competed as a youngster by Jana Freund and represented the KWPN society at the 2010 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where they finished 8th in the 5-year old finals. Aarom was a handful in the past with testosterone levels getting in the way, but now the stallion has matured into a talented FEI level horse and Jeroen is hopeful of his future.

"I have been working on putting the Grand Prix movements on him over the winter," said Devroe. "I'll be taking both horses to Roosendaal and Compiegne. With Eres I might do Aachen instead of Roosendaal but that's not sure yet. With Eres the goal is the Belgian and European Championships. Aaron will come along for the small tour to gain more ring experience."