Making her junior debut at the European Junior Riders Championships in Vidauban (FRA) on 1 - 5 July 2015, Austrian youngster Victoria Wurzinger and her 14-year old Oldenburger gelding Dorian (by D-Day x Lord Liberty G) finished 17th in the Team test and rose to 10th in the Individual with 72.000%, and 9th in the Kur on 74.325%.
"Vidauban was great for us, Victoria told Eurodressage. “In February I celebrated my 15th birthday and Vidauban was my first Europeans in the Junior division. My goal was to come into the kür final, but to be 10th in the individual test and 9th in the kür final is unbelievable.”
Victoria mentioned that the conditions in Vidauban were very hard with enormous heat, so the pair did only a 20 minute warm-up in order to keep Dorian fresh for the tests.
“During the tests, especially in the individual and the kür, he felt great; relaxed, soft and easy.”
The Wurzinger family has owned Dorian since he was four. Bred in Weert, The Netherlands, the grey Dorian was sold to south Germany, where Victoria and her mom Bettina discovered the horse.
“He is trained up to Grand Prix level and was competed by my mother. I have been competing him now for two years. He has a very good working attitude, but also a very strong character and therefore his nickname is "chief"," said Victoria. "It is very important to keep his great willingness to work and therefore he has to go out in the fields together with his girlfriend, my pony Sappori, every day.”
Victoria showed her grey German riding pony mare Sappori at the Europeans in Fontainbleau 2012 and in Arezzo 2013, and the pair earned wonderful national and international successes over the past few years. “She will always stay with us," she added.
Her future plans with Dorian are to compete at the Austrian Championship in September and the 2016 Europeans in Madrid.
“I also have my 11-year old Dancing Diamond (by Diamond Hit x Donnerhall) and with him I was placed in Stadl Paura and Sommacampagna this year. Plus we have two 5-year olds; Charming Dancer (by Campus x Rouletto), who we have had since he was four, and Daily Sunrise (by Don Frederico x Rohdiamant), who was three when she came to us."
Victoria is trained by her mom and the duo is very much n'sync with one another goals, methods and passions. "We love to buy young horses and train them ourselves up to Grand Prix. We are a perfect team," she said.
by Sarah Warne - Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2015 European Junior/Young Riders Championships
Austrian Riders Selected for 2015 European Junior/Young Riders Championships