The Dutch ruled over the yuth classes at the 2015 CDI Biarritz on 9 - 11 October 2015, with pony rider Daphne van Peperstraten, junior rider Lisanne Zoutendijk and young rider Marjan Hooge each taking out their division and making the most of some nice weather in France!
Daphne van Peperstraten Dominates Ponies
With a hat trick win in the FEI pony category, Daphne van Peperstraten dominated the division, sharing the wins between her two ponies, her routinier Don Camillo du Bois and her join star Wonderful Girl. She claimed both first and second place in the team and individual tests, and driving it home to win the pony kur.
“I am very happy with my results in Biarritz last week,” said Daphne. "Biarritz is a great competition and we were very lucky with the weather. My ponies Wonderful Girl and Don Camillo did very well and in all the tests they did their very best!”
Wonderful Girl (by Wimbledon) is Daphne’s younger pony, an 8-year old very elegant and elastic mare with a great character, while Don Camillo (by Dornick) is an 11-year old gelding who is very determined and the more experienced of the two.
“My other horses are 6-year old Evita de la Vigne (by Future x Negro) which I'll start in juniors next year and my two other two ponies 'Make My Day' and 'Donata'," said the 15-year old Daphne who attends school in Rotterdam. "I train all my ponies and horses with Marlies and Coby van Baalen."
Daphne's goal is to compete again at the European Pony Championships in 2016!
Junior Lisanne Zoutendijk in the Lead
Lisanne Zoutendijks travellled to the south of France with her two horses, 12-year old Ringo Sar (by Riccione x Laredo) and the 7-year old Davina (by Johnson x Ulft). The miles paid off as the 17-year old finished second and third in the team test and then reigned supreme in the individual test (69.974%, 69.658%). She topped it off with a victory in the kur on Ringo Star with 72.750%.
“Ringo Star already has a lot of experience in the Junior tests and it was with him that I participated in the European Championships in Vidauban, where we won the team silver medal. For Davina this was her first international competition," Zoutendijk told Eurodressage.
Lisanne revealed that both horses felt very fit and in good condition upon their arrival in France.
“On all the days of the competition they were in a very good shape," she said. "In Biarritz it was also the debut of my new freestyle test which we designed after the the European Championships. We were rewarded on our new program with very nice scores for the difficulty and for the music. Of course I am very happy about this.”
Zoutendijk, who trains with Coby van Baalen twice week and at home with Jeroen Okkema, also has a third iron in the fire, Watteau (by Jazz), which she will start in the Young Riders division soon. Lisanne is in her final year of high school (Mavo) and next year she will move to a bigger location, where she will have the opportunity to work more with horses and try to get further on in the sport of dressage.
“In 2016 I will try to qualify again for the European Junior Riders Championships. We haven’t made a plan for other competitions yet, because this depends on which competitions will be chosen as qualifiers for the team selection," said Lisanne.
Marjan Hooge Makes the Most of Biarritz
Young Rider winner Marjan Hooge rode Annemiek Vincourt's chestnut KWPN gelding Jive (by Jazz) to victory in the team and Kur test posting scores of 68.684%, and 72.050%. She dropped to a second place in the Individual behind fellow Dutch youngster Veronique van der Panne.
“I had two horses with me in France, my 12-year old gelding Jive (by Jazz), and one horse I took for training experience, a 3-year old stallion Homerus P (by Negro),” Marjan explained. “In the individual test Jive was a little bit nervous, but in the Freestyle he felt in super form. Overall, It was a very nice competition, with good weather and a temperature of around 23 degrees.”
Training at Stal Krom with Annemieke Vincourt-Krom, the 18-year old Marjan also rides Fulltime, her European Championship junior team horse, and Fullbright, a 5-year old jumper.
“I’m studying at Groenhorst college in Barneveld, so I have two days of school and three days at the stable," Hooge explained. "My riding goal for 2016 is to make the Dutch A-team with Jive.”
by Sarah Warne - Photos © Rui Pedro Godinho
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