Marten Luiten Wins 2017 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships

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2017 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships

Marten Luiten and his chestnut Movie Star earned the title of Dutch Indoor Pony Champion by winning the FEI Pony kur to music at the 2017 Dutch Indoor Championships in Ermelo, The Netherlands, on Saturday evening 4 March 2017. The Dutch Indoor Pony championships began early in the morning with a warm up round, but the kur to music counted for the medals.

Marten Luiten is capturing the spotlight in Holland at the moment. After being the bridesmaid last year and only getting reserve spot for the 2016 European Pony Championships, Luiten and Movie Star (by Hagelkruis Valentijn) are now making 2017 count. They have already been winning on the national Pony circuit the past two months and they now added the indoor title to their tally. The pair scored 76.292% in the Kur to Music.

Luiten, who has been riding his mare Movie Star for the past five years, was already indoor reserve champion in 2016 but this year he took highest honour. "This is my last year in ponies and I hope to qualify for the European Championship," said the 15-year old Marten. "I was very happy with how the day went. Movie Star is in top shape. I was already content with the first test, the kur went even better. There were no mistakes."

The silver medal went to Kimberly Pap on the dark bay stallion Pippin's Pride (by Wengelo's Ricardo). The pair scored 74.208% and edged out Shanna Baars, who finished with bronze on Don Camillo du Bois (by Dornik B) after scoring 70.875%. Baars has only been riding the former Dutch team pony Don Camillo for two months. She took him over from his previous owner, Daphne van Peperstraten.

Results - 2017 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships - Kur to Music

1. Marten Luiten - Movie Star- 76,292
2. Kimberly Pap - Pippin's Pride - 74,208
3. Shanna Baars - Don Camillo Du Bois - 70,875
4. Romy Verweij - Brouwershaven's Nairobi - 70,708
5. Coco Soffers - Don't Forget Me - 70,167
6. Sam Oudhof - Bodethal's Kosima - 68,708
7. Zoe Langhout - Boszicht's Mano - 68,542
8. Sanne Van der Pols - Orchid's Syria - 66,000
9. Lauren Neville - Morning Sky - 65,458