The 4-year olds All in One and Sir Europe, the 5-year olds Victory and Casablanca, the 6-year olds Breakdance and Gigi Lady, and the developing Prix St Georges championships E Smaragd became the winners of the 2017 Polish Young Horse Championhips held in Strzegom, Poland, on 22 - 24 September 2017.
The Polish Equestrian Federation goes off the beaten FEI path and splits up the 4, 5 and 6-year old division according to horse breed. Separate categories exists for Polish warmblood bred horses and "foreign" bred horses. For the developing Prix St Georges horse championship all breeders compete against each other. In the four year old division the horses were first assessed in hand on their conformation after which they had to perform in two rounds.
In the 4-year old Polish bred division Aleksandra Szulc and All In One (by All Inclusive x Poch) claimed the national title with a double 7.78 score in the second round and finals. Karolina Mazurek and the Thoroughbred bred Edam (by Park All That Jazz xx x Divisor xx) were good for silver with 7.74 and 7.42, while Daria Kobiernik and Dajluk (by Lluk x Lokan) were good for bronze with 7.78 and 7.26 points.
In the 4-year old foreign bred division Mateusz Cichon won gold aboard the Oldenburg Sir Europe (by Sir Donnerhall x Welt Hit II) with 8.84 and 8.94 in the two last rounds. Jan Gawecki and the Hanoverian Fuerst Sav (by Foundation x Furst Heinrich) were the runners-up with 8.74 and 8.92, while Gawecki was also third on the Danish bred Heiline's Zanzier (by Zack x De Niro) with twice 7.88.
In the 5-year old Polish bred division Grand Prix rider Zaneta Skowronska steered Victory (by Rock and Roll x Worldly) to the overall title after winning both rounds with 8.06 and 8.24. A solid second was Grand Prix rider Aleksandra Szulc on Sunny Boy CM (by Siney x Algas) as they placed second twice with two times the same score, 7.82. The bronze medal went to Martyna Banska on Mantra P (by Ron Williamd x Mandat) who was twice third with 7.74 and 7.78 points.
In the 5-year old foreign bred division Grand Prix rider Mateusz Cichon steered his brand new acquisition, Hanoverian mare Casablanca (by Conen x Fidertanz) to an overwhelming victory with 9.06 and 9.26. Only four horses competed in this division and Karolina Muzarek finished second with the Holsteiner mare Esplanada (by Cormint x Askano) on 7.72 and 8.02 points. Aleksandra Plucennik and the Hanoverian bred Santana (by Scolari x Landsieger) finished third with 7.36 and 7.94.
In the 6-year old division, the Polish bred category was actually smaller than the foreign bred one with only four combinations. Aleksandra Szulc and Breakdance (by Fred x Carbano) was the convincing winner with 8.06 and 8.16 points, while Karoline Mazurek became the runner-up aboard Lider (by Pastisz x Pegasus HB) with 7.48 and 7.16 points. Julia Naumovich-Shabovskaya and Hades (by Landor x Grand As) were third with 7.36 and 7.18 points.
Six foreign bred 6-year olds battled it out for the national title and Mateusz Cichon ruled the pack aboard the Dutch warmblood mare Gigi Lady (by United x Mytens xx). He scored 8.74 and 8.94 for gold. Cichon also grabbed silver with the Hanoverian bred Sweet Boy (by San Amour x Depardieu) with 7.88 and 7.78 points. Ewalina Kwietowicz and Favola di Notte, a Hanoverian by Floriscount x Belissimo M, got bronze with 7.50 and 7.74.
Eleven Developing Prix St Georges horses between the ages of 7 and 9 competed for the champion's sash and Katarzyna Lukasik and the Dutch warmblood E.Smaragd (by Johnson x Wolfgang) achieved the highest overall mark after placing second in the first round (67.612%), third in the second round (65.570% and first in the final round (71.208%). Izabela Kowalska and the Austrian warmblood Don Alonso (by Damon Hill x Friedensfurst) were good for silver with 69.504% (1st), 67.325% (1st) and 66.042% (4th). Katarzyna Konarska and the Polish bred Largo (by Landor x Lena Bas) finished third with 66.396%, 65.965% and 66.167%.
Photos © Lukasz Kowalski
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