Finnish Junior Peppi Kokko Makes it Six in a Row at 2024 CDI Jerez de la Frontera

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2024 CDI Jerez de la Frontera

Finnish junior rider Peppi Kokko made it a clean sweep in her first CDI of the year, winning all six junior classes aboard Damasco Canceira in the two back-to-back CDI's at Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) on 2 - 9 March 2024.

The junior division in Jerez was one of the more packed age categories with 13 combinations competing the first weekend and eight the second week.

Twelve Classes, Six Wins

Kokko rode two horses in twelve classes in total, giving her little time to catch up with any nerves. Her more experienced ride, Anu Karinen's 16-year old Portuguese bred Damasco Canceira (by Tornado out of Ronda), delivered the goods and topped the board no less than six times at junior level with scores between 68.333% and 70.660%.

"Damasco felt good during competitions," Peppi told Eurodressage. "He always tries his best in the ring. Because the competition lasted for two weeks he got a little tired towards the end, and the second week the circumtances were not so good because of the hard rain and wind. Damasco was better in the first week, second week I did too many mistakes during the test and the points were not so special but still enough to win all CDIJ classes."

Kokko also made her international Young Riders debut in Jerez aboard Windsor V, a 16-year old Danish warmblood by Welser x Lobster previously shown by Finnian Under 25 rider Lotta Luomajarvi. They landed between 8th and 3rd place over the course of two weeks as they are getting to know one another. "With him I’m only practicing young rider classes," she explained.

A Fin in Spain

For Kokko the trip to Jerez was not so far as the Finnish rider lives in Fuengirola, Spain, two hours from the show grounds. For the past eight years she has been trained by Antonio Serrano Silva. Her horses are based at Hipica Acebedo in Mijas and she goes to a Finnish high school in her home town.

"We ended up in Spain because better training possibilities especially in winter time," said Kokko who plans to go professional once she finishes high school. "Sometimes we go back to Finland to our own stable."

Last year Kokko campaigned in Scandinavia in the summer, riding the 2023 Nordic Baltic Championships in Drammen, Norway, where she finished 13th in the freestyle. She won bronze at the 2023 Finnish Junior Riders Championships. Jerez was her first international in seven months time.

"We chose to compete in Jerez because it had a good possibility to compete internationally close to home," she said. "Antonio has been my trainer and support for many years. I train my three horses 5-6 times per week."

Kokko also owns the 13-year old Hanoverian Don Royal (by Dannebrog x Rubin Royal), which they bought in the summer of 2023 but got sidelined due to a small injury.

"My goals this year are to get better performances and points in junior classes with both horses Damasco and Don Royal and ride at the European Junior Championships.