Austria’s Diana Porsche and Nicola Ahorner led the junior riders' field at the 2014 CDI Stadl Paura last month on 16 - 21 April 2014. While Porsche won the team and individual test on her chestnut Eloy, Ahorner claimed the kur with her liver chestnut Robbespierre.
"The highlight of the CDI for me was definitely winning the Team Test with 72,3% and the Individual Test with 71,3% ahead of a full field of great pairings,” Diana told Eurodressage. “I was more than happy with Eloy,” she added. “He is such a fantastic stallion with huge energy and he is always supple and concentrated on his job. I got him only one year ago and you know, it always needs a little time to come together, but I guess we did a good job and now we are ready!”
Finishing tenth in the team test on her second horse Florencia (by Furst Heinrich x Ferman), Diana felt that the horse had a lack of concentration throughout the weekend, and feels she needs more experience.
"Last year we also needed some shows to find the perfect fine tuning, but at least she was the best horse on the Austrian Junior Team at the European Championships in Compiegne,” Diana explained. “She is a horse with fantastic quality in all gaits and we know she can do much better.”
Going home to focus on improving her freestyle with Eloy (by Earl x Wendenburg), Diana didn't expect him to run that hot with the music, and says when the loud music started, he went totally out of control in the canter. “I had a lot of work just to stay in the ring," she confessed.
Based at Gut Ising in Bavaria next to the Austrian border, Diana commutes every day between the barn and her home in Salzburg. Her trainer Dieter Laugks drives there from Munich. Diana recently acquired a new horse, Sion, but is now focusing on the European Championships for Juniors in Arezzo and hopes to make it on the Austrian team again.
“Next year, I have to compete at young riders level. My trainer has prepared me already for that and I was lucky to win some S-Level tests in the meantime. Long term it is a big dream to compete in international Grand Prix Ccompetitions. We will have to work hard on that. My coach has schooled Florencia already in the Grand Prix movements and it is great fun to feel piaffe and passage. In Winter I did my first one time changes, but I know, it is a long way and I have to learn a lot.”
Preparing for her graduation at her school in Salzburg, Diana plans to move to Munich and study economics.
Star of the kur, Nicola Ahorner and her 11-year old Oldenburg bred Robbespiere (by Rohdiamant) scored 73.834% and felt the entire show was a wonderful experience.
“It went really well, because I did not expect that in my first year as a junior rider that I will already win two tests, one in Caselle di Sommacampagna with 70,1% in the freestyle and one in Stadl Paura with 73,8% in the freestyle," Ahorner explained. "It was a real surprise for me, because the person in lead already had 73% for her freestyle and I rode in the arena and just had fun. I enjoyed every second of it!”
Heading home to keep on working with both her ponies and her horse, Nicola is allowed to ride ponies until 2016 and hopes to improve in both areas.
“I currently train close to Vienna and my trainers are Alois Goldberger and Belinda Weinbauer," she said. "I really hope to improve my riding and bond even better with my horses and ponies."
Currently in 8th grade in AIS Vienna, Nicola wants to study medicine when she is done with school.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage - Photo © Fotoagentur-Dill
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