Britain’s Junior team kept their cool under the scorching Provence sun at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors and Young Riders, Vidauban, 1 – 5 July 2015.
The quartet of young Brits, including two riders making their European Championship debut, achieved a creditable eighth place out of fourteen teams from across Europe. Erin Williams (17) and Bolsan B, her mother Clare’s impressive Sandro Hit nine-year-old were best of the Brits in the team test earning a personal best score of 69.62%.
European Championship newcomer Amber Barton (18) and her 11-year-old stallion Labiat, an attractive son of Le Primeur, thrived under the pressure of their first European team appearance, scoring 67.83%. The new partnership has achieved good results since coming together last year, and they're looking great prospects for the future.
Chloe Vell (17) and Kaja Di Valentina achieved a solid team test result of 67.67% despite some tension shown in the walk, in an otherwise mistake-free round. The pair’s last European team call-up was in 2013 for the Europeans at Compiègne in France, and they drew upon this experience to show some lovely highlights.
The youngest of the four, Charlotte Dicker (16), and her relatively new ride, Sabatini, are in the early stages of their partnership so their best is yet to come. They scored 63.86% yet showed glimpses of the brilliance they’re capable of. Charlotte and Sabatini, a talented 10-year-old mare by Stedinger and owned by Ian Mcrobbie, look to have successful times ahead.
Germany dominated the team championship, headed by Semmieke Rothenberger aboard Geisha, a 13-year-old Danish-bred mare by Gribaldi, scoring an outstanding 76.35%
In soaring temperatures reaching highs of 40 degrees, all four riders gave their all in the Junior Individual Test. Once more, Erin and Bolsan B lead the Brits with another assured performance. Erin expressed her delight via Facebook: “Another incredible day! ‘Sonny’ and I scored 68.31% in the individual test this morning! We managed to be best Brit yet again despite two large mistakes! I'm so proud of him this week. He's been so grown up and coped with this heat amazingly.”
Amber and Labiat scored 67.21%, Charlotte and Sabatini 65.57% and Chloe and Kaja Di Valentina, 64.23%.
The individual championship test went to Germany’s Hannah Erbe and Carlos 609, an eight-year-old Rhinelander gelding by Carabas, out of a Weltmeyer mare. The pair scored 78.02%. None of the British riders qualified for the freestyle championship which was won by Spain’s Juan Matute Guimon aboard Dhannie Ymas, an eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Don Crusador. Juan scored 81.60% to make history as the first Spanish youth rider ever to win an individual medal.
It was a team of firsts for the young riders heading out to France for the Championships at Vidauban. With the competition marking 18-year-old Becky Edwards and 19-year-old Robyn Smith’s first ever Europeans, the girls were reliant on the previous experience of team mates Charlotte Fry and Claire Gallimore who, although enjoying the championships for the first time as young riders, have gained great exposure to the competition as junior and pony riders.
First, to decide the team honours, were the team tests and it was Glaswegian, Robyn Smith who was first to go for GBR. Riding Gail Smith’s 17-year-old British-bred gelding, Foold Uz in a sweltering heat of 35 degrees, the pair scored a solid 68.13% - a strong start for the team. Originally first reserve for the young rider team, Claire Gallimore – who is currently based with the Bartels in the Netherlands – stepped up to the plate just two weeks before the competition as Anna Lawson withdrew her horse, Bryan, from selection. Riding her mother’s ten-year-old Scandic-sired mare, Annette Ballerina, she notched up a score of 66.78%.
“Bella felt amazing in the warm up and I was really excited to go in,” announced Claire from her Facebook page. “When we went into the arena she was a little bit spooky. The trot work was strong resulting in us being on 69% when I went into the walk however the work was too tense so I lost a lot of marks. The canter work was good but a few of expensive mistakes, resulting on us ending up of 66.7%. I was so proud of how Bella coped in the heat and feel that it was a positive first performance.”
Despite some costly mistakes, Becky Edwards and Dr Margaret Cox’s 14-year-old Portugese stallion, Ufano gave their all in the team test to score 66.52%. Last to go, Charlotte Fry and her partner, Rosemary Shewen’s athletic 11-year-old Flemmingh-sired gelding, Z Flemmenco (pictured) showed their experience at the championships – the pair competed last year as a junior combination – posting a personal best of 69.21%.
“Dinky [Z Flemmenco] and I posted a personal best in the Young Rider team test of 69.21% at the European Championships!” exclaimed Charlotte via her Facebook. “I had an amazing ride and Dinky felt awesome, even though I was riding in around 36 degrees he coped so well!”
A strong result for GBR in the team test but the immense standard of the competition meant that it was not high enough to claim a medal, placing us into seventh. Gold went to Germany, closely followed by the Netherlands in second and Sweden in third.
Over the further two days of individual tests, all four young riders improved on their previous days’ percentages. Despite the raising temperatures (40 degrees!), Becky and Ufano jumped eight places, landing in 27th with their score of 68.34% with Robyn and Foold Uz following behind, scoring 68.31%. Claire and Bella were also on the up, showing great scope for the future with their mark of 67.78%. However, it was Charlotte and Dinky who were the star performers, notching up another personal best of 70.07% to claim 15th and a place through to the freestyle where they scored 68.87%.
For full results, click here.
Results
Junior Team Championship
1st – Germany, 224.51
2nd – Netherlands, 216.37
3rd – Denmark, 215.00
8th – Great Britain, 205.13
Young Rider Team Championship
1st – Germany, 221.42
2nd – Netherlands, 221.10
3rd – Sweden, 215.02
7th – Great Britain, 204.13
Individual results of British riders
Junior team test
17th – Erin Williams with Bolsan B (GBR), 69.62%
32nd – Amber Barton with Labiat (GBR), 67.83%
34th – Chloe Vell with Kaja Di Valentina (GBR), 67.67%
54th – Charlotte Dicker with Sabatini (GBR), 63.86%
Junior Individual Championship
28th – Erin Williams and Bolsan B (GBR), 68.31%
34th – Amber Barton and Labiat (GBR), 67.21%
47th – Charlotte Dicker and Sabatini (GBR), 65.57%
54th – Chloe Vell and Kaja Di Valentina (GBR), 64.23%
Young rider team
18th – Charlotte Fry with Z Flemmenco (GBR), 69.21%
25th – Robyn Smith with Foold Uz (GBR), 68.13%
33rd – Claire Gallimore with Annette Ballerina (GBR), 66.78%
35th – Rebecca Edwards with Ufano (GBR), 66.52%
Young Rider Individual Championship
15th – Charlotte Fry with Z Flemmenco (GBR), 70.07%
27th – Rebecca Edwards with Ufano (GBR), 68.34%
28th – Robyn Smith with Foold Uz (GBR), 68.31%
31st – Claire Gallimore with Annette Ballerina (GBR), 67.78%
Young Rider Freestyle Championship
18th – Charlotte Fry with Z Flemmenco (GBR), 68.87%
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