Under 25 and Children on Horses European Championships

BRITISH RIDERS PUT UP STRONG PERFORMANCES AT THE FEI DRESSAGE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR UNDER 25S AND CHILDREN ON HORSES, HELD NEAR BUDAPEST, HUNGARY ON 24-28 AUGUST. BUDAPEST, HUNGARY ON 24-28 AUGUST.

ABOVE: CRYSTAL ROBINSON-LONG, COMPETING AT HER FIRST FEI CHAMPIONSHIPS, REPRESENTED HER COUNTRY IN THE CHILDREN ON HORSES SECTION. ON THE SECOND OF TWO DAYS’ FEI CHILDREN PRELIMINARY B COMPETITION, CRYSTAL (14) AND HER TALENTED MARE EVITA RONIA (WESTPOINT X OSCAR) DID A STERLING JOB TO SCORE 71.125% AND FINISH 24TH OUT OF 46 STARTERS. A WELL-PRESENTED PERFORMANCE FROM THIS BUDDING PARTNERSHIP, WHO HAIL FROM KENT, EARNED A TECHNICAL MARK OF 67.500% AND A QUALITY MARK OF 74.750%, RESULTING IN A FINAL SCORE OF 71.125%. IN THE FEI CHILDREN TEAM COMPETITION CRYSTAL AND THE 13-YEAR-OLD DUTCH MARE, BRITAIN’S SOLE REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS CATEGORY AND THUS COMPETING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, SCORED 70.217%, SHOWING MUCH POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE.

RIGHT: LUCY AMY FINISHED THE FIRST DAY OF COMPETITION JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN WITH HER 13-YEAR-OLD HOLSTEINER GELDING RUDY AFTER THEIR FLUENT AND EXPRESSIVE TEST WAS AWARDED 71.294%, A NEW PB FOR THE PAIR.

LUCY (24), WHO MADE HER TEAM DEBUT WITH RUDY AT THE U25 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HAGEN LAST YEAR, HAILS FROM JERSEY AND BOUGHT RUDY AS A TWO-YEAR-OLD WITH SHOW JUMPING IN MIND. LATER OPTING TO TAKE THE DRESSAGE ROUTE, AND NOW BASED IN WILTSHIRE, SHE TRAINS WITH GARETH HUGHES AND HER CAREER WITH RUDY SPANS A NATIONAL PRELIMINARY TITLE IN 2014 TO COMPETING ON THE EUROPEAN STAGE TODAY.

THE DUO LATER SCORED 67.538% IN THE FEI GRAND PRIX 16-25 TO QUALIFY FOR A COVETED PLACE IN THE FREESTYLE.

PHOTOS: LUKASZ KOWALSKI

LEFT: A BRILLIANT RIDE IN THE FREESTYLE SAW LUCY AMY AND RUDY FINISH IN 14TH PLACE AMONGST EUROPE’S ELITE. AN EXPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE, SET TO A COLLECTION OF UPLIFTING QUEEN HITS, WAS BRIMMING WITH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST HALT TO THE FINAL CENTRE LINE, SCORING 70.865%. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT AND TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT AND A FITTING WAY TO COMPLETE THEIR A FITTING WAY TO COMPLETE THEIR SUCCESSFUL U25 CAREER.

RIGHT: DYLAN DEUTROM AND SAN

MARCO HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KICKING OFF THE COMPETITION AS THE FIRST TO GO IN THE UNDER 25 TEAM TEST, AND

PERFORMED TO GREAT CREDIT

FOR A SOLID 68.323%. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED EXTENDED TROT, CANTER IN THE FEI CHILDREN TEAM COMPETITION PIROUETTES AND THE LINES OF ONE- CRYSTAL AND THE 13-YEAR-OLD DUTCH MARE, AND TWO-TIME TEMPIS. THE 12-YEARBRITAIN’S SOLE REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS OLD STATUS QUO X GRIBALDI GELDING, CATEGORY AND THUS COMPETING AS AN OWNED BY SARAH CHURCH AND WILLIAM INDIVIDUAL, SCORED 70.217%, SHOWING MUCH DEANS, ALSO SCORED 65.282% IN THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE.FEI GRAND PRIX 16-25 FOR ULTIMATE 26TH PLACE. IT WAS AN IMPRESSIVE FEI CHAMPIONSHIPS DEBUT FOR DYLAN (25) BUT SADLY WE WERE UNABLE TO FIELD A TEAM IN THE U25 SECTION AS LEWIS CARRIER AND DIEGO WERE WITHDRAWN DUE TO TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES.