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2005
Sunshine Tour
FEI Young Horse Classes, Easy Prey for the
Portuguese
 The
Portuguese might have shown a glimpse of their rising
potential at Grand Prix level, but the FEI Young Horse
classes
were an easy prey for them. Portuguese Jeanette Jenny
and Miguel Ralao Duarte wielded the axe of power in
the 5 and 6-year old FEI Young Horse tests and were
undefeated the entire weekend.
In the 5-year old class, Miguel Ralao Duarte saddled
the sympathetic Lusitano stallion Talisco (by Xaquiro
out of Noz), who is owned by Pedro Ferraz de Costa.
The gray stallion could
have
shown more opening of the frame in the extensions,
but overall he reflected an image of harmony and fluency.
Judge Christoph Hess was full of praise for this combination.
"This is how we want to see young horses go in these
classes," said Hess. "The rider has a wonderful position
in the saddle, with very good hands. Talisco may not
be the best horse in the competition, but he was the
best ridden horse today."
Talisco showed a lovely rhythm
in the trot and was always in front of the rider.
His walk had good overtrack and the canter had a
clear
3-beat rhythm. "This horse is 100% trained in
the right way," Hess concluded. Talisco and
Duarte won the 5-year
old YH Finals with 73.00 points. Daniel Zapatero
and Farrallon (by Campeon IX out of Grata II) ranked
second,
followed by Jose Carlos Castillo Munoz on the Westfalian
RMS Arundensis.
 The
competition in the 6-year old Young Horse class was
of a higher level with more world class youngsters
surfacing at the top of the ranking. Winner of the
6-year olds was Spartacus, a bay Lusitano stallion
(by Xaquiro out of Juno) owned by Luis Pidwell. Portuguese
Jeanette Jenny pushed Spartacus to brilliance showing
a superbly
suspended
trot and the horse swung in all three basic gaits.
"This is a
dream of a horse," Hess commented. "He has three
truly good gaits with the right cadence and a very
uphill
canter." Jenny had some problems with the flying
changes and the half pass to the left was not as supple
as
the one to the right, but overall Spartacus is such
a talented horse that we would like to see him back
at the 2005 World Young Horse Championships in Verden
this summer. Jenny scored 82.20 points.
 Placing
second in the 6-year old finals was Miguel Ralao Duarte
on the delightful bay Lusitano mare Sigonha
(by Esquivo out of Doris). Again, Duarte presented
his horse with absolute harmony and relaxation. The
mare
was smooth and fluent in all three basic gaits. "A
real happy horse," Hess said, "that's the way they
should be schooled." Especially the half
passes were a highlight in the test. Sigonha scored
75.20.
Nuria Vila Perez and the KWPN gelding Silvius (by
Mondriaan out of Juliabante) ranked third. The impressive
bay stallion is very bold horse with good potential
to swing in the trot. His walk showed decent overtrack,
but the walk pirouette and especially the flying
changes were the problems in Perez' test, which forced
the score down to 73.60 points.
Worth mentioning is number four on the score board,
Sinphonie, a gray KWPN gelding by Krack C. Spanish
Lucas Elias rushed Sinphonie through the trot tour
causing the horse to lose his rhythm, balance and self
carriage, but in canter this Dutch warmblood was breath
taking.
 "It
must be a dream to ride this horse in canter," Hess
confessed. Sinphonie is so uphill and so ground covering
that his canter work reminds you of
Florencio's.
At the end of the young horse classes, Mariette Withages
wanted to stress the fact that the relaxed, light and
harmonious way the Portuguese winning riders Jenny
and Duarte have presented their youngsters is an example
for all other European riders. "They should all ride
like this. That's what we want to see in young horse
test," Withages said.
Text
and Photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage
- No reproduction allowed without permission
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