2009 European Junior and Young Riders Championships

Rothenberger and Schoots Win Individual Test Gold Medal

August 12, 2009

The individual test for Junior Riders was a thrilling competition which ended with all the medals being won by German riders at 2009 European Championships Dressage for Juniors and Young Riders in Ermelo, The Netherlands.

The supremacy of the German Sanneke Rothenberger was overwhelming. Riding Deveraux, she scored a total of 76.062% which is a 4% difference with number two, the German Charlott-Maria Schürmann and World of Dreams with 72.263%. The bronze medal was been won by Louisa Lüttgen and her horse Habitus scoring 71.736%.

Ranks 4, 5 and 6 were for Dutch rider Angela Krooswijk (Roman Nature), the Danish Catherine Dufour (Aithon) and the second Dutch rider, Birgit van der Drift (Twister). The best 15 riders from the individual test will ride their freestyle to music test on Sunday.

Saturday was the day of the individual medals for Young Riders at the 2009 European Junior/Young Rider Championships Dressage. Dutch Lotje Schoots succeeded in winning her 10th golden medal in the youth competitions. The German Fabienne Lütkemeier won silver, followed by Dutch rider Marrigje van Baalen who won bronze.

Lotje Schoots was riding Torricelli, a horse she fell for when he was 2 years old. “He was rather ugly at the time”, Lotje laughs, “but he moved in a way that I thought ‘That’s him’”. And indeed, it was the first time that Lotje was riding Torricelli at a European Championship but all of her tests were just great and incredibly harmonious.

The Dutch judge Ghislain Fouarge resumed: “There was no discussion whatsoever about the three winners of the individual medals. Lotje Schoots was riding her test in utmost concentration. It looked very harmonious and she certainly mastered her nerves. The German Fabienne Lütkemeier was a very close runner-up. Her trot was excellent overall her performance was just a little bit less secure than that of Lotje. Marrigje van Balen was riding a very controlled and harmonious test and certainly earned her bronze medal.”

On Sunday the European Championships Dressage for Juniors and Young Riders will be concluded with the individual medals for the freestyle to music test. The best 15 riders of each age group will participate in the freestyle to music test.

Photos from the Scene by Barbara Schnell

Team Competition Podium shots

Junior Team Medals

German Junior Team Wins Gold	German Junior Riders
Young Rider Team Podium
Gold Young Riders Team: Holland	Silver Young Riders Team: Germany
Individual Test
Sanneke Rothenberger	Sanneke Rothenberger
Sven, Sanneke, Gonnelien Rothenberger	Sanneke
Charlott-Maria Schürmann Wins Individual Test Silver on World of Dreams.	Bronze Medallists: Louisa Luttgen on Habitus
Angela Krooswijk on Roman Nature	Cathrine Dufour
Michelle van Lanen	The 19-year old stallion Incredible, ridden on these European Championships by the Dutch Michelle van Lanen, has already participated in no less than eight European Championships, representing The Netherlands - a unique record! The experienced black stallion already won two silver individual medals for his riders. During tehese EC, Incredible added another silver team medal to his collection. As a reward for his contribution to the success of dressage in The Netherlands, Incredible was being put into the spotlights yesterday. During the lap op honor, the impressive stallion received standing ovations from the audience wich brought some tears into the eyes of his owner, Annemiek van der Vorm.
Van Lanen fans	Chantal van Lanen
Timna Zach
Marie Louise Larsen on Romar	Marie Louise Larsen on Romar
Vittoria Zaniboni on Santorini Hit	Anna Paprocka training Zaniboni
Vittoria Zaniboni
Morgan Barbancon on Ahorn	Morgan's sister Alexandra rooting for her.
Turkish rider Yasemin Kap on Royal Kid	Turkish riders
Mieke Mommen on Rocky Young Riders Lotje Schoots celebrating her victory
Lotje Schoots	Lotje Schoots
Fabienne Lutkemeier	Fabienne Lutkemeier
Fabienne Lutkemeier
Kirsten Sieber	Mafalda Galiza Mendes
Johanna Dueboje on Brownie	Charles Hutton on Merlin Nemorensis
Anna Cathrine Elkjaer-Holm on Bernstein	German Thea Felicitas Muller. After their disappointing performance on Thurday, Thea suspected that something wasn't quite right with him and had him checked by the team vet, Dr. Merz. He thought it might be an inflamed nerve in the face, and they decided to withdraw him from the competition. From Ermelo they transported him to a clinic on Sunday, where the diagnosis was confirmed. "He is being treated, and he has some time off now," mother Bettina Moller said.
Sara-Henrietta Bergström-Källström with Garcia	Sara-Henrietta Bergström-Källström
Snap Shots
Veronique Henschen on Fontalero	Mara de Vries with Incredible
Anky van Grunsven training students	Tineke Bartels, Dutch Chef d'Equipe
Tineke Bartels and Coby van Baalen	Johann Hinnemann, Tineke Bartels, Coby van Baalen
The German girls gave their team coach, team vet and chef d'equipe each a pair of "klompen" as a souvenir. They all signed them; here's only four (Louisa, Friederike, Charlott, Nicola).	The Italian team
Silvia Ikle	Ikle training the Swiss Sophie Aiko Müller
Van Silfhout with his father Alex and Tineke Bartels showing something	Van Silfhout

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