Wednesday July 26, 2006

Euro Update: Diederik van Silfhout and Valentina Truppa Win 2006 European Junior/Young Riders championships

Italian Valentina Truppa and Dutch Diederik van Silfhout Won the 2006 European Junior and Young Riders Championships in Stadl Paura, Austria. Aboard the 9-year old gelding Chablis (by Castro x Leonardo II), the 20 year old Italian Young Rider Valentina Truppa dominated by far the Individual Young Riders Finals at the 2006 European Championships. She won the kur to music with a 1,850% difference to the second placed Dutch Lorraine van de Brink. German Kristina Sprehe won bronze.

Dutch Diederik van Silfhout became the 2006 European Junior Riders Champion in an extremely tight duel with German Verena van der Linde. Although German Van der Linde and her mare Mitchell (by Inspekteur) were dominating the 2006 European Junior Riders Championships in the first two tests, she was unable to pull it all the way and claim the gold medal. The Individual Finals' Kur to Music was a true German-Dutch dressage thriller. Van Silfhout presented a brilliant freestyle and got a dream result of 74,750%. After his ride, Verena van der Linde equalled his level and achieved exactly the same score of 74,750%. However, the decision about who wins gold is officially based on the artistic note, in which there was one point difference between Van Silfhout and Van der Linde. Aboard the KWPN stallion Paddox (by Ferro), Diederik van Silfhout won the European Junior Riders Championships. The bronze medal went to German Tom Berg.

Heike Kemmer, 2006 German Dressage Champion

Heike Kemmer and Bonaparte became the 2006 German Dressage Champion for female riders. Kemmer won the Grand Prix Special and Kur to Music and placed second in the Grand Prix. Klaus Husenbeth and Piccolino became the German Male Dressage Champion. Germany is the only country that separates its champions based on gender. Kemmer, however, was overall the best scoring rider at the Championship with scores of 76.583 % (Grand Prix), 76.920 % (Special), and 82.400% (Kur).

German Team for the 2006 World Equestrian Games Announced

German chef d'Equipe Holger Schmezer has announced the team that will represent Germany at the 2006 World Equestrian Games hosted in Aachen, Germany, August 20-September 3, 2006. After the 2006 German Dressage Championships, Schmezer decided to select Heike Kemmer (Bonaparte), Isabell Werth (Warum Nicht or Satchmo), Klaus Husenbeth (Piccolino) and Nadine Capellmann (Elvis VA). The reserve is Hubertus Schmidt on Wansuela Suerte.

Absent from the team is Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff and Sterntaler Unicef. The pair failed to impress at the German Dressage Championships and lost its team spot there. Last year, Linsenhoff was member of the gold medal winning team at the 2005 European Dressage Championships.

More Euro News at www.eurodressage.com
Photo courtesy: Michael Rzepa - www.horsepictures.at

Related Links
Valentina Truppa Scores at CDI Barzago
Heike Kemmer Wins 2006 Kampmann Cup
Monica Theodorescu and Heike Kemmer, Come Back Kids