Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot 2022–Spain’s Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo and Euclides Mor won the CDI43* Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday for the second victory this year Juan and the 13-year-old Lusitano gelding scored 76.420% for the win The pair were on Spain’s team at the 2019 and 2021 European Championships Claudio Castilla Ruiz and Lario de Adama de Susa was second on 75.045% with Cristina Wagemans Rovira on Ellington third on 72.030% with all four top places filled by Spanish combinations - Text and Photos © Lily Forado From 9 - 12 May 2024 the CDI3* and CPEDI3* at Las Cadenas equestrian centre in Camarma de Esteruelas became the epicenter of international dressage in  Spain The event was crucial for riders aiming to secure necessary scores for their future participation in the prestigious summer championships Portuguese Maria Caetano led the charge in the big tour claiming three victories in the Grand Prix level classes ahead of a huge Spanish delegation On Friday 10 May 2024 the Grand Prix began in the afternoon With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees the conditions were hot and heavy for the 16 riders coming down the centerline Portuguese Maria Caetano presented two of her three contenders for this Olympic year She is a regular competitor on Spanish soil and boasts an impressive sporting resume of Spanish victories Aboard  the 12-year old  Hit Plus (by Bretton Woods x Peralta Pinha) she impressed with powerful extensions in trot and canter as well as good collection from behindin the canter pirouettes Being the first and only one to surpass the barrier of  70% unanimously placed her in the first position Alejandro Sanchez on Onuba TRThe second place went to a freshly debuted pair Alejandro Sánchez del Barco with the C.D.E cross bred mare Onuba TR (by Marinero XXXVIII x Don Frederico) She displays great ability to collect in passage and piaffe The third position was taken by a horse that never fails to impress The P.R.E gem (by Cacique IXx  Oficial XXIX)  mesmerizes not only with its beauty but also with its quality of movement After a year without competing due to injury the stallion was rewarded with several eights in piaffe His lack of practice and experience in the  arena  was reflected in the one-tempi changes with a slight lack of straightness Daniel Pinto on Licor da ToulaThe following days Maria Caetano continued with her winning streak she danced with 12-year old Lusitano Horizonte (by Rico x Icaro) in the musical freestyle test The second place went to Yvonne Losos de Muñiz with her 19-year old Dutch mare Aquamarijn (by United x Gribaldi) Pedro Triviño rounded out the podium with Azor de Massa Maria concluded her conquest with another victory Aboard Hit Plus she won the GP Special was 71.234% The second place went to Claudio Castilla with Hi-rico Do Sobral who was the Spanish champion in 2019 at the age of 7 The top three was completed by Daniel Pinto with his new promising buckskin Portuguese horse Antonio Jose Vazquez on Quappuccino van de NetheThe Small Tour smelt liked coffee as Antonio José Vázquez Quintero rode the Belgian bred  Quappuccino Van De Nethe to two first places: in the Prix St Georges with a 68.971 and in the Intermediaire I Kur with a 70.920 Rafael Heredia with Dimancier SN took the victory of the Intermediaire I (68.059) The young horse classes kicked off the competition on Thursday afternoon, featuring a large number of participants, including several medalists from the 2023 Spanish Young Horse Championship. The scores were like “The Dragon Khan,”  a roller-coaster from one of the biggest theme parks in Spain: Port Aventura (Barcelona) The loops with  constant  ups and downs were a mirror of the scores in Las Cadenas  The fluctuations observed highlight the need for standardisation and accuracy in (young horse) judging ensuring that the best performers are accurately recognised and rewarded Most of the riders were seeking the “mandatory scores” for the trials towards the World Young Horse Championships riding Baltik Star opened the arena and delivered a clean and fluid test the winner was Claudio Castilla with the Lusitano horse Pendragon Tineo The second place went to José Alejandro Alcaide with Diamond First (76.200) the winner was Olvido CAD from Yeguada Mendoza Cadema They clinched victory with a score of  78.600% Juan José González de Las Cuevas an FragolinoThe reigning Spanish champion of five-year-olds Breaking the ice and being the first to enter the centerline his test displayed great elasticity in trot Saltes TR FRH made a grand debut with his new prefix “FRH” by winning with a score of 82.000% The second place went to the Portuguese rider Frederico Mexia with Ofley Plus (77.400%) moved from the bottom of the rankings in the preliminary test to winning the final with a score of 77.600% Juan José González de Las Cuevas Pimienta achieved a double victory with the Oldenburg horse Fragolino Once again  the Spanish Federation will have to solve a puzzle for team selection for the summer European Youth Championships At the CDI in Camarma the youth riders were very closely ranked so the “Masters” at the upcoming Spanish Championships will be decisive for team selection Alejandro Navarro on Inquieta FSRIn the Children’s category Alejandro Navarro and the mare Inquieta FSR (by Malagueño LXXXIII) won with 72.250%.In the team test Cristina Wagemans' student Mar Pena Rios and Brandour B rose to the top with 76.200% In the individual test Francisco Antonio González Szarvas and the 17-year old Guaro V aced the class with 76.014%  the Georgian rider based in Cataluña and trained by Lauro Aguiló mesmerised everyone with her gorgeous pony Steendieks Champ of Glory (by FS Chambertin x The Breas My Mobility) She won the team test on day one with 71.7100% and the Kur with 75.334% Ixone Lacunza Vázquez and Pippin's Playboy (by Molenhorn's Lucky Boy x Aester El Nino) won the Individual test with 71.036% In the junior division Claudio Castilla's student Hugo Melida rode the schoolmaster mare Goya A (by Tornado x Uvamente Sl) and won the team test (68.233) and individual (71.863) riding the Dutch warmblood Hinojo with 74.070 Mar Pena Rios on Brandour BAt Young Riders level Javier Guillén won the team test on Resuelto AS (69.216) Teia Hernández's student Mireia Luz Konovalova and Royal Thunder snatched the victory with 68.039% In the freestyle Javier Guillén returned to the top spot with 72.375 Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's assistant rider and student Júlia Álvarez secured a double gold with the 14-year old Dark Rose De Fangar (by Dancier x Rubin Royal) without dropping below 68% in the Intermediaire II and GP U25 Tania Rodriguez Quintela and the 11-year old Don Index (by Don Index x Weltruhm x Grandseigneur) won the U25 freestyle with 66.458% The next stop for the Spanish riders will be the Spanis Championships the Masters counting for team selection (Youth and Young Horses) and Para-Dressage Championshipss The entry list is growing day by day and already surpassing 35 combinations in Grand Prix German based professional riders such as Borja Carrascosa and Severo Jurado will travel to Spain to fight for the coveted title Embed on your websiteClose×Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site<iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/05/20/dentist-offices-reopen-coronavirus"></iframe> Here & Now's Tonya Mosley speaks with Dr. Romesh Nalliah clinical professor of dentistry at the University of Michigan Your film Accidentes was accepted into two festivals Accidentes started as a short story for the creative writing class Intro to Fiction Writing I took in fall 2019 I couldn't stop imagining it as something more The story itself was inspired by another project that I took part in last year a short film called Terrícolas written and directed by Camilo Fonseca a student filmmaker from TAI Film School in Madrid I was an actress and played one of the three main characters Accidentes has nothing to do with Terrícolas but working on that project I was eager to know how Bruna Exploring that moment made Accidentes flourish and Accidentes is also very inspired by it I gathered an amazing crew and cast student actors I have always known that I wanted to be a filmmaker and when I got to Oberlin I had been eager to make films You’ve also produced several short personal narrative films as part of a cinema studies class (CINE 298) In Familia my little brother Alex narrates his own drawings of our family Alex is five years old and has cystic fibrosis a genetic chronic degenerative disorder that affects his respiratory and digestive systems I believe that his view is very unique during these times especially with his background and illness so I wanted to use that perspective to talk about my family I couldn't resist only showing it in class It received an amazing response and got thousands of views and shares It was also broadcast in an online event hosted by my brother's hospital in conjunction with National Cystic Fibrosis Day as cystic fibrosis is an illness that is not so well known but completely changed our lives We want to raise awareness about it and how it affects families In the case of Pueblo I wanted to create something that not only spoke about myself but also the Spanish people and how this pandemic is affecting our culture which comes from the celebrations of every year's harvests that has been passed on generation after generation that we celebrate today every Spanish town parties together and enjoys spending time with family and friends on multiple local events including concerts These parties went on even during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) but most towns and cities are not going to celebrate this tradition in 2020 because of COVID-19 That has had an immense impact on our country at all levels but mostly on our morale as we have been deprived of a most dear tradition.  I am currently working on creating a documentary about my grandfather and my town that focuses on stories from older individuals in these times I have an idea in mind that I can't execute right now because of social distancing restrictions but as soon as I can get in the field I’ll start working on it.  Watch the trailer for Accidentes by Alba Robledo Díaz As a recent recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship Tanisha Shende ’26 will continue to work toward educational equity and responsible technology Five Oberlin faculty members received Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2023-24 academic year who majors in history and minors in Spanish and Africana Studies will graduate this semester after a vibrant and fulfilling time at Oberlin College Oberlin has separate application processes for the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music You have exceptional musical talent and intellectual enthusiasm.We have a place just for you a Spanish team horse at the 2022 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo has been sold to the Swiss syndicate "Team Fuchs."  The ride has been allocated to Martin Fuchs' girlfriend Will Marq is a 9-year old Spanish Sport Horse (CDE) registered gelding by Rio Marq (by Rosario x Dream of Glory) out of Louisiana (by Lanciano x Raueck) The bay was acquired by Antonio Seguí Sintes as a two-year old and saddle broken by Moises Segui Will Marq made his show debut as a 4-year old in 2020 under Moises but as of 2021 Antonio took place in the saddle himself Their international debut was in the 5-year old classes at the CDI Camarma de Esteruelas A year later Antonio and Will Marq returned to the CDI Camarma (better know as Las Cadenas) and also went to Deauville to clinch a spot on the Spanish team for the 2022 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo where they were 25th in the 6-year old consolation final In 2023 the pair showed in the national 7-year old classes and placed 14th in the 7-year old Masters in 2024 they showed at Prix St Georges level Swiss show jumper Martin Fuchs and Israeli sponsor Ilan Ferder purchased Will Marq after Simone tried him out at Antonio's yard in Menorca Source: Lilyforado.com - Photo © Astrid Appels Related LinkSpanish Horses Selected for 2022 World Young Horse Championships American young Grand Prix rider Callie O'Connell has secured the ride on a new Grand Prix hopeful from Europe She will continue the sport career of the 8-year old Franky di Fonteabeti Franky is an Italian bred Hanoverian stallion by Franklin out of F-Bionika di Fonteabeti (by Wynton x Gribaldi) He is bred by Riccardo Volpi and Luisa di Antonelli at his brood farm Fonte Abeti in Sansepolcro In 2020 Nausicaa Maroni acquired the 4-year old Franky from his breeder and put the ownership in her son's name She premiered him internationally in the 5-year old young horse classes at the CDI Ornago In 2022 and 2023 the bay gelding because Italian Champion in the 6 and 7-year old division under Maroni She also showed him at CDI's in Camarma de Esteruelas In June 2024 the horse was sent into training with German based Spaniard Borja Carrascosa He competed franky in the Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier in Gorlitz in August where they scored 71,4% in the warm-up round and 71,7% for a 5th place in the actual qualifier A month later at the qualifier in Donaueschingen they were second with 72,3% Callie O'Connell on EatonFranky has now been sold to the U.S.A and will continue his journey with Callie O'Connell "It is a great honor that a horse trained by us has been chosen by such a prestigious stable," said Nausicaa we are proud of the journey we’ve had together and can’t wait to see him shine on the international fields." O' Connell  is best known for riding Eaton to silver at the 2022 U.S. Under 25 Championships and to bronze at the 2024 U.S "I am still processing that it all came together the way it did I could go on forever but truly I just want to say thank you Betsy Dangel for making it all happen," said Callie "Here is to chasing dreams and seeing what the future holds I am so excited to be on this journey with you and to continue to develop this special horse." Photo © Stefan Lafrentz - Astrid Appels and CDE (Spanish Sport Horse) have announced the horses that will represent  Spain at the 2024 World Championships for young dressage horses in Ermelo on 3 - 8 September 2024 then with CDE (Spanish Sport Horse) bred horses and if slots are left the Spanish equestrian federation (RFHE) can select riders on foreign bred horses to represent Spain in Ermelo  ANCCE held its final team selection trial for PRE horses at the 2024 CDI-YH Segovia The complete Spanish delegation now includes by Karanka CEN x Jordan de Centurion) ridden by Joseph Robert Hunt (GBR) Photo © Lily Forado Olaia Aguilar Marimon and the KWPN bred stallion Exposition Boy moved to the forefront of the game in the small tour classes held at the 2019 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas in Spain on 15 - 17 March 2019 CDI debutant Exposition Boy made his first ever CDI ride count and won the Prix St Georges in a field of 13 international dressage riders Olaia Aguilar Marimon steered the bay to a 69.735% winning score ahead of Mónica Blázquez Lopez-Muñiz on Flash -(66.824%) and Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo in Grison  (66.647%) In the Intermediaire I the next day the pair landed second place with 67.265% behind Cristobal Belmonte on the 8-year old Oldenburg bred Santos OLD (69.412%) and ahead of Spanish based Luxembourg rider Isabelle Costantini on Fifth Avenue (67.206%) "At this show Exposition Boy was a little bit hot with the mares but he is so nice and working was really concentrated," Olaia told Eurodressage "We only competed two days because we just start with this level and we are making the kür the 10-year old Dutch warmblood Exposition Boy is by Spielberg out of an Obelisk dam) He made his first headlines six years ago by winning a Dressage Talent Competition in Holland as a 4-year old under Carola Kulik-Paauwe "Barbara is the most sweet and nice person in the world," Olaia gushed "We have a such a nice connection; we think really similar and we have a lot of projects together For me Barbara is a such a good friend and a really smart and nice girl I'm really in love with Barbara and her horses." Agular Marimon made her international show debut as a young rider in 2014 competing the then 20-year old KWPN gelding Management (by Investment x Zuidhorn) for one year Olaia returned to the CDI ring four years later in 2018 with Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's 15-year old Dio Domingo (by Don Frederico) The 25-year old Olaia is an assistant trainer at Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's Villa Equus in Barcelona The professional rider worked her way up the ranks She then worked a stint at Lucas Elias and Nuria Vila's BCN Horses in Barcelona before moving to Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's three years ago "First i started there as a working student but now I'm a rider there and i'm so happy," said Olaia "In the afternoons I teach some students and I ride some horses of some clients out of Villa Equus but I have to say that the most important thing that i leant is the system to make the horses happy in their work we go hacking and do new things to make them stronger and healthier Olaia aims to go to the 2019 Spanish Championships this summer as well as gain some mileage at international shows She praises the stallion for his temperament and work ethic but if have to talk about Magic (Exposition Boy) I have to say he is a gentleman," said Aguilar Marimon "He is so calm and serious and a such a good worker but also strong and with really clear ideas I think he is happy working and he is one horse that loves to work go hacking and do different and new things A year and a half after officially retiring from competition sport Juan Matute Guimon's 20-year old Don Diego has made his return to the arena under Luxembourg young rider Celine Wagner at the 2023 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas on 12 - 14 May 2023 Don Diego is by Don Frederico out of Wie Platine (by Wolkenstein II x Matcho AA) Don Diego was discovered by Juan Matute Azpitarte at the 2007 Hanoverian Spring Elite auction in Verden but Juan kept the 4-year old Don Diego in training in Spain In 2008 the tall black gelding made his debut on the national circuit ridden by Enrique Brewah Granados In 2011 José Antonio García Mena took over the reins and showed Don Diego in the international small tour classes at the Sunshine tour in Vejer de la Frontera They won silver medal at the 2011 Spanish Small Tour Championships With Jose Mena at the 2011 Sunshine TourIn the winter of 2011-2012 Don Diego joined the Matutes in Wellington where he became Juan Matute junior's career starting horse taking him from junior level to Grand Prix The pair made its international show debut at junior level at the 2012 CDI West Palm Beach They competed extensively in Florida that winter with twelve competition starts of which eleven were winning ones The gelding took Juan to his first European Championships where they were 25th in the individual test In 2013 the pair finished fourth at 2013 European Junior Riders Championships In 2014 they competed in the senior small tour in Wellington and finished the season there with their first Under 25 CDI start In 2015 the duo rode in its first World Cup qualifiers in Wellington In 2016 they achieved the apex in their career together representing Spain at the inaugural European under 25 championships in Hagen where they won short Grand Prix test bronze Bronze at the 2016 Under 25 EurosAs of 2017 Matute's younger horse Quantico took over the number one spot in the barn while Don Diego continued to compete non stop in the Under 25 as well as the senior Grand Prix divisions In 2017 they became Spanish Under 25 Champions in Segovia In 2018 Don Diego went full throttle with a full Wellington season followed by CDI Segovia and CDIO-U25 Aachen He then got a long break and returned to the arena at the 2019 CDI Doha In the 2020-2021 corona years the aging Don Diego was able to shift down a gear and only did two shows in Wellington 2020 and then was off from CDI competition for fifteen months as Juan suffered a life-threatening brain bleed in May 2020 from which he has fully recovered In 2021 Don Diego returned to the CDI stage at Camarma de Esteruela In October 2021 it was announced that Don Diego would be officially retired from sport after 11 years competing internationally of which eight were at Grand Prix level The gelding went down his final centerline at the CDI4* Madrid the now 20-year old black Hanoverian has returned to the international arena under Luxembourg's Céline Wagner Celine and Juan Matute Guimon"I am currently a student at IE University (in Madrid) where I am doing a dual degree in Business and International Relations," said Wagner "I have always been a very passionate horse rider thus I reached out to the Matute Family They have been very generous to me to offer Juan‘s super star At the 2023 CDI Camarma de Esteruela Wagner and Don Diego competed in the Young Riders' team test Wagner, who is not related to Luxembourg dressage Olympian Nicolas Wagner told Eurodressage that Don Diego was put back in work after he looked unhappy retired in the field he was not happy in the retirement," said Wagner So Juan decided to put him back to the barn He never lost his ambition to the training as a young rider I need much to learn and Don Diego is the best school master I could ask for." Celine and Don DiegoThe 21-year old Spanish based Wagner made her international show debut in 2019 at the CDI Leudelange aboard the 5-year old Soleil d'Amour (by San Amour x Dacaprio) Two years later she returned to the CDI ring in Cascais competing the now 9-year old Hanoverian Demian (by De Niro x Dimaggio) Céline showed the grey gelding in three CDI's: Cascais Celine plans to learn as much as she can from Don Diego this show season "We have only been training for a short period of time so there is a lot of room for improvement from my side," she explained "We are looking to compete in a few small shows for this season Juan‘s mother will further enjoy riding him later this year." Photos © Lily Forado - Astrid Appels Related LinksScores: 2023 CDI Camarma de EsteruelasJuan Matute Guimon Retires Don Diego from Sport --- Text and Photos © Lily Forado On 11 - 14 May 2023 equestrian centre Las Cadenas in Camarma de Estertuelas near Madrid hosted the last domestic CDI before the 2023 Spanish Dressage Championships the audience witnessed all types of weather scenarios: intermittent gusts of wind The facilities presented certain changes compared to last season such as a grass floor in the restaurant area as far as the stands for the spectators are concerned there is a clear lack of space and places in the shade the judging in the young horses classes was like the weather: a constant change of scores with several horses posting a difference of eight points but shouldn't there be similar judging from day one to day two because a big artillery of PREs horses showed  in order to obtain the scores for the qualification process for the World Championships of Young Dressage Horses in Ermelo in August the 3* Grand Prix generated a lot of expectation there was the international return of Tokyo Olympic mount Elegance and on the other there was excitement for seeing the new emerging promises Guillermo Garcia on Poeta de SusaetaIn the Grand Prix, the weather did not help at all. As if we were in the Sahara, the gusts of wind were very rush. It was very uncomfortable for both rider and horse. After a one year break due to an injury Beatriz Ferrer-Salat was back on track with Elegance (by Negro x Monaco) She faced the central line and with her focus “on”  and rode  stride by stride The horse's tension due to the wind was noticeable her expertise and tried to correct everything she could in the face of adversity The little whoops in the tempi diagonals had an impact on their final score of 70.370% The second position with 69.544% went to one of the  great prospects of the PRE breed the 11-year old Poeta de Susaeta (by Cacique IX x Oficial XXIX) under the saddle of Guillermo García Ayala made his debut this year at Grand Prix level The podium was closed by Juan Antonio Jiménez with his second mount the 9-year old Hanoverian Quartar (by Quantensprung) The early birds and loyal fans were on spot to see the Grand Prix Special that started on Sunday at 8:30 am Beatriz faced the GPS with a voracious appetite With the impressive focus and security of Beatriz the Tokyo Olympic finalist chained exercise after exercise with great harmony the rhythm  was accurate as an exquisite Swiss precision clock There was complete unanimity from the jury in her number one spot but a huge difference of six % points between them with 78,936% being the highest score and 72,447% the lowest Claudio Castilla on SardonClaudio Castilla rode his third mount the 14-year old Hanoverian Sardon de Adama de Susa (by Sandro Hit x Wordly) If Lario de Adama de Susa and Hi-Rico Do Sobral are his two big bets this year The son of Sandro Hit presented one of the best piaffes of the class after Elegance his second place was one of the big surprises The trio of champions was closed by Poeta de Susaeta The pearl of the Yeguada Susaeta brood farm hypnotizes Guillermo Garcia Ayala presents  the stallion better and better and knows how to highlight every point of the horse This stallion  has just taken off at this level and his journey in the Grand Prix will be one to watch Lucia Gallardo on Hip By JohnsonThe fourth position went  to one of the combinations  that is on everyone's lips in Spain who already has extensive mileage at GP level with Symphonie is now starting again with her new promise Hip By Johnson (by Johnson x Negro) The 11-year old Dutch warmblood Hip by Johnson has impressive power in the hindquarters The quality of the collected movements is jaw-dropping The power of the extended trot  contrasts with the subtle delicacy of the energetic passage and piaffe The top five was closed by Juan Antonio Jiménez who season by season present new horses on the highest level the first assault was led by Juan Matute Guimon who continues his professional career with good results aboard Margaret Carrera's 7-year old Dutch warmblood Lexus (by Vivaldi x Ferro) Maria Aponte on Lord of the DanceThe  Intermediate I was won by the Colombian rider Maria Aponte who relocated to Jordi Domingo's yard in Spain in February This is her second international victory with the 13-year old Hanoverian Lord of The Dance (by Londontime x Gelria) Maria is gearing up for the 2023 Pan American Games Her winning score at Las Cadenas was 70.059% In three weeks Spanish dressage enthusiasts will not miss the big show on the agenda: the Spanish Championships on 1 - 4 June 2023 This year Spain will battle for one of three team tickets for Paris 2024 at the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck in September The Spanish Nationals is the first official team selection and observation moment Juan Antonio Jimenez on QuartarThe entry list already has 30 combinations in Grand Prix Will a PRE repeat history and get a spot on the top 3 podium like last year Will Bea continue her legacy and win her 10th national title -- Text and Photos © Lily Forado the curtain of the Spanish Youth Championships fell on a fantastic edition at equestrian center Las Cadenas in Camarma de Esteruelas Despite difficult weather conditions with torrential downpours of rain and muddy conditions the organizing committee showed great adaptability and problem-solving skills to keep the activities running smoothly or as the French say "chapeau," went to the riders Their composure under the pressure of the Championship and their skill were exemplary riding each stride with great expertise despite the challenging conditions and Javier Guillén in Young Riders division were crowned Spanish Dressage Champions 2024 in their respective age categories Triana Vargas knows what it's like to stand on the champion's podium she was the overall champion in the “Alevines” category (9-12 years) The rider from La Rioja started the championship with two wins (89.7% and 78.409%) While she didn’t achieve the expected result in the final her overall point total made her once again the Spanish champion with the 18-year old Hanoverian gelding Don Corleone (by Don Frederico x Markus Deak xx) (232.187) adding a second winner's ribbon to her home collection Triana VargasThe runner-up is Victor Álvarez's student Ònia Maldonado aboard the 15-year old Belgian bred pony Dinky Toy van het Bloemenhof (by Champion de Luxe x Don't Worry) whose progress in this championship has been stellar She secured eighth place in the first qualifier (72.759%) took second in the second qualifier (78.066%) The trio of champions was rounded out by Samuel Delgado's student riding the 10-year old CDE bred Jerte de Valduma (by Pentjab de Vatmo) with a total of 225.269 points In her first season in the Children's category she made a spectacular debut with the bronze medal Alejandro Navarro with the 9-year old PRE mare Inquieta FSR (by Malagueno LXXXIII) missed out on the medals in fourth place overall Hugo Melida on Goya AThe battle for the national junior title came down to three riders in the freestyle: Hugo Melida Hugo Melida was crowned Spanish Champion for the third consecutive year this time with the 17-year old CDE mare Goya A (by Tornado x Jazz) Hugo’s success story with Goya A began in 2022 when they competed together in the national arena in the Children's category highlighted by his title as Spanish Children's Champion in 2022 and as a European Championship finalist Hugo claimed the Spanish Juveniles 0* Champion's title After scoring 69.97% in the team test and 69.471% Melida and Goya A needed a freestyle victory to take the gold His performance was synchronized with the melodies of the Top Gun soundtrack "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin accompanied the walk part while Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" set the scene for the trot phase The combination of exercises  was powerful With nothing to lose and everything to gain and the panel of judges rewarded his quality with a remarkable score of 75.250% which put his overall total at 214.691 points for the champion sash CampoLaia Garcia and  the 13-year old NRPS bred Golddigger (by Furst Fugger x Sandro Hit) secured the silver just as she did in 2021 in the Children's category aboard Volvo She was consistent in the first two rounds with 69.212% and 70.677% the Valencian rider took risks in every movement Her routine became increasingly challenging delighting the audience with flying changes while holding the reins in one hand Her only slip-up was a slight misstep in a trot extension where she broke stride and shifted into a canter Her final score was 71.905% which brought her overall total to a silver medal earning 211.794 points Maria Campo and her 15-year old Oldenburg gelding Stendley Hit (by Sancisco x Nandino xx) debuted on the podium and took home the bronze medal She scored 68.606% in the team test and 70.176% in the individual In the freestyle she performed to Coldplay melodies and didn’t make any mistakes Her score of 72.895% placed her second in the class and third overall The battle for the Young Riders title was a dramatic one with twists and turns one only sees in Hollywood thrillers Mireia Luz and Jaime Gregorio -- were neck to neck and the freestyle turned all decisive for the podium places Javier Guillen on Resuelto ASJaime Gregorio with the 9-year old Westfalian stallion Rock It (by Rock Amour x Ferragamo had won the team test  (70.029) but Mireia Luz and her 19-year old Hanoverian Royal Thunder (by Royal Highness x Londonderry) won the individual test (70.529) Last year's champion Javier Guillen was each time very closely on their heels aboard his 12-year old PRE Resuelto AS (by Barquero XXVI x Italic AS) He was second in the team test (69.882%) and third in the individual (69.853%) So the freestyle decided the champions table and amongst the podium hopefuls the reigning Spanish Young Riders Champion Javier Guillén was first to go in the arena of the medal hungry trio he presented a choreography with great difficulty with only a single mistake in one of the tempi series His 73.030% score made it clear that he was in the fight for gold The student of Teia Hernández danced to classical music with notable trot and canter extensions set to very fitting music but she made up for it on the final centerline by performing her “joker” line to improve her four-tempis Her final score of 70.870 secured her fourth place in the freestyle He had a dream season after competing in the European Championship and gold seemed within reach a loose horse on Arena 3 caused a three-minute delay Jaime began his test to the beat of “Hit the Road Jack.” He connected several turns and trot half-passes the bell was rung as the judges noticed that the horse had bit itself and his saliva was red What promised to be an epic Young Riders battle turned into a bitter end for Jaime Javier Guillén retained his title in the Young Riders category with a total of 212.765 points he was Junior champion  and in 2023 Young Riders champion Several riders have achieved four national titles Javier has become the only one to win four Spanish Championships consecutively proving that this breed is competitive against warmblood GarciaThe silver medal went to Mireia Luz (210.134) who bid farewell to her great partner in the arena The 19-year old Royal Thunder will be retired from sport Mireia has added several medals to her collection (2020 bronze Juveniles 0* it was Pablo García made his individual medal debut and got the bronze Aboard Juan Antonio Jimenez' 8-year old Dutch warmblood Let It Go (by Tiesto x Spielberg) he was never far off from the three favourites for the podium placed 70.059% in the individual and 71.58% in the freestyle With a beautiful entrance in walk to the sound of Madonna's “Just Like a Prayer,” Garcia began his freestyle linking a series of three-tempis and then a half-pirouette in canter The test presented high technical difficulty notably a diagonal from F to K on which he performed a half-pirouette at each letter a very precise and challenging combination which he executed with distinction Pablo rode the trot section to “Self Control” by Laura Branigan with only a minor fault in an transition from walk to trot The Spanish Championship is a major source of motivation for youth riders This championship serves as observation and starting point for the following season  for the technical team of the national federation Chilean Grand Prix rider Virginia Yarur Ready has retired her Olympic ride Ronaldo from competition sport Ronaldo is a 19-year old Danish warmblood gelding by Romanov out of Kasey Perry-Glass' Trøstruplund's Scarlet (by Don Schufro) the bay sold to American Cecilia Stewart of Oak Meadows Farm Hickey and Ronaldo made their international CDI debut at small your level in Florida in February 2014 and competed at international small tour level for two years They finished sixth in the kur at the 2014 U.S Championships they were fourth in the Develop Grand Prix Horse Championships Ronaldo disappeared from the CDI scene for two years to return in February 2017 at Grand Prix level They did three CDI's in 2017 and one in 2018 in Wellington with scores in the mid sixties Hickey and Ronaldo in 2015In November 2018 Virginia Yarur purchased Ronaldo through her trainer Yvonne Losos de Muniz out of Andreas Helgstrand's dealing yard in Denmark The new pair made its debut at the 2019 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington and spent the summer in Canada competing in Ottawa and Randbol to gain scores for Olympic individual qualification The 2020 Olympics were postponed by one year due to corona and in 2021 Yarur ended up making it to the Tokyo Games after Bermuda and Venezuela lost its spot with no certificate of capability delivered In Tokyo Virginia and Ronaldo scored 66.227% in the Hrand Prix for a 46th place In 2022 they showed in Wellington and at the CDI Camarma de Esteruelas in Spain before returning to Wellington in 2023 The pair got selected on the Chilean home team for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago Virginia rode Ronaldo to a 12th place in the Grand Prix Special with 68.000% They rode one final Grand Prix test in Wellington on 8 April 2024 after which Ronaldo had a break from showing Yarur announced that Ronaldo has been retired from competition sport and is moving home to  Chile for a quieter life Ronaldo in his last CDI in Wellington 2024"Aldo will stay with me at the place where I train in Chile," Yarur told Eurodressage not demanding at all and maintaining him in good shape I am so grateful to have ridden in competitions such an amazing horse Virginia has no plans on giving up show riding herself and is looking forward to the future with new horses The German Equestrian Federation is holding its first of two selection trials for the 2023 World Young Horse Championships at the DOKR headquarters in Warendorf on 19 - 21 June 2023 On the first two days the selectors saw the 5-year old candidates in training ( June) and ride the preliminary test (20 June) the selectors picked a group of 5-year olds which are eligible to re-present themselves at the second selection trial No less than 30 five-year old horses were presented for training and 29 of them performed the test Best represented sire in the 5-year old group is Secret with three offspring on to the next round Four of the 14 horses are owned by Helgstrand the long list of 6 and 7-year olds will be announced Photo © Lily Forado Text and photos © Lily Forado There is little to say when results speak for themselves Spanish Under 25 rider Alejandro Oliva has been undefeated since he began his career at this level with Decor The student of Juan Antonio Jiménez has been a stand-out rider in the international Under 25 classes at CDI's in Spain and been adding great results to his tally broken records without stopping and above all have gone from much to even more Le Mans and Las Cadenas have been the places  where their light has shone bright Alejandro riding Decor is a winning machine Last weekend his pursuit for gold continued ending with a double win and two new personal records of 73.284% in the Intermediate II and 73.590% in the GP U25 at the 2022 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas Alejandro and DecorThe combination has been unstoppable On 19 March 2022 they first  tested the waters in the U25 at the CDI in Jerez and from that moment his winning streak began His eight victories are quite a feat; very few athletes can boast that number of victories in a row at the international level Alejandro is down to earth and aware of the great horse he has The objective this season is the 2022 European Under 25 Championship in Pilisjaszfalu an 11-year old Hanoverian gelding by Detroit x Herzensdieb which originally came from Germany from horse dealers Kerstin Klieber and Stefan Sandbrink He was previously competed by Joseph Robert Hunt and brought to Grand Prix level by Carlos Bayo Calvo He is owned by Sylvia Fort Brescia De Mulder in partnership with trainer Jimenez Alejandro describes him as a very energetic horse who always wants to work and give his best At the 2022 CDI Camarma de Esteruelas“What I like most about him is precisely that vitality he has in competition he makes me want to give my all," Alejandro explained "I've been riding him since the end of January this year At first it felt like a bit of responsibility because he is a high quality horse and had already achieved great scores in the Grand Prix with Carlos (Bayo Calvo) but with patience and work everything is turning out as he would have never dreamed of I am really grateful to Juan Antonio for giving me this opportunity and being able to enjoy him.” When asked what these eight victories make him feel like the truth is that I have really enjoyed all of them but perhaps the most special was Inter II in Jerez de la Frontera we had only been together for a short time I was intrigued by what the judges would think It was nice to debut the horse with those results and in such a special place as the Real Escuela.” the Under 25 category has been able to mark its competition season highlight with a European Championship the members of the Spanish team were Juan Matute with Don Diego Pablo Gómez Molina with Tarpan Ymas and Erik Balasch with Dorado while Pablo Gómez and Juan Matute were among the top 10  of the Kur the Spanish participation has been very interesting In 2017 Matute won bronze again with Quantico and in 2019 Diego Martínez del Moral qualified for the Freestyle and in 2020 that luck befell Ruben Mengual A look at the FEI Under 25 World Ranking shows that a Spaniard is leading: Sergio García Bermejo on Hexagon's Innuendo Spain has two solid horses for the European U25 Championships The 2022 Spanish Dressage Championships in Barcelona the first week of June will be the first official team selection trial and decisive for these Under 25 riders Brazilian team rider Pedro Tavares de Almeida has withdrawn from competing at the 2022 World Championships Dressage in Herning which leaves Brazil without a team as no fourth or reserve rider was appointed Almeida's 13-year old home bred Lusitano Famous do Vouga is not fit to compete "Unfortunately after our first international GP victory and just weeks before the World Equestrian Games in Denmark Famous got travel sickness," the 28-year old Pedro explained "Thinking about the well-being of this great horse we choose to withdraw from the games Famous is already feeling better and soon will be ready for the next challenges It is all about the journey not the destination." For 10 days Famous was hospitalized in an equine clinic in Düsseldorf, Germany, for treatment of a lung infection, the owner reported Pedro and Famous were selected for Herning alongside João Vitor Marcari Oliva (Escorial Horsecampline) and Nuno Chaves de Almeida (Feel Good VO) "After a long journey away from home i couldn’t be more proud or thankful to Famous this great companion that was born and raised at our stud farm in Brazil," said Pedro who is currently training in Spain with Jose Antonio Garcia Mena Famous do Vouga is by Riopele out of Vindima Vouga (by Famoso x Uranio) Pedro and Famous made their international show debut in May 2021 at the CDI Abrantes in Portugal That year they also scored in Cascais and Le Mans Camarma de Esteruelas and most recently at the CDI Segovia at the beginning of July where they scored a double victory with a 70.522% score in the Grand Prix and 72.426% in the Special Luxembourg Grand Prix rider Isabelle Costantini has announced that she will be retiring her number one Fifth Avenue is 14-year old KWPN mare by Romanov out of Rita Morka (by Jazz x Zuidhorn) Originally named Famorka and coming from one of KWPN's best dam lines with Rita Morka as her dam, Famorka was first competed by Femke de Laat as a 3-year old and finished 6th in the VWF Dressage Cup In 2014 she placed 7th in the VSN Trophy Finals and finished 10th in the 2014 Pavo Cup semi-finals Famorka was put in foal and in 2016 produced the ET-foal La Morka (by Toto Jr) which sold to Sweden to Elizabeth and Amanda Axtelius In 2015 the mare sold to Spanish based Bermudan dressage rider Annabelle Collins and her company Newmarket Investments Collins competed the mare as a 6-year old at the CDI's in Oliva Nova and Segovia before representing Spain at the 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo where they were 24th in the consolation finals In 2017 her husband Agusti Elias rode the mare at CDI's in Valencia and Sant Marti Vell They won the 2017 Spanish Young Horse Championships for 7-year olds Agusti Elias on Fifth Avenue at the 2017 Spanish Young Horse ChampionshipsCollins sold Fifth Avenue to Luxembourg rider Isabelle Costantini who was looking for a successor for Pari Aiko (by Akinos x Loran) Earlier she represented Luxembourg at the 2013 European Championships in Herning aboard Rimbeau (by Royal Diamond x Westrich) In 2016 Costantini had moved to Barcelona and is a student of Collins/Elias The pair premiered at small tour level at the CDI Nice in February 2019 From there they went to the CDI's in Camarma de Esteruelas A two-year break from international showing followed but they returned at mediul tour level at the CDI Le Mans in October 2021 Nationally they continued at medium and big tour level Their last show was at Grand Prix level on 23 March 2024 Isabelle has announced her decision to retire the mare from top sport level "After 6 years of competitions with Fifth Avenue Bcn after many victories in small tour and medium tour I realize that my lovely mare does not feel all right in competitions," said Isabelle "She doesn’t like to be separated from her friends She gets very nervous in the box and shouts and turns around But most of the competitions she feels stressed She is actually more happy the moment of the riding then all the rest of the day in the stable." For Costantini it's a sign that her mare does not like the competition environment "So I have to be coherent with my slogan: Respect my horse," she stated I will maybe stick to a few small local one day competitions Having trained up to here with all my heart my strengh and my illusion of a coming back into the international big tour scene with a very talented horse Photos © www.lilyforado.com Canadian Under 25 Grand Prix rider Brooke Mancusi has added a new horse to her collection Dejohn is a 16-year old Dutch warmblood by Johnson out of Saloniki (by Sandro Hit x Waitaro) He is bred by the family Dorgeloos-Mannens at stud farm De Kleine in Susteren the bay gelding sold to Bermuda's Rozalind Collins and her son-in-law Agusti Elias He made his international show debut as a 6-year old at the home show CDI Barcelona in March 2014 under Annabelle Collins Pompadour and Vierzon in the 6-year old tests In 2015 he moved up to small tour level and shows in the Prix St Georges and Intermediaire classes through 2016 at CDI's in Deauville Dimacho was produced to Grand Prix level by Agusti Elias and after a three-year break from the international arena he returned at Grand Prix level in 2019 with Elias at the CDI Nice Annabelle Collins on DimachoLater in 2019 Dimacho sold to Javier Bacariza and Yeguada de Ymas in Spain and was renamed DeJohn Ymas He was trained and competed by their in-house rider where Ymas has a winter based in Wellington They first competed in July 2020 at Intermediaire II level and got 70.294% during the corona pandemic and showed the horse there through 2022 before being able to return to Europe They showed in two CDI's as a pair that summer of 2022: in Meerle (BEL) Their last competition start was in February 2023 in a national Grand Prix class in Wellington DeJohn has now been sold to Canadian Brooke Mancusi In 2022 she showed Kalisto and Wellknown (by Wynton x Havidoff) Last year Brooke's main competition horses were Jill Irving's Grand Prix horse Arthur (by Jazz x Contango) and Melbourne (by Ferdeaux x Krack C) which she showed at national level in Canada With Arthur she was member of the gold medal winning team at the inaugural 2023 North American Under 25 championships The 23-year old Mancusi is a long-time student of Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu Photos © Astrid Appels - Lily Forado - private and Under 25 Grand Prix rider Alejandro Oliva became the winners of the 2022 Spanish Youth Championships in Camarma de Esteruelas for third year in a row Las Cadenas held a massive championships with a lot of success Colour and joy took center stage in the parade as flags of the Spanish regions were flown An explosion of colours flooded the arena and each one of the riders waved their flag with great pride confetti and puffs of smoke painted the sky Hugo Melida and his 15-year old Spanish bred Goya A (by Tornado x Jazz) have been competition on a high this year Without dropping out of the top 3 since their show debut in March 2022 they produced no less than eight victories this season and this combination was the great favourite for the title the rider scored incredible averages above 78% on the last two days (both Individual and Final) the European Championship finalist  confirmed  his level with an excellent score 78,700% the rider executed all the exercises with great accuracy and showed great symbiosis with his mare Hugo was very excited and hugged Goya endlessly Without surprises and with an average of  232.358% points Valvanera Palacios' student concluded his third Spanish championship in the best possible way: crowned champion of Spain The silver medal went to the European Championship finalist and an assiduous rider on the podiums: Carmen Prado with the 11-year old CDE bred Bambino (pedigree unknown) Her regularity throughout the three days allowed her to climb on the silver step on the podium She never disappoints and in recent years he has always reserved a place on the podium The bronze medal was a battle between two Catalan riders Ixone Lacunza is the clear example that nothing should ever be taken for granted and that comebacks are possible Her progression in this championship has been stratospheric The C.A.V.A student and her 11-year old Welsh pony Pippin's Playboy (by Molenhorns Lucky Boy) started in twelfth position she came back to the silver position in the second qualifier and moved to the third position with 72.912% at the finale Javier Guillen on Resuelto AsStarting off as one of the favourites Javier Guillén and his 10-year old PRE bred Resuelto AS (by Barquero XXVI x Italico As) won the first and second qualifier but had Mireia Luz Konovalova on his heels as his closest rival The fight for the golden medal was decided by the freestyle in a very intense and interesting duel Javier Guillén and Resuelto AS danced with the same choreography like last year His floorplan was tremendous with a high level of difficulty His gold medal earning score was 74.820% for the freestyle the student of Fernando Ariza has been a winning machine on Spanish soil A 100% gold winning percentage that shows that the P.R.E horse can be competitive His title as Champion of Spain is the finishing touch and best farewell to the level The young man is currently studying Business and Law at the University of Saragossa The silver medal went to Mireia Luz Konovalova on the 17-year old Hanoverian Royal Thunder (by Royal Highness) after scoring bronze in 2020 and silver in 2021 This year she is once again on the silver step but with another year to go at junior level The bronze medal went to Carla Ugena Agramunt with the 11-year old Westfalian Furst Flanagan (by Flanagan x Diamantino) Lauro Aguiló's student made an impressive climb on the score board In the team event she took seventh position in the individual she moved up four places and in the final she sealed second position with 74.100% She  danced to the sound of Girls Just Wanna Have and chained the exercises with great skill Carla Ugena says goodbye to the junior category with another medal for her collection Sergio Moron Basoco has had a roller coaster season this year winning the young riders division at the 2022 CDIO Aachen but he did not make it into the freetyle finals at the 2022 European Young Riders Championships in Hartpury as his horse was tense and spooky in the first two rounds The young rider from Arnedo set the record straight at the Nationals but had to fight for it until the end Sergio Moron on Farnham LSergio and his great team mate the 12-year old Danish warmblood gelding Farnham L (by Furst Rousseau x Hochadel) were in charge from minute one In the first two qualifiers his results were over 73% and on Sunday his participation culminated with his third Spanish title and second the rider rode meticulously to rock and pop tunes The difficulty presented in his test is very impressive and he combined the movements of difficulty with great ease His floorplan was diverse and he was connected trot exercises with strides of canter the public could not contain itself and the applause went to the rhythm of their canter strides He scored 78.745% for his freestyle although the judges scored him between 72.059% and 77.059% A junior champion in 2017 and the Young Riders champion in 2021 Moron returned to  the highest step of the podium this year The silver medal went to a rider who has always been Morón's greatest opponent in Spain: Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt Aboard the 12-year old Hanoverian Romantico Ymas (by Belissimo M x Rubinstein) she impressed with her freestyle test Her chestnut was exuberant in the extensions and tempi changes who placed him only a few tenths behind the winning pair with 72.118% (high score 73.529 Many people in the audience did not share that final result as the spectactor judging had them at 78.240% says goodbye to her years as Young Rider and did so with a meritorious silver medal on an overall score  of 223.270% points who like Carla Ugena went from less to more In the past European Championships María did not have her best performance aboard her 11-year old KWPN gelding Gustaaf (by Charmeur) but this past weekend she was able to overcome the challenge while in the individual she came back with 71.471% Her kur score put her on the podium for bronze with 214.708% points Alejandro Oliva had no rivals in the Under 25 Grand Prix division With his 11-year old Hanoverian Decor (by Detroit x Herzensdieb) the rider was on a clear golden path after winning double individual silver at the 2022 European Under 25 Championships at the end of August Oliva and Decor scored an impressive  79.305% in the freestyle on Sunday The student of Juan Antonio Jiménez concludes his season with the icing on the cake: Spanish Under 25 champion on an overall total of 229.709% points Alejandro Oliva on DecorThe silver medal went to Adrián Roldan with the 12-year old KWPN bred Floyd (by Rousseau x Farrington) the Andalusian rider from Gerona presented a heart-stopping freestyle with a great degree of difficulty followed by one tempis  and again another double pirouette to the tune of Madonna's “Like A Prayer," Roldán and Floyd started off strong Later he was linking multiple extensions of trot and canter combined with the exercises of maximum collection of piaffe and passage including “Take On Me” or “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé One of the movements that was impressive was a canter half pass  to X followed by a piaffe pirouette that changed direction proceeding with a canter pirouette followed by a canter half-pass Adrián knew how to handle the extreme difficulty and executed it very well The bronze medal went to a rider who is a newcomer at the level Alberto García Albela with the experienced 13-year old CDE bred Estoque (by Azucar Da Carniceira) The tunes of “Every Breath you Take” or “English Man in New York” by Sting accompanied the strides of Estoque in his dance choreography In the musical test he obtained a 71.700% for fifth place but with his scores from the Inter II and Short Grand Prix added His foray into the circuit has been the best one could dream of Alberto showed that he is here to stay and that he fights the Galician rider has been the great surprise of this championship Alberto Garcia AlbelaAn interesting fact is that since the Spanish U25 Championships were created in 2017 Cristina Wagemans (2020 and 2021) and recently Alejandro Oliva (2022) are professional riders who have a portfolio of clients The Spanish Championship is one of the great motivators for youth riders The jovial atmosphere and above all enjoyment are what was palpable in the environment This championship is the showcase of the evolution and future of the discipline Las Cadenas has once again organized an outstanding competition equestrian centre Las Cadenas in Camarma de Esteruelas hosted one of the most difficult Spanish championships to date The heavy rain and the electric thunderstorm were the two unwanted guests that turned everything upside down a total of 25 riders fought for the national senior Grand Prix champion's title but in the end Beatriz Ferrer-Salat continued her supremacy with her 1 title Juan Antonio Jiménez was on fire and José Daniel Martin Dockx fought like a champ José Antonio García Mena extended his resumé and won the national title at Small Tour level with Jumeaux The Senior Championship kicked off with the Grand Prix and the bets were on Much was expected of nine-time Spanish champion Beatriz Ferrer-Salat who had only returned to international competition with 15-year old KWPN gelding Elegance (by Negro x Monaco) two weeks before the Nationals after a 1.5 year break due to injury Beatriz Ferrer-Salat put Elegance in the lead with a whopping score of 75,456% A few tenths away and making his intentions for a medal clear were José Daniel Martin Dockx  with the 13-year old PRE stallion Malagueño LXXXIII (by Joyero XXIV x Dominante XVI) Routinier Juan Antonio Jiménez closed the podium with the 14-year old Lusitano Euclides MOR (by Riopele) on 74,870% which had horses and riders wading through pools of water as the all-weather footing could not cope with the amounts had given an idea of who the big players for the podium places were but excitement and hype of the first round would be put "under charge" in the next While the north of Europe is under a dry spell southern countries like Spain and Italy have been dealing with unusually wet weather this late spring a bit of lightning was put on top of that special menu that made the Championships more challenging than ever The best 25 riders from the Grand Prix moved to the second round the sky took a dark grayish tone and the presence of lighthing started crack and snaps were stronger and stronger but the show apparently had to go on as the officials of the Spanish equestrian Federation didn’t make any decision Jose Daniel Martin Dockx on MalaguenoIt was former Spanish team rider Claudio Castilla who got the brunt of it when he entered the arena with his 12-year old Hanoverian Lario de Adama de Susa (by Locksley II x Rotspon) He was one of the riders who got involved in all the drama He was performing the passage to canter transition when all of the sudden the judge in C rang the bell in order to stop his test Claudio Castilla was asked to leave the ring and the GP Special was put on “hold" while the action in the two other arenas kept going (young horses and U25) all riders immediately met with the technical staff of the federation safety and quality of the arena were used on several occasions the Spanish Federation decided to cancel the Freestyle which was originally scheduled for Saturday evening (but on Thursday rescheduled for Saturday morning before all the GP special drama started) So the last group of GP Special riders were allowed do their test the next day The 14 remaining riders had to finish their Grand Prix Special on Saturday This year two rounds counted for the overall ranking Juan Antonio Jimenez on Euclides MORIt all felt like a scenario writers not even in Hollywood could have made up the GPS was the final act of the dramatic championships The fight for the highest honour was heartfelt and like a movie with all its ingredients for suspense José Daniel Martin Dockx and Juan Antonio Jiménez were the lead role actors Juan Antonio Jiménez with Euclides MOR were first to go and in their best element The piaffe and passage part was perfection The collection of eights and nines from the judges was gigantic A great fighter with the cold focus that characterizes her so much She produced an exquisite part of piaffe and passage with a rhythm that was jaw-dropping The canter part was no less: energetic and uphill but on the last center line she made the difference and crowned  herself  champion by scoring 76,149% Beatriz Ferrer Salat and EleganceAfter the WOW moment these two combinations produced the 13-year old Hanoverian mare Divina Royal (by Desparados x Royal Highness) the chestnut mare was marvelous throughout the trot but the big trigger that made the score drop was in the one tempi diagonal in which there was a mistake The last to compete and with nothing to lose was José Daniel Martin Dockx with Malagueno The duo from Malaga once again gave their best shot The extensions contrasted with collection exercises Dockx received a score which divided the judges The highest score was 77.872 and the lowest was 71.277% The judge in E referred him to fifth position with that 71,277 leaving him without option for the silver medal His final average in the Special was 75,404% and therefore the third position in the GPS Beatriz Ferrer-Salat increased her legendary status as Queen of Dressage in Spain and renewzs her reign with an overall of 151,605 points after two rounds a title which she has now captured on her fourth horse after Beauvalais (2001 With Elegance she got her third title after 2020 and 2021 The cabinets at Villa Equus now have 10 Spanish champion sashes Martin DockxThe silver medal (150,891 points) went to Juan Antonio Jiménez with Euclides MOR This metal is the second that he has achieved with the grey stallion at the highest level (2019 - bronze medal) Breathing down Jimenez neck were bronze medal winners  Dockx and Malagueño LXXXIII with only a fraction of points less: 150.709 poinrs the P.R.E is once again at the top and on the podium Spanish Championships Landing just off the podium was Mena with his two competition aces Divina Royal and Sorento as he took fourth and fifth place in the standings The sixth was for a horse that is going to give a lot to talk about and has just started at this level: the Lusitano Gaviao Dos Cedros ridden by Alejandro Asencio They dazzled at Las Cadenas in the piaffe and passage part The seventh and eighth position went to Claudio with his two mounts The ninth for the new star of Juan Antonio Jiménez Teia Hernandez and the PRE bred Romero de Trujillo closes the top 10 in his third Spanish championship The Iberian horse again stands out at the Spanish championships, as the top 10 had three Lusitanos and two P.R.E.  It could even have been more as one of the favourites was absent: Spanish 2022 World Championship team horse and PRE stallion Quincallo de Indalo got injured before the Nationals and was withdrawn Another familiar face absent from the championship was Juan Matute Guimon who rode two CDI's in April with his 17-year old Quantico the first official team selection trial for the 2023 European Championships Jose Antonio Garcia Mena on JumeauxJosé Antonio Garcia Mena and the 9-year old Dutch warmblood bred Jumeaux (by De Niro x Vivaldi) waltzed his way to gold. This duo went from less to more. As a new combination they made the debut in March and since then he paved the way to gold in the Intermediaire I with an impressive 73.000% Mena danced in the freestyle to the sounds of “Faded” and “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 Mena was in his own league and grabbed the golden medal (221.712 points) Mena is the new Spanish Small Tour champion a very important title to adds to one's professional career It should be noted that this title is not the only one for Mena at this level in 2020 with Frimousse and now 2023 with Jumeaux Jacobo Martínez Acitores had the best ending for his partnership with the 10-year old Dutch warmblood Isabeaux VZ (by Chippendale x Johnson) and Jacobo took the ride at the end of the summer This championships was their last performance as the horse will return to his owner The icing of the cake of this wonderful duo came with the silver medal Jacobo fought tooth and nail to stay in the top 3 dropped to fifth position in the Inter I (69.265) and  in the freestyle he climbed to the third place with 74,705% His overall score gave him the right to the second step of the podium (215.441 pts) former Under 25 team rider Júlia Alvarez with the 19-year old Hanoverian Du Pre (by Don Frederico) Las Cadenas has faced one of the most complex editions of the Championship with two guests that no one wanted: rain and lightning For this reason hats off for enduring the downpour and trying to solve the loose ends that occurred in the best possible way with conflicting opinions from everyone but above all for trying to coordinate the management and sudden changes of the Spanish Federation that put the entire championship in jeopardy at the last moment Complete results: small tour - big tour Spanish professional dressage rider Jordi Domingo has sold his Grand Prix horse Dolman to countrymate Alejandra Prat a former international Spanish Young Rider who refound her passion for dressage Dolman is a 14-year old Dutch warmblood by Lord Leatherdale out of Orpa (by Partout x Ulster) The black gelding was competed by Leonie Bos as a youngster in The Netherlands He was third in the 2012 Horsefood Dressage Talent Competition and in 2013 competed on the Subli Cup young horse show circuit Dolman sold to Jordi Domingo and was developed to Grand Prix level The pair made its international show debut at the CDI Segovia in April 2017 at small tour level A year later they debuted at Grand Prix level in Segovia where they were sixth in the Grand prix (67.913%) and fifth in the Special (66.213%) At the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix Championships they were 7th and 8th in the first two rounds but retired in the Kur In 2019 they chased a spot on the Spanish team for the European Championships in Rotterdam and competed at the CDI Camarma de Esteruelas Domingo had two irons in the fire that year with the younger Sonata DSH scoring even higher but competition for a team spot is tough in Spain and they did not selected for Rotterdam They finished 6th at the 2019 Spanish Dressage Championships Domingo and Dolman were long-listed for Tokyo team selection but the pair did not appear in the international show ring for two years They were fifth though at the 2020 Spanish Dressage Championships and ultimately made an international come back in May 2021 at Camarma de Esteruelas wher they were 17th in the Grand Prix (67.174%) and surged to a second place in the freestyle with 72.00% Domingo and DolmanThe 45-year old Alejandra Prat Sandberg is no new comer to the sport although he had a twenty-year break from riding She comes from an important Spanish family of journalists with her father Joaquín Prat being an important radio presenter and announcer in Spain She has ridden dressage from an early age and was Spanish Children Champion on N'est Pas in 1989 In 1995 she was Spanish Young Riders champion on Bartje after having represented Spain at the European Young Riders Championships in Spangenberg (1993) and Vallensbæk (1996) N'Est Pas went on to become Juan Matute Azpitarte's 1992 Barcelona Olympic ride while Bartje was taken over by young Borja Carrascosa in the late 1990s when Alejandra began her career in media "After around 20 years my kids started riding for summer in 2020 and I started to feel something was calling inside me so I asked where to go or what to do," said Prad who used to ride in Madrid but now lives in Barcelona Jordi Domingo gave me the opportunity to try to restart in November 2021 and I had such a big motivation training with him that I bought a horse grown in his home: Jailer Alejandra Prat on Dolman in a clinic with Rudolf Zeilinger (Photo © Linda Swande)In March 2021 Prats revealed in an article in Hola that she was dreaming of competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris Prat owns the 8-year old Dutch warmblood Jailer (by Fairytale x Jazz) and has now added schoolmaster Dolman to her string "By the end of December we started to talk about Dolman," Prat said about how her partnership with Domingo's Dolman took shape "I can say I feel really lucky to ride him now!! I’m feeling more confident every day and Jordi knows “his horse” better than anyone So I think Dolman and I are living a love story right now that hopefully last for a long long time And would like to compete when Jordi Domingo feels we can do it." and Under 25 Cristina Wagemans Rovira became the winners of the 2020 Spanish Youth Championships in Camarma de Esteruelas Equestrian Center Las Cadenas hosted their first Spanish Championships and it was hailed a massive success With restrictions on spectators to the grounds and mandates in effect for mask-wearing and social distancing the Organizing Committee took action to protect the health and provide security to all the attendees  Their organization received an "excellent" recommendation Aside from the four traditional FEI youth rider divisions (children in Spain there are also two special national categories for "Alevines" (9 - 12 year olds) and "Juveniles" (14 - 16 year olds) Samuel Montero on Don MagicChildren was the category that presented the highest level of all Claudia Lledó with the 9-year old P.R.E Cocktail (by Belcebu x Montanes III) took the lead She went to the final as a clear favourite for gold Unfortunately the horse got scared and broke gait in a half circle at trot That episode was devastating for her ranking and she dropped her to fifth place Samuel Montero with the 12-year old Oldenburg bred Don Magic (by San Amour) became Champion of Spain (226,944%) followed by the European finalist Arianna Abad with the 13-year old Oldenburg bred Sunboy  (by Sandro Marq) (226,084%) and on the bronze step of the podium Roser Serrano with the 10-year old Hanoverian bred Babalu de Adama de Susa (by Belissimo M) completed a golden Hat-trick the rider confirmed her level with an incredible average of 74.420% in the Freestyle to music Roser Serrano and BabaluThe silver and bronze medals were a great game of positions A radical spin is what could define the outcome of the winning trio at this level The rider of Aragon can take pride in a great season with his companion the 8-year old PRE bred Resuelto AS (by Barquiero XXVI x Italico AS) Swimming against the current as the undergod and with  prejudice against him that a PRE horse can't make it onto the podium Javier has proven great aptitude of his horse His silver medal is the icing on the cake in his first season at the level Cristina Wagemens' student Paloma Serrano on the 15-year old KWPN bred Ayreto (by Tchaikovsky x Zeoliet) was the clear example of a rider who never gives up Her eighth position in the team test was consoled by a big third position in the Individual To the soundtrack of Pirates of the Caribbean Paloma achieved an impressive second place with 72,295% the champions' table was: gold medal for Roser Serrano (215,205%) silver medal for Javier Guillén (209.252%) and bronze medal for Paloma Serrano (209.203%) Forty-four pairs competed in the young riders' class Carla de La Fuente won the two qualifiers Júlia Alvarez and Sergio Morón exchanged positions in both tests MoronThe atmosphere was electric and the air was thick with anticipation the battle for the coveted title became titanic Sergio Móron was the first to dance and set the tone "My Sharona" byThe Knack and the great fighter song of "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky Moron performed and scored 74.810% to become the interim leader After Sergio Morón's musical delirium came the beautiful performance of Júlia Alvarez with  the 16-year old Hanoverian gelding Du Pre (by Don Frederico x Weltmeyer) The contrast of music between them was even more emotional Riding to the chords of The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack Júlia and Du Pre performed a magical dance Their waltz was a beautiful bonding story for which they got a valuable 76,040% With some pop music and Rockabye's famous song in the background Carla de Fuente went all out  on her 13-year old Hanoverian Fay (by Fidertanz x Goethe) A mistake in the tempi changes every four strides was the turning point of her test  Her score of  74.8% was not enough to beat Júlia prevailed in the general classification and her 220.158 percentage points allowed her to be crowned Spanish Young Riders Champion 2020 Carla de La Fuente earned the reserve national champion title to her large collection of national medals and Sergio Morón and his 10-year old Danish bred Farnham L (by Furst Rousseau x Hochadel) closed the podium Cristina Wagemans Rovira on DreamboatCristina Wagemans had no rivals the 12-year old KWPN gelding Dreamboat BCN (by Voice x Metall) Cristina put on a stellar performance in the freestyle She premiered a piece of music with several changes of rhythm To the sound "Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics Cristina presented a powerful part of piaffe and passage which reached the pinnacle of the music industry has been the triggering force of her choreography on her way to the top Runner up was Adrian Roldan with the 10-year old KWPN bred Floyd (by Rousseau x Farrington) on 200.810% Ana Ceña and the Spanish sport horse bred 14-year old Furco A (by Silverster x Veritas) concluded her participation with a bronze medal 196,947% Text and Photos © Lily Forado - More photos and articles about the Spanish Youth Championships on www.lilyforado.com Results - 2020 Spanish Youth Championships - Camarma de Esteruelas has spent many years producing young horses through to the Grand Prix and is currently one of Spain’s most exciting names along with his recent run of results has confirmed him as one to watch as he moves to takes on the big names of dressage García started this journey by riding as soon as he could walk He counts these early years as the foundation of the partnership he has now with his horses he had the opportunity to be an assistant at Yeguada de Susaeta in Madrid; attending the stud every day asked a young and enthusiastic García to ride a five-year-old mare called Editora and if he would be interested in competing the special mare; a moment Ayala recalls fondly This particular mare is the mother of the now infamous Poeta de Susaeta Head rider at Yeguada de SusaetaGarcía had a hunger to learn and to ride as many horses as he could competing against riders almost twice his age and with great success He always knew that the route to the top would be a long one but his dedication and commitment to learning from others and training horses correctly is winning him praise and attention from fellow riders who is said to be a fan of the rider and Poeta de Susaeta García continues to develop and ride many horses from young horses through to the higher levels with horses such as Nadal de Susaeta; who is currently competing at National level at Grand Prix with scores up to 71% when he began working with the mesmerising Poeta de Susaeta and he knew immediately that there was something very special about the horse In 2016 and 2017 the pairing was unbeatable in the PRE World Championship (SICAB) with averages above 80% They also achieved a Silver Medal in the Spanish Championships and have been to two Young Horse World Championships in Ermelo Garcia was scheduled for his third YH Championships with 7-year-old Qu de Susaeta but unfortunately Covid prevented the show taking place Guillermo and Poeta at the 2021 CDI CamarmaTwo years away from competition allowed Garcia to focus on the horses training and it has been paying off Twelve pairs rode down the center line in the Prix St Georges at the recent CDI Camarma de Esteruelas but it was García who was in a league of his own finishing in the top spot with the much hyped 9-year old Poeta de Susaeta with 73% and 72% in the Inter I against a field of warmbloods We know each other so well; I only have to look at him to know what he is thinking He’s a complete showman and loves an audience I am very privileged to have him in my life,” said Ayala something he has found challenging but says this encourages him to find solutions himself Dressage watchers are excited by the combination of Garcia and Poeta de Susaeta and feel the best is yet to come One thing is for sure; García has the drive patience and talent to succeed and continues to do everything he can to ensure his horses reach their full potential with an Olympic Games as a goal for the future ANCCE (Pre studbook) and ANCADES (Spanish Sport Horse) have issued the selection criteria and trials for team selection for the 2020 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses this year and will take place on 5 - 9 August 2020 The Spanish selection criteria are the same as in 2019: Candidates need to compete in at least three shows - two must be at CDI -  with a score greater than 75% for 5- and 6-year old horses, and 70% for 7-year-old horses. Complete rules here dressage horse breeder and trainer Bert Rutten has been appointed Spanish Young Horse team selector and trainer One clinic per month will be organized for horse/rider pairs that have attained the minimal established criteria for qualification but clinic spots can be filled up with combinations which are close to achieving the criteria based on the discretion of the  ANCCE Dressage Commission All meetings will be organized at venues near the location of the participating horses to reduce possible travel The selection clinics in June will coincide with the RFHE Dressage Selection Masters Attendance is mandatory for those pairs wanting to participate in the World Championship The decision regarding the selection of PRE Team members lies fully with Bert Rutten Calendar of clinics for the PRE Team selection with Bert Rutten: the ANCCE Dressage Commission has called up a number of combinations they believe could be team candidates given that the year has just started and fresh show results are not yet in Participants for this initial meeting include the first three horse/rider pairs ranked in the 4 5 and 6-year-olds at the 2019 ANCCE Cup Final together with the top three members of the PRE Team at Ermelo 2019 If a combination can't make it to the clinic the next pair on the ranking will be summoned The first clinic will be at the Hípica Las Cadenas If the Verden Organizing Committee organizes tests  for 4-year olds as well as for 8/9-year olds and if these classes are announced with insufficient time for proper selection the ANCCE Dressage Commission will choose those pairs considered to be able to offer a good performance Italian Grand Prix rider Laure Clementine Simonnet has passed away unexpectedly after a short illness She initially competed for her birth country France but as of 2014 rode for Italy Laure Clementine inherited the passion for riding from her father She spent her childhood in Paris but was instructed at the National Equestrian Centre in Saumur  After going to college she decided that a life with horses was hers Initially she competed both in dressage and show jumping but after she moved to Italy twenty years ago she first focused more in show jumping before she fully commited to dressage She competed two horses at international dressage level Her first was the Oldenburg gelding Danny Wild RR (by Danny Wilde x Warkant) with whom she made her CDI debut in Vidauban They stayed in the small tour for five years until they did their first and only Grand Prix level CDI in Nice in October 2018 Her second international horse was the Brandenburger mare Donna Argentina (by Diamond Hit x Argentinus) with whom she made her medium tour debut in June 2017 in Pompadour and her Grand Prix debut in October 2018 in Nice Simonnet in 2012She last competed Donna Argentina at the national show in San Giovanni in Marignano at the beginning of February 2022 Laure Clementine sadly passed in her sleep on 27 March 2022 "Clementine was a rarity in the world of dressage a combination of a truly great coach and an amazingly genuine and humble person She will be missed greatly," a close friend of hers told Eurodressage Laure Clementine lost her father Roger Simonnet Related LinksPompadour Show Organizer Roger Simonnet Passed AwayGerman Triumph at Fabulous Fourth Edition of CDI Jiva Hill Stables in Crozet Until recently it was possible to imagine the end of plastic, but Covid-19 has changed the game. Since the pandemic started, there has been a significant increase in plastic waste, such as masks, gloves and gowns and increased purchases of products including disposable wipes and liquid soap Photograph: Dimitris Lambropoulos/AFP/Getty Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Vivek Prakash/AFP/Getty Images