The competition in Oliva Nova, Spain, was all about the most talented young riders and their horses, as it hosted the European Show Jumping Championships for Children, Juniors and Young Riders – in the Young Riders’ category, a Holsteiner mare won two gold medals.
Classic Touch DH by Casall-Corrado I (Johann Peter Lass, Leck), line 162, with Thibeau Spits in the saddle, did not knock a single fence. The pair thus secured both team and individual gold for Belgium. For Spits, it was the perfect end to his Young Riders career: “Thank you, Classic Touch, for jumping so fantastically.”
In addition, Baloucan by Baloubet du Rouet-Cancara (Oliver Hartz, Vaalerfeld), line 2027, and Hannes Ahlmann secured silver for Germany in the Young Riders’ team competition.
In Falsterbo (SWE), the podium places in the Sixbar jumping competition were all taken by Holsteiners: the winner was Cassiopeia by Casall-Corrado I (Joachim Schiedel, Grande), line 260, ridden by Maksymilian Wechta (POL). Second place went to the Contador-Casall daughter Clarissa van de Helle, bred by Silke Zuba (Wesselburen), line 730B, ridden by Elin Ott (SUI). And bronze went to Diarthago SN by Diarado-Carthago (Birgitta Jonasson, SWE), line 8185, ridden by Bruce Goodin (NZL).
Dressage
In Kronberg (GER), Aperol by Ampère-Aljano (Heidi Blohm, Hamburg), line 8797, and Juliane Brunkhorst took fourth place in the Grand Prix and fifth place in the Grand Prix Special. The bay horse entered the sport under the Finnish rider Emma Kanerva and has been racking up ribbons with Brunkhorst since 2022. In the USA, specifically in Grass Lake, Cesca Estella (Susanne Schmidt, Ahrensbök), line 8185, took second place in a St. Georg class. She is a daughter of Helenenhof’s Catoo out of a Cor de la Bryère dam and was ridden by Jessie Myers (USA).
Further results for Holsteiners from around the world can be found here:
Photo by Stefan Lafrentz: Thibeau Spits and Classic Touch DH
