FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, Lanaken (BEL), 27-30 September

The final of the 5 year old class of the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championship for Young Horses strongly resembled a pony cross. No less than 27 horses qualified for the jump off. Going down the start list of the decisive round, riders tried to come up with extreme attempts in order to crack the time of Opera de Rizzi Z (Ogano Sitte x Laeken). But all was in vein, the Columbian rider Dayro Arroyave stayed on top of the ranking.

Two Dutch girls stood alongside the small Columbian on the podium. Mareille Schröder (not related to Gerco, Wim and Ben) raced Virginia (Orame x Dutchboy, KWPN) to silver, Anne van Vulpen was very happy to win bronze aboard Society’s Voila (Cantos x Lux, KWPN).

“I couldn’t go any faster”, Anne van Vulpen commented. “In retrospect I’m very happy to have ridden in the beginning of the jump off. I rode according to my own plan. Straight after me the Columbian was more than two seconds faster. I thought: my goodness, this is impossible, I’ll end up 18th or so. But Dayro just was extremely fast and all the later riders really went crazy trying to be faster beyond what’s possible.”

Columbian rider Dayro Arroyave confirmed that his ride was on the edge of possibility. “From the start, jumping the first fence, twisting and turning in the middle and racing towards the last line, my mare and I gave everything. We took every risk.”

Arroyave is a natural fast rider, one of the constant prize winners in the Belgian classical cycle. He came to Europe six years ago. “I wanted to become a better rider. The level of riding is much higher in Europe, so I went to Spain.”

Four years ago Arroyave settled in Belgium, since four months he’s an employee of Belgian horse dealer Christoph Ameeuw (Ecurie d’Ecossines). At Zangersheide he sat on Opera de Rizzi for the first time. The mare competed successfully in Fontainebleau with Italian rider Paolo Monari, also employed at Ecurie d’Ecossines. But Monari got injured and Arroyave had to step in. With gold as result.

Mares showed their fighting spirit in the 5 year old class. With time being crucial in such a large jump off field, the mentality of the horse was of the essence. Mares took the six highest places, showing what they were really made of. “I couldn’t go any faster either”, said silver winner Mareille Schröder. “The only difference between me and Anne van Vulpen was that my horse is bigger, I could leave a stride out in the last line.”

“That was impossible for me”, agreed Anne. “My mare is smaller than 1.60 m, I had to put in the sixth stride.”
After inspection the two lady riders thought the course was not too small. “But if 27 riders stay clear it ís. It’s just that the horses were so good. What can you build for a 5 year old?”

Opera de Rizzi Z is the second Zangersheide registered horse to win a gold medal today. Earlier Zekina Z was the best in the 6 year old class. A remarkable success for Leon Melchior’s studbook.