ACSI team member Leida Naber and ACSI Ginco de Hus have been delegated to the European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders. It will be a long trip: the European Championships will take place in Montelibretti in Italy, close to Rome, from 13 to 17 September.
Last weekend the final observation competition for the eventing youth took place in Arville, Belgium. National coach Marcelle de Kam has now announced her final selections.
Besides Leida Naber, Splinter Bergsma with Vigo Key SR Z, Senna van Houte with Calgary 92, Maxime Karman with Funi and Sophie Weening with Jimmy Choo M have been selected as juniors. Pip van der Salm will compete individually with Debby. Marcelle de Kam will make her choice from the five designated junior combinations at a later date as to who will make up the team and who else will compete individually besides Pip van der Salm.
Leida Naber is very excited: “Imagine: my buddy, my super sweet Ginco de Hus, now even ACSI Ginco de Hus, is the youngest participating horse at 7 years old! And together we are ready for it! I think we will go to Montelibretti with strong combinations. If it goes as good as it could and everyone rides for all they are worth, we have a good chance of a fine ranking with the team!”
New experience
In any case, it will be new experiences for Ginco de Hus. Leida says: “He has never travelled this far before. We will probably travel with a teammate, so Ginco can make a friend. Furthermore, I hear the location is very beautiful and the terrain is even almost flat. Mum has never been there either. We shall see! Dad and I go ahead with the truck together. Mum and Jantien will then follow us by plane on Wednesday. We’re going for it!”
The designated Young Rider team will consist of Puck Buijnsters with Image of Roses, Sterre van Houte with Crossborder Radar Love, Caresse Kolkman with Royal Flush and Kristy Snepvangers with Nikki’s Gambler. Reserve Christel Schalk will compete individually with her horse Cerida.
Thanks to the support of Zeeland Insurances, there will be one-day training sessions in dressage and jumping. Team building is also still on the programme. Three more weeks….
Find the eventing European Championships website here