Kai Ruder. Photo: Leszek Wójcik/Strzegom Horse Trials.
After the very intense heatwave during the event in mid-June 2016, we are thrilled to have close to perfect conditions starting off this year’s event.
Sunny weather, app. 25 degrees with a bit of a breeze keeping horses, riders, officials, volunteers and spectators in happy mood. We love it and fingers crossed it will last all week.
Ground Jury members have been doing the XC course walk during the day, together with our own course designer Marcin Konarski. It’s 15 years since it all got started and truly it has grown to something quite extraordinary.
As often with Marcin’s XC courses there are many aspects to consider and focus is key. It doesn’t matter if you are riding a short 1* or a long 3*; both horse and rider will have to be on their toes (or their hooves) because in this state of the art course, the fences turn up fast and there are many twists and turns.
Listening in to the ground jury members during the XC course walk we can honestly say we have a great week ahead of us. As one of the jury members concluded, “It’s a proper test,” and that goes both horse and rider. This XC is strong, solid, technical with lots of corners and demands a full focus from start to finish. A small breather is included but then it’s back to business again for the second half of the courses. The Water complexes are generous with lots of fences coming swiftly at the riders both in and out and will leave no room for hesitation. All in all, a XC that surely has the Konarski design all the way.
The day also included the start of CIC 2* dressage with some 25 riders starting and another app. 45 riders the next day following in the same class. After the first day, we have to take our hats off to the German riders who managed 6 out of the 8 top positions with Kai Rüder both in 1st and 2nd position followed by Jan Kaminski in 3rd.
Finishing off is the first horse inspection for the CI Long 3* and last but not least the DRAW for the FEI NATIONS CUP 1st leg that starts Friday – so exciting and we really look forward to this!
To give you a taste of what’s ahead, here are some facts for the week:
261 horses/entries from 18 countries. 6 XC courses from CI-short 1* to CI-long 3* and Nations Cup jumping a total of 140 fences, all being sponsored by some 30 sponsors/partners and hopefully plenty of spectators.
If you cannot make it, don’t worry! You can join Strzegom Horse Trials live via our web site: http://www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl/pl/galeria/strzegom-tv.html.
Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl