Noora, Mikael and Maiju is this weekend in Belgium. Neeroeteren CSI2* is organized in the De Warre riding complex, located in Neeroeteren north-east of Limburg, which is only a short drive from Guttecoven. Noora is jumping with Winnie PV, Quinault and a new gelding of hers, 10-year old Vasco (after Bon Ami). Mikael shows Tosca's Lena, Vanity and Calbay, and Maiju Casandra Z and Kennzo de Conte - the latter a horse Maiju brought with her from Finland.

A very good weekend; read our report.

Report from De Warre

The show started with young horse classes on Thursday. Maiju and Kennzo jumped a good 0/0 round (in two phases), with Mikael jumping with a very fresh Calbay a 0/8 result. Calbay has experience in jumping against the clock, but Mikael wants gradually get the sensitive gelding used also to higher tempo and shorter turns.

On Friday morning Noora jumped with her new gelding, Vasco, an unhurried clear round, next to 2 faults for exceeding the time allowed. Noora told she liked the horse and it would now just require more courses to get to know each other better. Vanity made a comeback after a longer break in this same class and jumped excellently. Mikael rode the energetic mare for a good time, but horse and rider had a very unfortunate rail down in the end of the course. Mikael made a short turn for triple fence number 9, with the result that Vanity did a very high jump ending up touching the hind-rail. Next to this small mistake it was a very good round!

Maiju jumped with Casandra on 1m30 level. Horse and rider had a rail down on second fence, where Maiju had the mare a little long for the jump. Otherwise it was a really good and balanced round.
In the 1m35 class Noora jumped with Quinault and Mikael with Tosca’s Lena. Both horses and riders did good clear 0/0 rounds and were placed in the class. Mikael was pleased with Lena and thought the mare has done good progress. The big mare is not an easy horse to ride against the clock, but she tries really hard and wants to jump cleanly.  Noora again was really happy about Quinault  - the new best pals – and told the stallion jump really great .

In 1m40 with a jump-off Noora’s Winnie was really fresh and eager; this is a good thing, recalling that this was the third show weekend in a row. Noora told Winnie was good and clean, and the 4 faults on the card were only about her own decision to place a volt after a small mistake 9 to 10ab line, instead of an uncontrolled attempt to leave out a stride.

In the young horse classes both 6-year olds did really excellent rounds. Maiju placed with the tested Kennzo third, where as Mikael opted for a slightly slower second phase with Calbay.

Saturday and Sunday

The last two days was a success and gave both good results and a lot of positive experience for all the horses. In Saturday’s 1m30 class all three horses went to the jump-off and were placed. Vanity and Mikael did a fast 0/0 result and placed 4th, Quinault and Noora jumped again to a placing and were 8th, whereas Maiju and Casandra did a 0/4 result, also that good enough for a placing.

In the 1m40 class Noora and Winnie was only 0,03 seconds out of a class win and placed fabulously second. Noora went for a very short turn at the last fence, which secured the good result.
In the young horse classes Calbay jumped well, but took down rails on the two last fences of the long course. Maiju and Kennzo were short of luck at an oxer, where the gelding did a minor hind-leg mistake.
In the evening’s 1m35 class Noora and Vasco did a splendid 0/0 and placed after a fast jump-off as fifths. Noora felt they were doing good progress with the horse.

On Sunday were only Vasco and Quinault up for another challenge. Noora and Vasco really outperformed the competition, and found themselves a staggering 4 seconds faster than the second best in the class. Noora told they simply took all the short turns and alternatives possible. Quinault was then the cherry in the pie, as the charismatic stallion took already its third placing with Noora, now on 1m40 level. Noora was delighted with the weekend as a whole, which the many placings and nice rounds surely emphasised.

The next weekend Mikael jumps in CSIW Geneva. He’s showing Skybreaker, Isaac du Jonquet and either Vasco or Vanity. Directly after this show Mikael jumps in CSIW London, which is just before Christmas. The year is then possibly ended in Mechelen, which is between December 26th and 30th.

Official website:

De Warre CSI**

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