30 August 2022
FEI World Championships for young driving horses 2022: Germans win again
In the age categories of 5-, 6- and 7-year-old driving horses, the best young driving horses competed for the medals last weekend in Szilvásvárad, Hungary. The most successful drivers of recent years, Bettina Winkler and Jessica Wächter, won the prize again in 2022 for the 6 and 7 year olds. The Swiss Mario Gandolfo won in the 5-year-olds.After the ‘Bundeschampionat’ of the German driving horses in Moritzburg had just ended a week earlier, the drivers immediately had to travel to Hungary without a break, to be on time at the world championship for young driving horses. In the interest of drivers and horses, a somewhat better planning of the competition calendar of the international and national federations would certainly be appreciated.
Almost 50 driving horses of various breeds were presented to the judges. There was no limit to the representatives of the countries where the training and promotion of young driving horses occupies a prominent place, and where the young driving horses can regularly compete against each other.
5 year olds
Swiss driver Mario Gandolfo and his Freiberger gelding Lemmy-K improved throughout the competition. After finishing sixth in the qualifying test, they climbed to third place in the dressage final and took home the gold medal with the best marathon result. Jessica Wächter (GER) and her Hanoverian gelding Best Buddy just couldn’t hold onto their first place standing from their convincing dressage test and slip into second place after the mini-marathon. Bronze was awarded to Austrian Lara Krejcerik with her Oldenburger mare Rexona W.
Mario Gandolfo and Lemmy K in the marathon
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
6 year olds
The series of successes for the Hanoverian gelding Dream Catcher seems to be endless. After being awarded as ‘Bundeschampion’ twice, he was once again in great shape in the 6-year-olds with Jessica Wächter holding the reins. With an average point total of 9.21 for the dressage and 9.25 for the marathon test, he put the competition at a clear distance. The German sport horse DSP Balisto, driven by Bettina Winkler, won the silver medal, followed by the KWPN stallion L-Grappa-WK, driven by Hungary’s Agnes Paulovics.
Jessica Wächter and Dream Catcher
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
7 year olds
Last year’s champion in the 6-year-olds, DSP Noble Lady, convincingly defended her title last weekend as a 7-year-old. Bettina Winkler drove her mare to a fantastic result in dressage with 9.21 and did it again in the marathon with 8.20. The American Leslie Berndl took the silver medal with her marathon with the KWPN stallion Kareltje. She finished ahead of the heavy warmblood stallion Eckstern, who won bronze with Jessica Wächter.
Bettina Winkler and DSP Noble Lady
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
