28 July 2024
FEI Driving Youth Cup test event in Pärnu
Saturday July 20 the first test event for FEI Driving Youth Cup was held in Estonia by regional popular multidisciplinary event CHI Pärnu organizers in Maria Farm, who have 7 years of experiences in organizing international driving events. Young drivers from Estonia and Latvia took part.FEI Driving Youth Cup is the new FEI format to popularize the driving sport among youngsters and to make it easier for organizers. Event could be organizes as one day event when in the morning program drivers show their dressage level competing lower level test, in evening program the combined marathon will follow. Competition is time competition, the difference of dressage result is converted into penalty seconds as difference in penalties will be multiplied by 2 – winner of dressage goes to combined marathon carrying 0 second ect.
In Pärnu the Latvian driver Loreta Aleksejava with pony Brencis who take lead in dressage with result 43.20 over 15 penalty points ahead of second placed driver. The youngsters were driven old FEI 1*B test. She was best also in combined marathon and made history winning first ever FEI Driving Youth Cup test event. Second place took Estonian Karl Kallaste with Estonian heavy breed horse Kallis, third place goes to Latvia again by Laima Hamitova with pony Kursis.
After event President of Ground Jury, Level 3 from Finland Kati Honkanen, commented that one day format is good, not too complicated for drivers, organizers and also officials. From other side Mrs. Honkanen find that probably the time competition format is not the best for beginners. Last idea was supported by course designer of the event Hillar Talts from Estonia but he added that the test event is for testing and later on we can have discussions about the future of the format.
The winners (photo: Holger Ode)
