EEF Dressage Evolution Team competition success in Slovakia

Earlier this year the EEF announced a new format of team competitions, initially in Jumping and then in Dressage, aimed at the lower levels and youth categories.

The main goal of this initiative is to stimulate development, to support riders, trainers and organizers of international dressage events and to create new opportunities for riders to experience a team format. The “pilot event" took place during the CDI Motesice in Slovakia and was organized by the event director Dr. Slavomir Magal, supervised by Dr. Ilja Vietor, Slovak representative in the Central European Dressage working group (CED).

Five teams, representing either one complete nation - two Czech and one German alongside two "mixed teams" Slovak-Austrian and Slovak-Czech competed for two days. Different combinations of classes on three difficulty levels were tested: child / junior / young rider, CDI-amateur rider / junior / PSG or junior / CDI-amateur / young rider. Testing these different combinations showed that for fairness of results it is necessary to calculate placings and not percentage points in different classes. Despite the necessity for some optimization, the team spirit was excellent because every team member was especially marked by a distinct coloured ribbon and announced before the start. The prize-giving ceremony was elegant and exciting at the same time and special prizes were appreciated by winners and placed riders.

Event direction Dr. Ilja Vietor said; “We are really grateful to Teodor Sheytanov, EEF Sport Development Manager, and the EEF who came up with the idea to organize this series and supported us by providing valuable prizes for the competitors. We hope that in the future this competition will attract attention and motivate more dressage riders to participate in international competitions.”

Winners of this premiere competition were the team Pumas representing Czech Republic Alice Hubackova / Dieu D’Amour 3, Eliska Steflova / Falcao and Klara Dohodilova / Antoinette S. Second place took Leopards also from Czech Republic represented by Anna Marie Krizova / Diamantina, Anna Jakubcova / Darcy and Eliska Steflova / Espresso and third were Kangaroos from Germany represented by Isabell Weissenfels / Der Kleine Aprilscherz, Lena Pögel / Bon Cruz M and Lukas Blatzheim / Johnny Depp 4.

Text provided by Dr. Ilja Vietor and photos by Sona Nikova - SN Equine Photography.