“Intuitive and strong nerves” – European Freestyle Champion Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer
For the fourth time, the Junior European Championships were guests at the Linsenhoff-Rath family's sheep farm, but never before had the diversity of nations been so great: 24 nations took part in the juniors, 20 in the children's, and riders from 28 countries made the journey to Kronberg in order to compete with the best of their age.
In the final junior freestyle, the Theurer Trucks GmbH&Co.KG prize, Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer and the eleven-year-old black stallion Libertad won with 82.665 percent. The silver medal went to Lana-Pinou Baumgurt on ZINQ Emma FH with 79.165 percent and bronze went to Myles Graham from Great Britain on Nibeley Union Hit with 77.885 percent.
“We had a few uncertainties in the team test, but in the individual task Libertad went really well and we got the silver medal. Now gold in the free skate - I'm at a loss for words," said 17-year-old Allegra, overwhelmed, who was part of the junior gold team last year and won individual gold, as well as in the children's category in 2019, when she went home with double gold. “I was really nervous because I was the last rider going into the freestyle. I felt pressure simply because I wanted to do well. And then I came out and heard the notes – wow, I was just blown away.” Coach Sonja Ellerbrock was in tears of joy: “Everything went well today from start to finish. It was such a great, harmonious round and the fact that Allegra held her nerve at the end – it’s fantastic.” Allegra and Ellerbrock have been training together for ten years, and when asked about the new European champion's strengths, the trainer doesn't have to think twice: "Her intuitive way of riding and her strong nerves."
Team gold, bronze in the individual competition, silver in the free skate – her first individual medals at a European Championships. 18-year-old Lana-Pinou was speechless. “I had an amazing feeling today. And Emma is only nine. She was a broodmare before we bought her, but she is still developing. She is an absolute dream horse.” Lana-Pinou prepared very specifically for the last few hours before her free skate start. “I think I listened to my freestyle music about 100 times,” she admits with a laugh. “Yesterday evening too. It was the first time we showed the freestyle at a tournament and I wanted to prepare as best as possible.”
After his routine, he was stunned and repeatedly put his hand on his forehead and shook his head - he couldn't believe that he was on course for a medal. “I've been riding this freestyle since April of this year and think it suits both my horse and me,” says bronze winner Myles Graham. “I probably watched it 1,000 times at home. I chose the music together with her former rider, Rebecca Bell, and I designed the choreography with my mother and our team trainer Peter Storr.” Myles’ mother is also his trainer, Caron Roberts: “I’m just overwhelmed. He rode really well all week and I don't think he can even realize it, it's unbelievable. The last European Championships were his debut. Back then he was still the rider who started at the beginning. This year he was the last rider to enter the arena in the team test and received great support from the whole team. The solidarity was just great.”
The gold winners from the individual competition, Rose Oatley and Sommernacht, went into the freestyle arena not entirely without the pressure of favorites. It was the freestyle premiere for the young couple. A few mistakes crept in during the canter tour, so we ended up in fourth place today. “What my child and this mare did this week was outrageous,” emphasizes mother and trainer Kristy Oatley. “Yesterday's gold medal was the crème de la crème and the freestyle was the icing on the cake for us. You could already see that the two of them didn’t know the paths yet, but that doesn’t matter, next time it’ll be fine.”
The chief judge of the freestyle, Katrina Wüst, summed up enthusiastically: “After this week here at the Schafhof, we can see that the level of Europe’s juniors has improved enormously. Many years ago I judged the first European Junior Championships, when our current host Matthias was still riding with the young riders. There were already good junior riders there too, but not nearly as many as there are now. We also saw a lot of good couples, even from countries that are not otherwise the focus of dressage sport. And what we experienced today: That was the top of the tops!”
A total of 16 European Championship medals were awarded over the five days of the European Championships at the Schafhof in Kronberg. The German team led by national coach Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen and head of team Cornelia Albrecht won nine out of a possible eleven: twice team gold, twice individual, once freestyle gold, twice individual silver, once bronze and freestyle silver. A definitely noteworthy yield. In total, seven different nations took home medals. “28 nations at the start – is a record. And so many who won medals – that’s fantastic!” summed up tournament director Matthias Alexander Rath with a very satisfied smile. “And I hope that we will see many of them again at the Schafhof in two years. From July 10th to 13th, 2025 we will host the European Championships for young riders (U21) and U25 riders here. We’re already looking forward to that today.”
(KiK/pe&pa)