Almost 300 horses, eight cross-country tracks, top riders including the current European champion and an exciting battle for the Nations Cup – LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials starts very soon.
Eventing, also called the equestrian triathlon, is one of the most spectacular equestrian disciplines. Over the course of four days, combinations from 17 countries will compete in ten international classes at various difficulty levels, including the Nations Cup – the highest-ranked eventing rivalry in Poland.
We will see amazing athletes at the arenas of the hippodrome in Morawa, including the current European champions: Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob Old. The combination is well-known by the audiences in Strzegom – it was here that three years ago the German rider took home her first individual medal at the European championships. Also competing at the show will be New Zealander Tim Price, currently holding the second place in the international rankings. Olympic team gold medalists – Andreas Dibowski and Dirk Schrade from Germany will also be present at the event.
The best Polish riders will compete as well, including the whole podium of last year’s Polish national championships: Paweł Spisak, Mateusz Kiempa and Joanna Pawlak.
The cross-country trial will be exciting for sure. Over two days, the riders and their horses will go through 8 courses at the collective length of almost 30 kilometres. More than 200 fences will be placed on the tracks, measuring up to 120 cm. The longest class will be played over 5700 metres.
Thursday and Friday are dressage days. During the first of the trials, elegantly dressed riders will perform their tests in walk, trot and canter, and they will be scored by the judges. Cross-country tests, something for those who are keen on adrenaline, will take place on Saturday and Sunday. The jumping tests will be performed over three days, and we will know our fist winners on Saturday.
Due to the current epidemiological situation, entry for the show will only be available for residents of the Strzegom commune. The rest of the fans will be able to cheer on their favourites online, watching the livestream at the show’s official website and Facebook.
Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński
