2023-09-11 11:52:56
Things went well for Spain in this European Championship, which was held in Hardelot (France) last weekend. The veteran team had already proven to be in very good shape, with a fifth place in the teams. The group was made up of the Catalan María Dolores Zambrano with “Nina Z”, the Madrid-born Iñigo Verdugo with “Breaker Boy” and two riders who would ultimately qualify for the individual final, reserved for the twenty-five best: Noelle Bayarri with the CDE “Polca de Olid” and Diego Usón with “Caravaggio de Lison”.
Diego Usón, in full jumpLúa Onraita
Diego Usón arrived as leader to the final, which was made up of two rounds. In the first of them, he made a round without fail, which made him maintain the lead and face the second in last position, since the starting order was structured in an inverse manner to the classification. With his closest rivals less than three points apart, he had to repeat zero in the last round to be able to guarantee the gold medal. Usón did not fail, making another round without fail that made him finish with 1.90 points in the Championship, thus winning the gold medal. Silver went to the British James Loffet with 3.85 points, with bronze being his compatriot Nicola Frankland with 4.07. Noelle Bayarri and “Polca de Olid” finished in twenty-first place in the final classification.
Diego UsónLúa OnraitaLúa Onraita
Diego Usón is dedicated to the practice of sports veterinary medicine. Many riders in this country – and abroad – trust the health of their horses to his knowledge. There are countless cases of horses that he has successfully treated and recovered. “Lord du Mont Milon” would undoubtedly be one of them. The one who was the “star horse” of Jesús Garmendia, also from San Sebastián, returned to top-level competition after being out of it for health reasons, thanks to the expertise of Usón, ending his sporting career with David, the veterinarian’s brother, who He is also a rider and was in France now helping him in the Championship. In the case of “Caravaggio de Lison”, with whom the continental European medal has just been won, it is a seventeen-year-old horse, son of “Chellano Z” and dam by “Papillon Rouge” who, years ago, Being a competitive horse from the Ainhoa Manero stable, he suffered an injury to the hoof (part of the hoof) that kept him away from the competition arenas… With patience, time and love, Diego has managed to not only return him to the arenas, but to proclaim him the best horse in Europe in the Veterans category.
Diego competed for the first time in the Spanish Veterans Championship two years ago, and since then he has continued to take part in the competition created for this group. The Veterans category was designed for riders over 45 years of age who are not competing at a professional level and/or in higher categories. In Diego’s case, riding “Caravaggio de Lison” is the hobby he indulges in when his work as a veterinarian leaves him free time. The Spanish Championship will take place, as usual, at the Real Club Pineda in Seville next November.
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