Decision in the blink of an eye in the ClipMyHorse.TV Deutschland GmbH prize

A decision couldn't be closer: After the final salute, both Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen and Lilly Marie Collin scored 75.270 percent on the scoreboard. Only the median of the respective judges' scores was decisive for first and second place.

Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen could hardly believe her luck. "I would never have expected to win here today. I'm absolutely delighted," said the world number three. Yesterday she was still just under the 75 percent mark, but today she cracked it. The reason for this was a harmonious round, during which the 16-year-old and her Chilly Morning WE performed all the lessons harmoniously and expressively. "He's a pony with a lot of basic quality," the 16-year-old reveals about her sport partner. "He's always a bit hot in the arena, but when I manage to channel this positive energy, it's simply a pleasure to ride him."

Three-time European champion Lilly Marie Collin and her successful pony Cosmo Callidus NRW had a few minor inconsistencies at the beginning of today's competition. As the task progressed, the 16-year-old and her Cosmo Callidus NRW returned to their usual form. In the end, the reward for this brilliant race to catch up was exactly the same result as that previously achieved by Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen. In this case, the rules stipulate that the median of the respective judges' scores determines the decision. And the result was 75.541 to 74.324 percent in favor of Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen. Behind the pair, who won the team gold medal together at the European Championships this summer, the Dutch rider Sophie van der Stehen and His Royal Badness DK (73.829 percent) were delighted with third place.

So the race for the title of Pony Champion 2023 presented by UVEX remains exciting. The pony riders will be decided tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the BFT Cognos GmbH Prize. And it is guaranteed to be an emotional one. For both Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen and Lilly Marie Collin, this competition will be the last of their pony time due to their age.

Photo: Jasmin Metzner

ALRV President Stefanie Peters and Chief Judge Jacques van Daele congratulate the winner Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen.