Danish riders highlight Waregem

Denmark was led by Rio 2016 medallists Stinna Tange Kaastrup and Susanne Jensby Sunesen. 27 Apr 2017
Imagen
Stinna Tange Kaastrup celebrating her gold medal with volunteers.

Stinna Tange Kaastrup

ⒸFEI/Liz Gregg
By Rob Howell | For the IPC

Paralympic equestrian medallists Stinna Tange Kaastrup and Susanne Jensby Sunesen highlighted a successful Danish showing at the annual Quadrille three star international competition in Waregem, Belgium, which concluded on Sunday (23 April).

Kaastrup, a Rio 2016 double bronze medallist, and Sunesen, a silver medallist, each went three for three over the course of the competition – the team and individual tests, and the freestyle. In doing so they helped the Danish squad top the podium in the team competition too, ahead of home nation Belgium and Great Britain in third place.

Speaking on her Facebook page after the contest, Kaastrup, who rode Horsebo Smarties, said: “On my way home from a fantastic competition in Belgium - the first since Rio! A big thank you to all the Danish team for a fabulous team spirit and nice atmosphere and special thanks to Smarties. I love dancing with my horse!”

Kaastrup was joined on the podium in her grade II class by teammate Katrine Kristensen and France’s Celine Gerny. Kristensen was runner-up in the individual test with Gerny third; they swapped positions in the freestyle.

Jensen’s wins came in the grade IV contest. Riding CSK’s Que Faire, she beat teammate and London 2012 double bronze medallist Annika Lykke Dalskov Risum in the individual test, with Belgium’s Manon Claeys in third. In the freestyle contest Risum took the third spot, behind Great Britain’s Nicky Greenhill.

Great Britain’s Suzanna Hext won both individual and freestyle titles in the grade III contest on Abira, both times ahead of Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Jorgensen. Belgium’s Barbara Minneci was third in the individual test, with Denmark’s Anni Meuer third in the freestyle.

Hext said afterward on Facebook: “I’m the luckiest girl in the world right now, with a very special horse with the biggest heart. Even with me struggling he gave it that bit extra to help me out.”

The grade V competition also saw a pair of wins for Denmark’s Camilla Christensen on Ostergaardens Delight. She finished ahead of teammate Henrik Weber Sibbesen and Belgium’s Arthur Dieusaert, second and third respectively, in both the individual and freestyle tests.

The grade I competition was the only one to have two separate winners for its individual and freestyle tests.

Individual honours went to Belgium’s Eveline Van Looveren on Feleva, ahead of Denmark’s Line Munk Madsen and Sweden’s Anita Johnson. Johnson bounced back from that third place to take the freestyle title on Dear Friend, with Madsen again in second place, and France’s Thibault Stoclin in third.