BY TONYA RATLIFF-GARRISON AND LARRI JO STARKEY
Philipp Zielinski usually always places well in trail.
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| Philipp Zielinski of Team Germany won the gold in trail with Sara D'imperio of Team Italy taking second and Sharnai Thompson of the United States placing third. |
“Trail is my best class,” the 18-year-old German said. “I’m pretty crazy about that one. I’m good in pleasure and horsemanship too, but I like the trail most.”
So it was understandable on Saturday, July 1, that he was a little disappointed to place 10th in the Youth World Cup trail competition.
“My horse wasn’t too good yesterday,” Philipp said of his horse, One In A Hundred. “He had some problems with the poles yesterday.”
But on Sunday, July 2, the 16-year-old gelding was more responsive and listened more to Philipp’s signals.
“He was much better today,” Philipp said. “I think that was the biggest difference between yesterday and today.”
And what a difference. The pair won first place in the trail class, boosting Germany’s total of gold medals to three.
“This is my first ever Youth World Cup gold medal. It feels good,” said Philipp, who also showed at the 2004 Youth World Cup in Australia.
Philipp is youth president of the Deutsche Quarter Horse Association and has been riding American Quarter Horses since 1999. He plans to attend university this fall.
“This is my last youth year,” he said. “But I hope I can keep on showing Quarter Horses in the future.”
ITALY WINS THE SILVER MEDAL
All week, Sara D’Imperio has been connecting with Im Rusty Impression by Julies Impression and out of Buet Straw by Rusty Straw.
On Sunday, they clicked again in the trail, earning the silver for Team Italy.
Im Rusty Impression has a long history of success with youth, with several trips to the AQHYA World Championship Show under his cinch. The 1993 sorrel gelding owned by Beth Donley of Magnolia, Texas, has had particular success in open, amateur and youth trail with 128.5 points to his credit in those classes.
The week at Youth World Cup has been a time of getting to know new horses, Sara said, and by Sunday, July 2, the two were a team.
“The horse was more quiet today,” the 16-year-old Italian said after the horsemanship class in which she won her second gold medal with the horse. “He was listening to me a lot more. He progressed in his trot very good, and his turn was also very good. He was just very, very good today.”
To read more about Sara and Im Rusty Impression, click on the links below:
Saturday Trail
Saturday Western Horsemanship
Sunday Western Horsemanship
For complete results of the trail competition, click HERE.
