Austria’s Diana Porsche Continues U25 Domination at Florida International Youth Dressage Championship

Wellington, Fla. – March 19, 2017 – Diana Porsche, the world’s number one U25 rider based on the FEI Youth Dressage World Ranking List, made the long trip from Austria well worth it by claiming the win in the CDIU25 division at the Florida International Youth Championships with Di Sando. The pair rose to the top of the leaderboard in both the Young Rider Grand Prix 16–25 test with a 71.558 percent and the Grand Prix Freestyle 16–25 with a 73.875 percent.

Diana Porsche and Di Sandro

“I am really happy we won this year — he did a great job!” Porsche said. “In the freestyle, the weather today was really hot and we are not used to that because in Austria we actually have snow. I was really happy with my test yesterday — we had a lot of highlights, especially the piaffe and passage tour was really good.”

Based in Salzburg, Austria, Porsche purchased the 14-year-old Oldenberg gelding, Di Sandro, in December 2014, and he had previously competed successfully in international Grand Prix competitions with German rider Uwe Schwanz.

Diana Porsche and Di Sandro

“I have a strong partnership with Di Sandro — I’ve never had a horse like him,” the 21-year-old rider said. “He fights for me in every test and gives everything. I cannot thank him enough for what he does for me. I’m so happy to have a horse like him. It’s amazing what he does with me. I’m so thankful for my parents, my trainer and my entire team that support me so much.”

Her freestyle featured difficult choreography including a piaffe pirouette at the beginning, followed by an extended trot into the passage.

“In the canter we also had some difficult parts — two pirouettes with the one tempis in the middle,” Porsche explained. “He is a machine at piaffe and passage, so I can easily do that. I am really happy we could do a freestyle like that with a lot of highlights.”

Diana Porsche and Di Sandro

Porsche will return to Europe in April and has high hopes for Di Sandro. They will kick-off their summer competition season at the CDI in Munich, Germany, which she will use as preparation and a qualifier for the European Championships later in the year.

“Hopefully I can compete at Rotterdam and the CDIU25 in Aachen and be on the Austrian team for the European Championships,” Porsche explained. “This year it’s in my hometown so I am really looking forward to that. I hope I can do a good job there! I really have to work on my trot tour, and when he is nervous he can get a bit strong, so we have to improve that so he swings through.”

Juan Matute Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Spain’s 19-year-old Juan Matute Jr. finished the weekend closely behind Porsche with a 73.225 percent in the Grand Prix Freestyle 16–25 on Don Diego Ymas, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Mathilde Blais Tetreault, who represents Canada, placed third on Utah, a 16-year-old KWPN gelding, with a 69.625 percent.

Mathilde Blais Tetreault and Utah

Results: CDIU25 Grand Prix Freestyle 16-25
Rider/Country/Horse/Total Score
1. Diana Porsche/AUT/Di Sando/73.875
2. Juan Matute Jr./ESP/Don Diego Ymas/73.225
3. Mathilde Blais Tetreault/CAN/Utah/69.625
4. Natalie Pai/USA/Unlimited/68.725
5. Genay Vaughn/USA/Donarweiss GGF/66.775

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