Netherlands 2012 World Endurance Championship News

Meet Netherlands rider Carmen Romer-Theunissen

[google translation]

I'm Carmen Romer-Theunissen, 27 years old and married to Kay Theunissen.

I am active since 1995 in the endurance sport, a branch of equestrian sport in which 160 km in one day is made. Since 2003 I make part of the Dutch team. game 19 times from 160 km of spreading, 5 times Dutch champion, european champion 2006 peak.

I travel for the sport around the world, am now in 23 countries and have started a total of 134 completed matches well with a total of over 12,000 well driven race kilometers. Of these 28 victories, second place 22 times and 10 times third.

My race reports are always available on www.Carmenromer.web-log.nl

Long list for the WEC in Great Britain on August 24, 2012 is:

Carmen Romer-Theunissen - Gitana 220
Jannet van Wijk - Zaire Star, Ainhoa Rayon d'Or
Theo Heldens - D-Prodigy
Barbara Peterse - Pachinco
Donna Oudshoorn - Karrimh

Short list will be available later in August

Carmen Romer-Theunissen and Gitana win Dutch Championship

Carmen's blog

[google translation]
21 May 2012

Gitana early april went back to her owner Tanja Wolters. We disagreed on some issues and decided for the time being in a friendly manner to end the cooperation. Tanja drove himself in mid april Gartow 120 km with Gitana and brought it to a quiet end to a good speed.

Ten days ago, Tanja called us asking if I do not Gitana Leersum still wanted to ride and wanted to qualify for Euston Park. She would also like to drive yourself, but would not itself qualify for the World Cup in Germany and found this sin of Gitana which itself also is not getting any younger. Just thought I had no horse more we are planning for Leersum ... I could not know in what condition Gitana would be so difficult that I found on the other side in what was now to lose, nothing ventured nothing gained whom ....

From our head coach, I did actually only 120 km to ride, but the organization was 1 participant too short to her Dutch championship race to be called. So we wrote subject to 160 km, was at the last moment someone does not come we would still start 120 km.

Friday afternoon without a horse in Leersum arrived there waiting for Gitana. Was especially exciting as with the trailer another half hour had been fixed in a large check at the border. Half an hour before she came to the inspection and they looked super.

Obviously could not miss me as Mrs match goes in heat she will be damned. Result they are very broad behind what you do every time to explain to the vet and so we almost each round recheck had ... The heart rate is 8 beats higher so less fast offering speeds than accustomed, and she has no sense to walk alone ....

By everything I about the condition of the trail had heard and the fact that Gitana was in heat, this time a very different strategy. I first went away with a high speed. I was all mud, tree roots etc. which they speak good look. No sooner said than done only in terms of the trail was muddy in the first half of the game bad. Every lap I stayed in the lead after the second round and the others were well behind me, and I drove a little easier, but this did not.

In the third vet gate I was half an hour before the rest, but shit than by driving. In the second vet gate, they had still 4 minutes gift from us because we have too high a heart rate had gone inside. 99 out of 100 times we walk with such rapid healing horses with more than 64 inside and they are well below the 64 when they were measured, but Saturday just once not. Outwardly not cool not measure heart rate returned to within 54. Too bad but that can happen when you gamble.

The fourth round was in fact 17 km 18 km and had the most mud, as I was half an hour before I took no risks and dropped back a little in pace. In four rounds, 120 km we had our actual qualification for Euston Park and was the lead even further behind. The fifth round of 23 km found myself the heaviest. My horses are not accustomed to sand and there was a piece of about 800 meters very deep sand. This got me completely and thereby decreases your speed truly natural look, but that made the lead anymore.

The last round was again the same as the fourth round so I already knew that one mile was longer. With 45 minutes lead left for the final round. I was just left at the other vet gate went that direction. Now the mud pieces are not improved after 50 horses the whole day had gone through. No more risk of all mud all hazardous items in step and the rest at a gallop. I was afraid she would be stiff so I do not have a more leisurely pace to a trot. With even slightly faster pace than the fourth round we drove the last lap and came up with just over 16 km / h on the finish.

Now of course the super exciting SCRUTINEERING yet ... In the vet gates I never go back to the tests, too nerve-wracking, but yes on the finish you have to ...

A few minutes later after SCRUTINEERING and the redeeming word came, congratulations Dutch Champion 2012!

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