Le Siepi riding club ready for regional championships

The Le Siepi riding club near Milan Marittima is ready to welcome more than 450 rider and horse pairs between Thursday 2 and Sunday, June 5th for the regional titles on courses designed by the Chef de Piste Pier Francesco Bazzocchi, just back from Piazza di Siena, and Giorgio Bernardi.After hosting the Championships Indoor 2015, last December, Le Siepi won the tender from the FISE in Emilia Romagna and also winning the Regional organization of the outdoor 2016 Show Jumping and recreational events.
The colorful and fun recreational disciplines, which every year sees increasing numbers of young competitors who take part in riding their ponies, will begin Saturday and ends Sunday.
As part of Thursday’s rich program of show jumping competitions, which includes 16 categories, calibrated according to the age and the level of the contestants, they range from the Championship and Trophies reserved for ponies, first-time and emerging categories, right to the Absolute senior and junior / young riders, the two most prestigious titles.
The Absolute seniors will see the great return of Arnaldo Bologni to the Regional Championships, which boasts one of the most substantial prize winners. The Emilian rider has to his credit, among other things, two Olympic participations: 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta), 4 World Championships and over 40 Nations Cups for Italy. Riding the legendary Mayday has put his neck twice the gold medal at the Italian Championships (1993 and 1995) and is the last Azzurri on the roll of honor in the prestigious Grand Prix at Rome’s Piazza di Siena, in 1994.
Another must-see is Mirco Casadei and Flickfox, 2007 Italian bay stallion. The Bolognese champion, former Italian champion and several times winner of the regional title, will be in Cervia with son Giacomo who is following in his parent’s footsteps. His call-up to the next Junior European Championships, while still belonging to the children age-class, says a lot about him. Giacomo will compete in the Junior Championship riding Sandokan, 2004 German gray gelding.
Among the many who will try to give Arnaldo Bologni and Mirco Casadei a hard time will also be Filippo Lafiata, holder of the junior indoor title, won last December, just days before he turned eighteen. Filippo is making his debut in the ‘senior’ championship and for the occasion will mount Chloris, 2004 Italian bay mare. Lafiata, affiliated to ASD Rimini, also will compete in the Senior Trophy riding Bo Tibri, 2001 Belgian bay.
The events will start Thursday at 13 in the first round of the dressage with the first-time and emerging Trophy. There will be three rounds for each event and the points will be totaled to find the winner. The riders will be engaged simultaneously on five fields, two of which were completely renovated for the season.
Official press release