Gierech in Vejer de la Frontera, Skarsoe in Ankum
Jumping
For weeks Odile Gierech has been competing in Vejer de la Frontera in Spain, located about eighty kilometers west of Gibraltar. Since the beginning of March the 38-year-old has started in countless classes of varying difficulty, ranging from young horse classes for six-year-olds to four-star competitions over 1.55 meters.
We have briefly summarized the best results the 2022 champion of Luxembourg achieved in southern Spain. At the CSI 4* “Big Tour” she narrowly missed the podium on the ten-year-old mare Gutchi de Moyon, finishing fourth. She was 0.31 seconds behind Irishman Ciaran Nallon, who took the third place on Casalla Blue (61.05s). Julien Anquetin (F, Beau de Laubry, 59.49s) won ahead of Theodore Boris (ISR, Cazan, 60.28s).
Gierech, who grew up in Belgium and—according to statements made last year in an interview with Luxemburger Wort fulfilled a wish of her grandparents by choosing to ride for Luxembourg— placed once more among the top ten in Spain. In a 1.50 m class that counted for the Longines Ranking, she missed the jump-off but was nevertheless placed tenth. The class was won by Briton Matthew Sampson on Nouvelle v.h. Veldhof. Gierech will remain a guest in Vejer this and the following week.
The forthcoming weeks
Instead of Doha (QAT), top show jumper Victor Bettendorf will start this week in St. Tropez (F). The following week he is listed to compete at the Saut Hermès, held from March 20–23 at the Grand Palais in Paris. His brother Basile, together with Mae Beffort, is expected these days in Lier (B). At the same venue a week later he will encounter more Luxembourgers, including Melina Chatzimarkaki and Christian Weier.
Dressage
In dressage, Fie Christine Skarsoe rode last week in Ankum in Lower Saxony near Osnabrück. With the only eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Forte Village she scored 67.851 percent in a Prix St. Georges and thus secured 6th place. For comparison: winner Stefanie Viehoff-Wolff on Tasino scored 70.132 percent. Earlier the pair from Luxembourg had finished the S* dressage with exactly 70.000 percent in 4th place.
At the Youth Cup 2026 at Trimmelterhof in Trier several FLSE riders performed well. In a Dressage Rider class A, for example, Vincenzo Coppola from CRL on Just for Fantasy finished second and Jaana Seligson (RUSt) on Volnay de Lusse was fifth. The latter pair also claimed the 3rd place in an A** dressage. A victory went to Luxembourger Lily Haas, who won an L** dressage on Enjou with 66.333 percent.
Translated from German by AI and adjusted by Paul Krier. Also to be published in De Lëtzebuerger Bauer weekly newspaper.
