Emma Howson on the podium at Lisbon CDI

The British Junior combination of Emma Howson and Junky XL continued their international debut year with two second placings at the recent Lisbon CDI3*/CDI2*/CDI1*/CDIU25/CDIY/J/P/Ch-A in Portugal (24 – 26 March 2023).

The Portugal-based 18-year-old completed an unbroken run of top-three placings at Cascais and Beloura CDIs, including a Team Test win at the latter. Last week, in Lisbon, she added two further competitive placings, pocketing the runner-up spot in both the Junior Team and Individual tests.

Together with her nine-year-old black gelding, Junky XL (Ampere x Olivi) - pictured at Beloura CDI, Emma delivered two PB performances – a Team Test earning 69.030% and an Individual Test awarded 69.882% - to finish second on the Junior leader board both days, close behind the dual winning combination of Lisa Bartz and Delgado for Italy.

“I’m really happy about the progress we’ve made in Junky’s way of going, and that it’s showing in the scores,” commented Emma, who moved to the Algarve, from Preston in Lancashire, at the age of just four, and is now successfully carving out a future in her chosen discipline.

“I always had the objective to get as far as I could, then around three years ago, when I started training with Emanuel Correia and found Junky, I was able to start setting my goals.”

Junky XL was sourced in the Netherlands in October 2021 as a seven-year-old, as Emma explains; “We went to Germany and Holland to view horses, and I knew straightaway that Junky was the right one for me as he suits my style of riding as well as having plenty of potential to go on to Young Riders in the future.”

Following a successful 2022 taking part in national competition and achieving her qualifying percentages, 2023 has seen the duo’s debut year riding under the British flag. “It’s good that I’ve now started to compete internationally,” continued Emma. “And it’s good that our scores have been improving with each show. We’ve been selected for the CDIO Junior Nations Cup in Le Mans, which I’m really excited about.”

Results: top three
CDIJ Junior Team Test
1. Lisa Caroline Kathy Alessandra Bartz and Delgado, 69.970% (ITA)
2. Emma Howson and Junky XL, 69.030% (GBR)
3. Maria Benedita Couto Gonçalves and Figo Plus, 65.667% (POR)

CDIJ Junior Individual Test
1. Lisa Caroline Kathy Alessandra Bartz and Delgado, 70.323% (ITA)
2. Emma Howson and Junky XL, 69.882% (GBR)
3. Francisco Braz and Fado, 67.294% (POR)

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photo © Rui Pedro Godinho