Last year at the FEI Para Dressage World Championships in Herning (DEN), Demi Haerkens was very close to the gold in her debut, but saw herself beaten by fellow Dutch Dressage queen Sanne Voets.

Photo – Demi Haerkens (DEN) and EHL Daula N.O.P. (©FEI/Leanjo de Koster)

Today at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship, Demi had her comeback as she claimed her first championship gold medal on the stunning mare EHL Daula N.O.P. with a score of 77.556 %, with Sanne Voets and Demantur RS2 N.O.P. taking the silver. In bronze, and finally back on the podium for the first time since Tokyo, was Belgium rider Manon Clayes riding Katharina Sollenburg with a score of 73.444 %.

“I am feeling overwhelmed and very very happy! In the warm-up she felt so fresh and nice in the contact so I had a feeling that this might be the day. She was very good on the aids in the test and lovely in the contact. I am just very very happy” Says Demi Harkens. “We have been doing a lot of fine tuning this last year, and today that paid off”.

More to follow…

FULL RESULTS