Show jumper Verena Haller and "Carry Anne" - that is a successful duo.
At the Bavarian championship, the two won gold in the young riders jumping.
At the Olympics, the 19-year-old also looks at the Japanese show jumpers this year.
She told us why.
Huglfing - Show jumper Verena Haller (19) can rely on “Carry Anne” - all the more when a ride on the “Horseshoe Square” is pending. The twelve-year-old mare simply fell in love with the large turf at the Olympic equestrian center. "She loves Munich-Riem," says Haller - and adds with a smile: "I have the feeling that she jumps a little better there."
The thesis at the recent Bavarian championships was also supported by the numbers: In the three S * competitions (final with two rounds) of the Young Riders, Haller and “Carry Anne” had no faults, finishing second once and first twice.
The 19-year-old was happy that the result was “fantastic”.
The rider of the "RFV Weilheimer Pferdefreunde" won the title again.
With “Carry Anne” she had already won the gold medal in Munich-Riem in 2019 (for Juniors I) and 2017 (Juniors II).
There was silver in 2018.
Haller wins gold medal after a difficult start to the season
The current success is all the more beautiful for Huglfingerin because it came as a surprise. “It was a difficult start to the season.” On the one hand, there were the restrictions caused by Corona, and on the other hand, the equine herpes virus slowed down equestrian sport throughout Europe for several weeks in the spring. To make matters worse, "Carry Anne" was canceled for a long time due to an injury. The injury was "nothing bad," reports Huglfinger. But for Haller it was clear: Before she competes in another tournament with “Carry Anne”, “she has to be completely fit”. With regard to the Bavarian championships, the whole thing turned into a race against time, especially since Haller himself was out of action because of an operation on the appendix that became necessary at short notice.
Ultimately, there was only one chance for Huglfinger and her top horse to test their form, and that was in Stadl-Paura, Austria. There it went brilliantly with three zero error races: In the tests over 1.35 and 1.40 meter high obstacles, the duo took third place, in the jumping over 1.25 meter obstacles they came tenth. Haller was impressed by her horse, bearing in mind the long break: “She jumps so easily.” After this successful comeback, it was also clear to her coach, national trainer Martin Schäufler (Gilching): “We're going to Riem to win a medal there , after all, Verena is a very experienced rider. ”Haller has been training with Schäufler for five years now. He and other of his protégés often go to tournaments as a team.
Verena Haller was all alone at the beginning of the year on a very special experience tour: the 19-year-old was allowed to do an internship with Paul Schockemöhle in Mühlen (Lower Saxony) for several months.
“Carry Anne” was also there.
“I was able to learn a lot,” says the prospective veterinary student.
She “worked normally” on the facility and rode different horses.
"It was really great to see how such a huge business runs." The Schweyerhof near Huglfing, where Verena Haller breeds and looks after horses with her parents and brother Nikolaus, is a lot smaller.
And yet it also applies at home: “There is always something going on,” says the young rider with a smile.
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Verena Haller, show jumper of the "Weilheimer Pferdefreunde" from Huglfing (here an archive recording from 2020).
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Haller also met Paul Schockemöhle himself, the great impresario of German equestrian sport, in Mühlen.
The now 76-year-old was "very often at the stable" during her stay, reports Huglfinger.
But the conversations were only brief: “There was a 'hello', nothing more.” Schockemöhle's constant presence directly at the stables and horses also had something to do with the fact that, just as Haller was completing their internship, the players in the Japanese show jumping team were in Mills prepared for the Olympics.
Joint training with Japan's Olympic riders
The hosts' jumping team is equipped with some Schockemöhle horses: the 13-year-old gelding “Chanyon” is on the course with Daisuke Fukushima, the twelve-year-old stallion “Chilensky” competes with Koki Saito in the saddle. Haller had the opportunity to train with the Japanese. "It was very interesting to see how they do it and how it works with the 'big ones'," she says. She got to know the Japanese Olympic riders personally. “They are all super nice.” So she will keep her fingers crossed for the sons of Nippon when the show jumping competitions (from August 3rd to 7th) take place in Tokyo. At the Olympics, Olaf Petersen from Pähl will be there again this year when it comes to equestrian sports.
A sporting highlight for Verena Haller this year would be participation in the German youth championship. This is on the program from September 9th to 12th in Darmstadt. A nomination is likely, according to Haller, but not yet fixed. A certain number of placements in S-classes are always necessary. For the coming weekend, Huglfingerin is aiming for starts in Wiener Neustadt - the Grand Prix test (1.50 meters) will also be tackled there.
If, contrary to expectations, the youth championship fails, Haller will continue to be challenged in terms of sport. Because besides “Carry Anne” she has other competition horses with “Luftikus Brilliant” (7) and “Venezia” (10). She was quite successful with both of them this year, including in Lamprechtshausen (Austria). With “Venezia” she achieved a remarkable third place in the U25 Grand Prix (1.40 meters / with jump-off). And “Luftikus Brilliant” proved itself in jumping up to 1.30 meter obstacles. So Haller is "very satisfied" with the season so far - despite or even because of the difficulties at the beginning.
