Kazakhstan’s Raisa Sokolenko Wins Bronze at CSI2 International Show Jumping Event in the Netherlands

Kazakhstan national team member and Prestige Horse Club athlete Raisa Sokolenko, riding Uran Nad Wigrami, won the bronze medal at the Ermelo CSI2* international show jumping competition in the Netherlands. The result marks an important achievement for Kazakhstani equestrian sport and demonstrates the competitiveness of the country’s riders on the international stage.

A total of 77 horse-and-rider combinations competed in the Eventanations Prize, featuring obstacles up to 135 cm. Raisa Sokolenko and Uran Nad Wigrami completed both phases without penalties and recorded a time of 36.04 seconds in the decisive phase to finish in third place.

The battle for the podium was extremely close, with tenths and hundredths of a second making the difference among riders who completed clear rounds. The Kazakh pair confidently negotiated both phases without making any errors.

The significance of the result is further underlined by the level of international competition. The Ermelo event brought together 91 athletes and 179 horses from 17 countries. The competition featured representatives of leading show jumping schools from Europe and around the world, including riders with experience at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, and major international events.

In this class, Raisa Sokolenko finished ahead of a number of renowned international riders, including multiple Olympic medalist Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands, Laura Klaphake and Maurice Tebbel of Germany, as well as Dutch riders Kim Emmen and Hessel Hoekstra. In such a strong field, the Kazakh rider secured a place among the top three.

For national team riders Oleg and Raisa Sokolenko, the competitions in the Netherlands are part of an intensive European campaign that includes international events in the Netherlands, Poland, and Germany.

The European competition schedule allows the athletes to regularly compete against strong international fields, work with several sport horses, and gain valuable competition experience ahead of the main event of the season.

The preparation program at Prestige Horse Club includes a carefully planned international competition calendar, dedicated work with each horse-and-rider combination, and detailed analysis of performances at European venues. The bronze medal in Ermelo represents one of the key results of this work and secured Kazakhstan a place on the podium at an international event.

Following the competition in the Netherlands, Oleg and Raisa Sokolenko will continue their European campaign. International events in Poland and Germany await them before they represent Kazakhstan as members of the national team at the 20th Asian Games in Japan.