Tiraspol, December 10. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Pridnestrovian horseback rider Nikita Pogonya took part in the final of the MAXIMA MASTERS All-Russia show-jumping tournament. According to the top list, the 30 best Russian athletes were admitted to the final.
Horseback riders score rating points during the year, competing in the stages of the MAXIMA MASTERS tournament. In 2020, there were 12 ones, Nikita Pogonya took part in 4 of them. The scored points were quite sufficient for Nikita to get to the final.
Nikita Pogonya in his age category, 13-year-old, competed in the Tour of the Future. For instance, adult horseback riders with high athletic titles compete in the Golden Tour.
The riders in the Tour of the Future had to overcome three routes with obstacle heights of 100, 105 cm and 110 cm during three days. Nikita Pogonya passed each route twice on different horses Uncia and Chubara: the Dutch Warmblood and the Ukrainian Saddle horses.
Our rider on the horse Chubara in the absolute superiority on the sum of three routes with took the 7th place. On the first day of the competition with the horse Uncia Nikita received one penalty point for slow crossing of the distance. As a result, this didn’t allow him to break into the top three winners. Uncia has a strong potential, which it proved on the third day of the tournament. Nikita became the winner on the route with 110 cm obstacles.
The athlete also rode Uncia on a difficult route with 130 cm obstacle. Competing in the general category, where everyone could take part, the sportsman crossed the distance at high speed and without penalty points. Experienced adult and multiple prize-winners of major tournaments horseback riders were left behind.
“Nobody expected him to win at this distance, we managed to bewilder everyone. We want to adopt Nikita as a candidate with Uncia in the Silver Tour and with Chubara in the Tour of the Future in the next year. The 130 cm obstacle route became an exam for Nikita and the horse. They managed perfectly well,” Jury Pogonya, the riding instructor of the Tiraspol Raitsport-Eilenburg horse racing club, told the Novosti Pridnestrovya news agency.
Another reason for competing at this distance is that it’s included in the European Championship program. Nikita Pogonya is a real candidate for getting into the Russian junior team in the coming year.
