Nothing but smiling faces at the russian friendships premiere

Gorki Sukharevskiye, 8 august 2018 – It was exactly as the Maxima Park Team, Elena Troshenkova, and especially initiator Vladimir Beletskiy (all from Russia), and also Lars Meyer zu Bexten (Herford, Germany) had imagined it. “We had a fantastic program, great conversations, the participants were impressed – and new friendships were made“, reports Lars Meyer zu Bexten after an intensive week at Maxima Stables, located just outside of Moscow.  

The premiere of the Russian Friendships, closely modelled on the German Friendships, promised good things to come in this event’s future: more than 50 participants from 12 nations found the program “simply awesome”. The same applies to the lessons taught by Olympic bronze medal winner Marco Kutscher, and the always amusing entertainment by world renowned ring master Pedro Cebulka.  

Tuesday brought quite some excitement when the teams were paired up – all of them consisting of a Russian host rider and an international rider – and when the riders also met their competition horses. A first training for both followed this initial familiarization. Marco Kutscher took over on Wednesday. After his training sessions, an international soccer game took place, for which the recently finished Soccer World Cup set the example. On Thursday, international guests were invited on a city trip through Moscow. Meanwhile, the Russians enjoyed a water melon-party, which, of course, also benefitted the horses.   

Friday saw the official opening ceremony before the first competitions were brought under way. Following the events in the jump ring was a rider party with rodeo bull-riding and a beach volleyball event – serving the ball over the Russian Friendships jumps. After the second day of competition, everyone was off to relax at a giant water park.   On Sunday it was time for a tearful goodbye – another feature that will, from now on, connect the Russian and the German Friendships! 

Maxima Park Press Release