CVI Portogruaro, being the very first on the calendar along with CVI Saumur (FRA), is getting more and more the connotation of the moment to change categories, especially from 1* to 2*. 1* categories are extremely important: 1* is the first of the FEI levels and represents the starting point to get to the higher categories, which allow to compete at the European and World Championships. For any federation is essential to increase the basis and help the younger generations to grow and in Italy, where vaulting is not that known yet, that is strictly necessary. Therefore, it was extremely pleasant to see so many Italian vaulters, coming from different teams from all over Italy, took part to the competition. Maybe something is moving. Probably, not all of them will achieve the highest results, but they will nevertheless play an important role: they will always make up a group of enthusiastic fans of the sport. And this, with time, will make the difference. I firmly believe that vaulting will live and grow only with people competing merely because they like it (as in football, ski, tennis, just to mention some examples), otherwise it will always remain an almost unknown niche sport. That is why I want to spotlight the first part of this year Italian CVI.
YOUNG VAULTERS GROWING
Many young athletes took part at first in the 1* competitions and then, gaining the qualification scores, in the 2*. That was possible since the 1* competition took place before the others, starting on Thursday March 29th.
The Italian vaulters were many and competitive either in the individuals Junior and Children. Among the youngest Ginevra Marmiroli, on Dublin VDM lunged by Michela Callegari, won the category on a very good 6,555, followed almost closely behind by Arianna Di Paola on High Dancer, Laura Carnabucci on the lunge, on the third place. Austria’s Angelina Laber closed second on Robin 482, lunged by Nina Rossin. Fifth place for Eva Basso (Harley, Nelson Vidoni), Giorgia Varisco (High Dancer, Laura Carnabuci) followed on the sixth place. Federica Garuglieri (Dublin VDM, Michela Callegari) ended up seventh. Following in the ranking, Giada Samiolo (Eburon, Laura Carnabuci), Lidia Lombardini (Bambola, Giulia Bardelli), Vittoria Dini (Giovanni 164, Silvia Lucchesi), Eloise Cociglio (High Dancer, Laura Carnabuci), Ginevra Coletti (Bambola, Giulia Bardelli), Alessia Bovati (High Dancer, Laura Carnabuci) and Francesca Ponti (Giovanni 164, Silvia Lucchesi).
Tommaso Sclauzero won the Male Children Category with Harley and lunger Nelson Vidoni, followed on the second place by Alessio Quattrociocchi (Ximel, Filippo Benvenuti).
As for the Junior class, Austria and Germany took the lion’s share. The first place in the female individuals went to Ronja Kähler (Daytona, Lars Hansen), scoring 7,176. Two Austrian girls were on the second and third step of the podium, respectively Clara Kopke (Luis Bonheur, Lena Kalcher-Prein) and Sarah Nagl (Highlox, Christian Kermer). Sofia Crippa (High Dancer, Laura Carnabuci) ended up fifth and first of the Italian athletes in competition. The other Italians committed were Giorgia Perini (Giovanni 164, Silvia Lucchesi), Giorgia Ferrari (Giovanni 164, Silvia Lucchesi), Francesca Fantini (Dublin VDM, Michela Callegari), Giulia Nardini (Boston Baio, Daniela Donvito), Cecilia Verga (Eburon, Laura Carnabuci), Letizia Bernardelli (Burberry Spot, Michela Callegari), Manuela Sasso (Ximel, Filippo Benvenuti), Erica Rosolani (Boston Baio, Daniela Donvito), Matilde Manucci, Giorgia Fanucci, Gaia Sargenti and Anna Gorbunova. These last four were all lunged by Giulia Bardelli and competed on Diablo The Legend, apart from Giorgia, who was competing on Bambola. 
The Junior Male category was won by Germany’s Julian Kögl (Dayton, Lars Hansen), the only athlete competing.
The pas de deux junior was only red and white since to step up on the podium were two Austrian and one Suisse pair. Austria’s Ella Raffer and Lisa Mayr (Lord 1049, Katharina Auer) won scoring 6,819, followed by Switzerland’s Alicia and Jana Bärtschi (Quintesse CH, Nathalie Gysel). Costanze Setznagel and Viktoria Rieser (Miss Barcellona, Katharina Herk) from Austria took the third place. Fifth place for Italy with Angelica Banini and Erica Rosolani (Boston Baio, Daniela Donvito), followed closely behind by Antonio Popolo and Giorgia Ferrari (Giovanni 164, Silvia Lucchesi). Alena Falleni and Francesca Colosimo (Vezer, Giulia Bardelli) ended up seventh.
Among the Seniors, Angelo Caico (Cobra Boy, Francesco Bortoletto) delivered a good performance, proving he is an athlete in continuous improvement. In the senior female class, the highest recognition went to Austria’s Romana Hinter (Lavalino, Klaus Haidacher), followed by Anna Coppiello (Emir du Beaumont, Claudia Petersohn). Anna’s good result was particularly pleasant as she was returning from injury. Austria rounded off the podium, taking the third place with Lara Mauer (Louis Bonheur, Lena Kalcher-Prein). Federica Fracas and Chiara Tavoso’s performances, both competing on Harley lunged by Nelson Vidoni, were satisfying either. They ended up respectively sixth and seventh positions at their very first international competition. Among our athletes there also were Arianna Chincarini and Margherita Sonego, both on Pablo Picasso, Nelson Vidoni on the lunge, Marta Mainardi (Helloween, Cinzia Vasta) and Sara Fantauzzi (Chivas, Mauro Benvenuti).
There were no Italian pairs in the senior competition, where the victory went to Germany’s Annemie Szemes and Ella Schneider (Fernando 686, Dagmar Szemes). Austria took the second place with Kathrin Humann and Jelena Moser (Lennox, Maria Lehrmann) and Russia won the bronze medal thanks to Anna Vershinkaya and Ksenia Orlenko (Filon, Francesco Bortoletto).
