Costanza Laliscia has now accustomed us to collecting important successes and medals, but the feat that she accomplished on Saturday 18 May, on the occasion of the Italian Endurance Championships 2024 at Pratoni del Vivaro, Rome, will certainly remain etched in the annals.
The talented rider from Perugia, leading athlete of Italia Endurance Stables & Academy, riding Etihad du Barthas, once again climbed to the top step of the Italian podium in the 120 km category, the CEI2*. The all-female combination thus confirmed themselves at the top of Italy for the second consecutive year, repeating the success achieved in the same category at the Italian Championships 2023 in Castiglione del Lago.
Putting a gold medal at the Italian Championships around her neck for the umpteenth time, Costanza Laliscia’s palmares, at just 24 years old, reaches 20 Italian titles in total and if we wanted to speak in football terms, we could undoubtedly add the second star in the uniform of Fuxiateam rider.
The one at the Pratoni del Vivaro was an extraordinary ride, which saw Costanza and her 10-year-old thoroughbred Arabian, Etihad du Barthas, protagonists of a fantastic comeback. Starting fifth for the last loop 4 minutes and 39 seconds from the first, the Italia Endurance Stables & Academy combination closed the gap kilometer after kilometer, giving us a breath-taking finale: a final sensational sprint that reached the peak of 46 km/h and which saw Costanza and Etihad cross the finish line first.
Despite the highly technical race course and with a significant difference in altitude like the one offered by the surrounding area of the Federal Equestrian Center at Pratoni del Vivaro in Rome, the Fuxiateam combination recorded an overall average speed of 16,228 km/h in the 120 km, with an impressive final loop at 19.712 km/h. Etihad du Barthas certainly did not disappoint expectations, on the contrary, at the end of the competition she was also awarded the Best Condition award as the horse in the best physical condition after the finish line.
But at the Italian Championships 2024 success also came for the young riders of the Fuxiateam Academy. In fact, on Sunday 19 May, the pupils of Costanza won four gold medals out of four in all the pony categories of the Italian event. It is the third consecutive year, after Pisa 2022 and Castiglione del Lago 2023, that the young promises of Italia Endurance Stables & Academy have won four titles.
Great confirmation for Aurora Laurenzi and the Monetti sisters, who after having graduated Italian Champions in 2023, reconfirm the title this year too. Aurora Laurenzi riding Salida climbs to the top step of the podium in Pony Elite, Vittoria Monetti with Salida wins gold in Pony B and Costanza Monetti riding Sirio is Italian champion in Pony A. The fourth Italian Pony title was won by Massimo Vittorio Cavallari with Sirio in the Pony Avviamento.
In this perfect weekend to say the least, the Fuxiateam also adds to its gold medals the bronze of Federico Valeri riding Demon Melograno in the Italian Junior & Young Rider Championship over 120 km and the silver – and therefore the title of Italian vice-champion – for Alfonso Sabatino with Ringo in the Pony Avviamento.
The Italian Endurance Championships 2024 were a real success for Italia Endurance Stables & Academy. With five Italian titles, an Italian vice-champion title and a bronze medal, Fuxiateam confirms itself as the most successful team in Italy.
