After winning four titles at the Italian Pony Championships 2024, the Fuxiateam from Italia Endurance Stables & Academy triumphed in all three categories of the Endurance discipline at the eighteenth edition of the Ponyadi Kep Italia. The federal-level event, entirely dedicated to the pony world and young riders, took place from July 24 to 27 at the Arezzo Equestrian Centre, which was flooded with a veritable army of participants: over 1200 young athletes and almost 1000 ponies from all regions of Italy and from San Marino.
Representing the Umbria team, the Fuxiateam fielded five young riders accompanied by their ponies this year, replicating last year’s success. In the Pony Elite 9 km, Aurora Laurenzi, the reigning Italian champion of the category, took the top spot on the podium riding Salida. In the Pony B 6 km category, Greta Bigazzi secured the gold medal, also with Salida. Finally, in the Pony A 3 km, the gold went to Costanza Monetti riding Sirio, thus reaffirming the 2024 Italian title in the category. There were also satisfactions for Bianca Fiorucci, who placed 10th in the Pony Elite, and for Vittoria Monetti, who placed 16th in the Pony B.
In addition to the successes achieved by the Fuxiateam, there were also victories for the Circolo Ippico Montione, the Scuderia del Borgo, and the Caldese Horse Academy. Thus, Umbria, led by chef d’équipe Costanza Laliscia, also won two gold medals in the team standings for the Pony Elite and Pony B categories and a silver medal in the Pony A category, as well as an individual bronze for Martina Bartocci in the Pony B (Circolo Ippico Montione).
The riders from the Fuxiateam and the Circolo Ippico Valmarino also represented Umbria’s two teams in the motor skills course of the “Cavaliere Atleta” gymnastic test, which is a new addition to the last three editions of the Ponyadi Kep Italia. Among the 18 participating teams, the silver medal went to the Umbria team, composed of sisters Vittoria and Costanza Monetti and Greta Bigazzi (who recorded the fastest time of the entire competition) from the Fuxiateam and Veronica Furiani from the Circolo Ippico Valmarino.
A rich haul of medals, therefore, for the young Umbrian Endurance athletes who, over the two days of the Ponyadi Kep Italia 2024, won a total of 5 golds, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze: an extraordinary result that filled the multi-champion Costanza Laliscia, trainer of the Fuxiateam riders and chef d’équipe of Endurance, and Maria Sole Lama, trainer of the Circolo Ippico Montione, with pride for the intense daily work and for the dedication and passion shown by the young promising riders in competition.
