“We have established nominations of the year for merits and achievements in Lithuanian trotting horse sport – for the first time we will award those who were the brightest, striving for the highest results. We hope that the awards will arouse great public interest and become a tradition that will help to better understand the sport of trotting, to know why and what breeders, owners, trainers and handlers are important in this sport.
We are the only organization in Lithuania that takes care of breeding trotting horses and popularizing professional and amateur trotting sports. The victory of each trotter and the achievements of the breeders, owners, trainers and handlers, who are helped to achieve their goal by passion for these horses and sincere work, are important to us. We follow, record and enjoy sports achievements and want to share them with the people of Lithuania.
This year we are awarding three trotting sport leaders in the following nominations: “Lithuanian Record”, “Coach of the Year” and “Guide of the Year”. Congratulations!”
JOANA KĀRYTĖ, Director of the Republican Racing Horse League
Nomination “Lithuanian Record”
A new Lithuanian speed record was achieved in 2023!
Almost seven years have passed since the day when the news spread about the horse Gardens Fairytale, ridden by Egidijus Gudonis, that on the ice of the Dusetai Hippodrome, this duo not only beat their competitors, but also improved the speed results known in Lithuania until then. The achievements of this duo lie in the history of trotting horses.
The new speed record belongs to Panther Face, who is trained and guided Ernest Juškauskas. Panther Face is a 12-year-old Swedish warmblood trotter. Its owner is UAB “Faktus” in Raseiniai – it’s good that trotter breeders are reviving in this area and owners are being found. The horse was born in Sweden (origin – Muscle Hill, Chip’s Favorite, Pine Chip), bred and trained in the Lazdija district. Panther Face started 101 times and earned 48 prize wins: 21 1st, 21 2nd and 6 3rd. In 2023, he participated in 5 races and in one of them he broke the Lithuanian trotting horse speed record.
Facts:
A new record – 2023. in summer, the speed reached at the Utena Hippodrome is 1 min. 14.33 sec, 1609 distance covered in 1 min. 59.590 sec.
The previous record was in 2017. in winter, the speed reached at the Dusetės hippodrome is 1 min. 14.68 sec, 1609 distance covered in 2 min. 0.160 sec.
Award
Cup of the Republican League of Racing Horses and 500 euros
Nomination “Coach of the Year”
Trotting horse trainer and handler Zydrūnas Vasilionka so prepared the trotter Ideal Cass that he won three top honors in his age groups in three consecutive years. The sportsman doubted that he could list all the names of the horses he has trained over the past 30 years, and admits that there are some horses like Ideal Cass. In the sport of trotting horses, such an achievement is exceptional and could be called the “triple crown” common in other sports, thus recognizing the merits of the trainer in the race for the horse to achieve the best results.
- 1st place in the 2023 “Elito Grand Prix” adult horse group race (handler Žydrūnas Vasilionka): time – 2 min. 17.662 sec., speed – 1 min. 16.48 sec.
- 1st place in the 2022 “Derby” four-year-old horse group race (handler Juha-Pekka Kavander): time – 3 min. 22.8 sec., speed – 1 min. 16.8 sec.
- 1st place in the 2021 “Kriterium” three-year-old horse group ride (handler Žydrūnas Vasilionka): time – 3 min. 28.6 sec., speed – 1 min. 19.0 sec.
Idealas Cass is an American trotter born in Raguvėlė 5 years ago (origin – Always Alluring, Global Light MT, Diamond Way), his owner is Arūnas Cicėnas (Anykščiai district). The horse already has 31 starts and 23 prize wins: 15 – first places, 5 – second places, 3 – third places. Horse record – 1 min. 14.7 sec.
Award
“Nemunas” Cup of the Lithuanian Rural Sports and Culture Association
Republican League of Racing Horses – 500 euros
Nomination “Guide of the Year”
In 2023, he won the highest awards – 13 Stasys Kerys!
Stasys Kėrys is one of the most experienced trotter breeders, breeders, trainers and handlers, whose trained horses Scandinavians want to see in their racetracks and who contributed a lot to the development of the Lithuanian trotter sport and to the fact that the level of professionalism of trainers and breeders reaches heights. For decades, Stasys Kērys has been training horses from their birth and later, when they are already competing for speed on the hippodrome track. His experience and knowledge helped him breed many promising trotting horses and inspired many a handler to start raising or breeding horses of this breed, and the breeder to become a professional athlete and trainer. According to Stasis Kēris, the most pleasant feeling when a horse crosses the finish line first is to see and understand that your horse has improved and become even more capable, that it is admired by both amateurs and professionals and that it is doing great.
An interesting fact – even 12 out of 13 first places last year were won by driving Perla, a racing trotter born in Lithuania (origin – Pronto Ribb, Immobiliare, Andover Hall), whose owner is UAB “Nala” (Varėnas district). This year, the trotter bred and trained in the Varėna district will compete in the group of 4-year-old horses. Perlas started 13 times in total and won prizes all times: 12 – 1st place and 1 – 3rd place. The horse’s best time is 1 min. 16.73 sec.
We wish you many first places this year as well!
Award
Cup of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania
Republican League of Racing Horses – 500 euros
RLŽL information
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– 2024-03-30 18:21:55
