Can one of the most experienced Italian endurance Riders – with over 200 races, 5 national appearances, a silver at the Italian Championships and a team bronze at the European Junior Championships – cross the finish line of a CEI1 * and cry for five minutes of joy? Yes, it is possible because this is exactly what happened to Carolina Tavassoli Asli at the end of the race won on Saturday 4 May in Provaglio d’Iseo riding Niki Lotois. It was not so much the success itself as giving her those tears of happiness, but the way in which the 8-year-old Arabian stallion created the conditions for victory. Carolina has no doubts in finding the right adjective for her horse: “Amazing”.
In fact, what happened in the traditional Ambassador Challenge 2019 appointment is not usual and goes well beyond the first place achieved at the average of 19.796 km/h, the Best condition assigned to Niki Lotois and the last lap covered at 24.453 km/h which allowed Carolina to close ahead of Luca Do-Paraban and Daniel Braido-Princess Jasmine, at a distance of 41″ and 43″ respectively.
The third and final lap of the Brescia race began with Carolina and Niki who started with 24″ on Braido and 79″ on Do, who soon recovered by overcoming and lengthening the Fuxiateam combination. The overtaking was managed without worries by Carolina, who constantly controlled the acceleration of the opponents until, 7 kilometers from the finish and with a delay of 1’20”, she allowed the son of Said Lotois to release all the power of an “engine” that was impossible to brake; in that way the Fuxiateam’s combination recovered the gap, passed the treads and crossed the finish line alone. Amazing, Carolina is right, also in consideration of the performance of Niki Lotois since the first of the 81 kilometers of the race, enhanced by the just 62″ and 54″ recovery time at the two intermediate veterinary gates.
“I never had an emotion of this kind – confessed the champion of Fuxiateam. I mounted strong horses, important and with great personality, but what was able to give me Niki is unique: strength, energy, courage. A few kilometers from the arrival it was as if, having the word, he had said to me: “Don’t worry, I’ll do it.” At that point I also had to give the best in managing him, in a very technical path, that despite the difficulties we interpreted without fear and convinced to live a fantastic experience. There was a really high adrenaline in the descent two kilometers from the end, as the finish line approached and with the desire to give all the Fuxiateam a special victory “.More than deserved, therefore, the applause for Carolina and Niki Lotois, next to which the whole assistance team – in Provaglio to support also Giovanni Menicaglia-Turriga (16th) and Costanza Laliscia-Cadzya du Barthas (eliminated at the second gate) – has shown once again professionalism, attention and punctuality in providing its binomial with all the support for an authentic exploit.
