The longest-standing member of the CdG team, Mikaela Soratie, is putting the finishing touches on her horse for the European Championships, which begin tomorrow, Tuesday, in Hagen, Germany. Hot Casanova is a 12-year-old FWB gelding owned by Katja Kuistila, and he has a habit of performing well at his own level in competitions. Due to a recent life change, Soratie's journey to Hagen is now only about a three-hour drive.
Soratie has just at the end of July moved from England to the Netherlands. What is behind the change of scenery?
"Since leaving Germany, I've spent the last three years working for Katja Kuistila in England. She decided to sell her own property, and I, for my part, wanted to come back to Central Europe, from where it is easier to compete. The Netherlands is a horse country with good transport connections to everywhere in Europe," Soratie says.
At first, Soratie was slightly worried about moving so close to the start of the European Championships, but fortunately the worry was unnecessary. "The horses recovered quickly from the move and they have settled in really well. And I've already managed to find amazing people to help me, so the new everyday life has started rolling along really nicely."
My own place in the Netherlands
Soratie now has access to a 23-horse stable, an indoor arena, an outdoor arena, and wonderful pastures.
"If you ask the horses, then I believe their favorite thing is the pastures. If you ask my opinion, then my own stable has always been my dream—so simply the fact that I can train with quality in good facilities. So you could say that at the moment I'm living my dream," Soratie smiles.
From the perspective of training and competitions, the move brings many positive things. Soratie has now been able to train with the help of national team coach Rien van der Schaft, so the pair has had good sessions under their belt before the Europeans. Going forward, it is a big advantage that from her own base it is easy to reach many international competitions over short distances.
"The past year has been challenging, I have to admit. Buying my own place and moving have brought a lot of joy, but of course also challenges. Moving is always stressful, and with horses it is certainly not any easier. In addition, corona and Brexit have added their own layer. We have been able to compete at a few international competitions in Belgium and one in England."
Finland now has a strong team in Hagen
The team riders are Stella Hagelstam – Sangraal, Emma Kanerva – Greek Air, Henri Ruoste – Kontestro DB, and Mikaela Soratie – Hot Casanova. Last time Soratie represented Finland at the European Championships was in Rotterdam in 2018 with her horse Dacor.
"The selection felt really good, and I'm truly honored that I get to represent Finland now at my second European Championships. Our competition scores improved as the season progressed, so of course I was cautiously hopeful about making the team. It feels really great to be included."
Soratie has prepared for the European Championships the same way as for other competitions, keeping training as similar as possible and keeping her own nerves under control.
"With Hotti, I especially appreciate that he always does his best in competitions and that we usually manage to perform at our own level. He's also a horse that the judges can easily like. I hope that we can ride as complete a test as possible, and in that way support the whole Finnish team's success.
The European Championships will be ridden 7–12 September in Hagen, Germany.
