Istrian riders shone at the prestigious International Endurance Horseback Riding Festival "Festival Terre Toscane" held last weekend in Montalcino, Italy. Competing against 300 teams from around the globe, the Istrian Endurance Team secured gold, placed in the top five, and qualified for upcoming championships. The highlight of the weekend was the victory of Stefano Osip, whose triumph was celebrated with the playing of the Croatian national anthem in the heart of Tuscany.

Osip and his horse Kadir excelled in the most challenging race of the event, a CEI3* race over 140 kilometers. Osip finished the race with an impressive average speed of 16.5 km/h, securing the gold medal with a final lap speed of 20.2 km/h. This victory was particularly notable as it was Kadir’s first race at the highest level, and the horse also received the prestigious "Best Condition" award for being in the best condition among all competitors. The pair are now one step closer to qualifying for the European Championship.

The Osip family has a long-standing tradition in horseback riding. Stefano recently completed one of the toughest horse races in the world in Saudi Arabia, spending eight hours in the saddle before "conquering" Italy. His brother Antonio is also a rider and won the 50th anniversary race on the ring in Barban last year.

The Istrian Endurance Team, which operates as a competitive branch of the Soko Equestrian Club from Pazin and is known as Croatia’s most successful competitive team, demonstrated the strength of the entire team. In a CEI2* race over 120 kilometers, Barbara Šošić with her mare Morgana By Edessa secured a high fifth place. They finished the race with an average speed of 16.2 km/h, qualifying for the longest races of 160 kilometers.

Tara Morić, a junior rider, also achieved a significant result. She successfully completed her first international race, a CEI1* over 100 kilometers, finishing 14th out of 26 competitors. This performance qualified her for the Balkan Championship in the junior category.