Category Archives: Eventing/H.T.

It’s Go Time for Strzegom October Festival

Photo: Mariusz Chmieliński.

Almost 400 horses, 12 classes, top athletes, and a chance to celebrate – Strzegom October Festival, a jubilee 50th edition of the international competitions in Strzegom starts on Wednesday 13 October at the hippodrome in Morawa.

Strzegom October Festival traditionally finishes the eventing season at Stragona Equestrian Centre. This year it will be a unique event, as it marks the 50th international competition in Morawa. 12 classes will be played out, including the youth categories: ponies, juniors, and young riders will battle it out in the European Youth Eventing Masters. The arenas in Morawa will host almost 400 horse and rider combinations, representing 23 nations.

The entry list includes some of the world’s top eventers, including Ingrid Klimke, the double European Champion, world champion Sandra Auffarth, and the Olympic silver medalist Sara Algotsson-Ostholt.

Strzegom October Festival starts on Wednesday with dressage tests. Cross-country, the most exciting part of the equestrian triathlon, will be played out over three days. The final trials and prizegiving ceremonies will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Entry and parking are free of charge. The audiences will also have a chance to cheer on their favourites during the cross-country livestream, via Eventing.strzegomhorsetrials.pl, Clipmyhorse.tv, and Facebook.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Polish Rider Victorious in the 4* at Baborówko Autumn Show

Mateusz Kiempa (POL) & Lassban Radovix. M&R Photo.

The showjumping trial for the highest ranked class at Baborówko Autumn Show 2021, the CCI4*-S, presented by LOTTO, brought changes in the leaderboard. The course designer prepared a demanding challenge for the athletes, which resulted in only three clear rounds inside the time. Even the leaders had poles down. Amanda Staam (SWE), who was in the first position overnight, had two knockdowns, which added 8 points to her account with CORPOUBET AT and cost her the win. Mateusz Kiempa (POL) with LASSBAN RADOVIX finished with 4 penalties, but the solid foundation he built in two previous trials secured his victory. Kamil Rajnert (POL) jumped up into third riding GOUVERNEUR.

In the CCI3*-S, for the prize of Kuhn, the win went to Antonia Baumgart (GER) riding LAMANGO after their clear round inside the time. Julia Gillmaier (POL) advanced from fourth to second with RED DREAM PRINCES, and Pia Münker (GER) with JARD finished third.

The leaderboard was shuffled in the CCI2*-S, presented by the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship Local Government, as well. Josephine Schnaufer-Völkel (GER) with GINGER SPICE 3, the leader after dressage and cross-country, had two poles down, which knocked her into 10th position. A clear round secured the win for Jerome Robine (GER) riding AVATAR 42. Caro Hoffrichter (GER) with JUST JAQUES jumped up into second, and third belonged to Pia Münker (GER) riding CASCABLANCA, who was clear on the fences but had to add 0,8 for time.

More information can be found at:
www.equestrian.baborowko.pl
www.facebook.com/baborowko.equestrian

Changes in the Lead at Baborówko Autumn Show

Amanda Staam (SWE) & Corpoubet AT. M&R Photo.

Baborówko, October 2nd, 2021 – The cross-country trial brought a change in the lead in the highest-ranked class of the show – the CCI4*-S, presented by LOTTO. The new best result belongs to Sweden’s Amanda Staam with CORPOUBET AT. Mateusz Kiempa (POL) with LASSBAN RADOVIX fell into second, and Paweł Warszawski (POL) with HATTERIA II is now third.

The leaderboard changed in the CCI3*-S for the prize of Kuhn as well. Caro Hoffrichter (GER) is now in the pole position riding LUCKY V/H TRAPPERSVELD. Second place still belongs to Antonia Baumgart (GER) with LAMANGO. Pia Münker (GER) went up into third riding JARD.

The top three in the CCI2*-S remains unchanged. Clear rounds inside the time meant that Josephine Schnaufer-Völkel (GER) with GINGER SPICE 3, Jerome Robine (GER)

The cross-country trial ended the rivalry in with AVATAR 42, and Pia Münker (GER) with CASCABLANCA kept their respective first, second, and third places. the CCI1*-Intro. The winner was Stella Maria Stöhr (GER) with CATWALKER. Second place went to Ann-Catrin Bierlein (GER) riding MAGIC MOMENT, and third to Kerstin Häusermann (SUI) with JIM KNOPF P.

More information can be found at:
www.equestrian.baborowko.pl
www.facebook.com/baborowko.equestrian

The First Day of Dressage in Baborówko

Baborówko, 30 September 2021 – The dressage trial for the CCI3*-S for the prize of Kuhn and the first part of the dressage for the CCI2*-S presented by the Wielkopolskie voivodeship Local Government have played out in Baborówko.

The best result in the CCI3*-S after dressage belongs to Felix Etzel (GER) with Promising Pete TSF. Antonia Baumgart (GER) with Lamango is second, and third place for now belongs to Caro Hoffrichter (GER) with Lucky V/H Trappersveld. The best Polish athlete is Julia Gillmaier, riding Red Dream Princes, currently in the sixth position.

The best round in the first part of the CCI2*-S dressage goes to Pia Munker (GER) riding Cascablanca. Caro Hoffrichter (GER) lies in second with Just Jacques, and Katharina Frahm (GER) is third with Liberty and Independence. The highest-ranked home athlete is Agata Piskadło with Broadway, who currently occupies the fifth position.

The organisers have prepared a livestream of the main classes, available at the show’s website (www.equestrian.baborowko.pl), the Baborówko Equestrian Facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/baborowko.equestrian), and Świat Koni.

All Glory for Great Britain’s Golden Girls at Avenches

L to R – Sarah Bullimore (bronze), Nicola Wilson (gold), and Piggy March (silver). (FEI/Richard Juilliart)

British riders have long had a phenomenal record in the sport of Eventing, and they proved untouchable once again when not only clinching the team title but taking all the individual medals at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland.

In the lead from day one they held on tight, and when this result is added to double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 and the team title along with individual silver at this summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, they clearly reign supreme in every sense.

It was a tough day for the defending champions from Germany as the dream of a seventh victory for the team and a third consecutive individual gold medal for Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD didn’t come true, as they had to settle for silver. But in true sporting fashion the German team “elder,” Andreas Dibowski, said, “We won the silver, but we didn’t lose the gold. The Brits did an amazing job, and we just couldn’t beat them!”

Team Sweden stood on the third step of the podium.

First

Ros Canter and Allstar B were first of the British into the ring as the final showjumping phase got underway. Theirs was not a counting score for the team standings that left her side still out in front last night, but the pair who claimed double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 were back to their classy selves when producing a quality clear, and that proved a good omen for the rest of their team.

A total of 52 horse-and-athlete combinations made it through to this final test, with 13 nations still in the mix, and by the time it came down to the last ten riders the tension was palpable. As the action began, the Germans were just under 10 penalty points behind the British at the head of affairs, with France lying in bronze medal position another 18 points further adrift but with only three team members left after the elimination of Gwendolen Fer. So when Stanislas de Zuchowicz and Covadys de Triaval hit the first element of the double at fence nine and Jean Lou Bigot’s Utrillo du Halage left three fences on the floor, then French chances were slipping away.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida produced an opening clear for Germany before Anna Siemer and FRH Butts Avondale also fell victim to the first element of the triple combination. But Michael Jung steered fischerWild Wave home with nothing to add, and then only Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD were left to go.

However, it was only an individual medal Klimke was chasing by the time she took her turn, because as Dibowski said later, the British were just too good for the rest. Team member Kitty King’s Vendredi Biats hit the second fence, but Piggy March’s Brookfield Inocent was foot-perfect. And when Nicola Wilson’s JL Dublin went clear, she not only finalised the British tally at 73.1 for the winning team score, but she also had individual gold in her grasp while, lying fourth as the action began, March had the silver and British individual Sarah Bullimore had the bronze. It was a staggering result.

Pressure

Fifth-last to go, Bullimore piled the pressure on the remaining four with a fabulous clear from Corouet. And when Frenchman Maxime Livio, lying in bronze medal spot, faulted in the middle of the combination and then Klimke, holding silver, hit the vertical three from home, it would be an all-British individual podium for the seventh time in the history of these Championships. The last British threesome to do the same were Ian Stark (Glenburnie), Richard Walker (Jacana), and Karen Straker (Get Smart) at Punchestown (IRL) in 1991.

Meanwhile, Sweden also had plenty to celebrate when clears from both Malin Jesefsson (Golden Midnight) and Malin Petersen (Charly Brown) and a single error from Sara Algotsson Ostholt (Chicuelo) saw the team, that also included Christoffer Forsberg (Hippo’s Sapporo), rise from overnight sixth place to take bronze.

“I’m back in the team for first time in ten years and it’s great to be with the girls!” Forsberg said. “I’ve been really happy with the team spirit, and I want to thank the organisers very much for putting on this show.” And that was echoed by everyone else at the end of this extraordinary event that was put together so successfully in a few short months.

Trainer

At the post-competition press conference, Germany’s Ingrid Klimke said with a laugh, “I have one thing to say to the Brits – they stole our trainer!” referring to Britain’s Eventing High Performance coach Chris Bartle, who helped her country to many successes in previous years. “But I’m very happy for them; they did a wonderful job!” she added.

Her compatriot, the effusive Anna Meier, was thrilled to earn her first medal at Senior Championship level. “I feel like I’m always in a team with my horse, but to be in a team with these guys is wonderful; they’ve won millions of medals between them but this is my first!” she said, looking around at Dibowski, Klimke, and Jung.

Bullimore described her 10-year-old gelding Corouet as “just a freak of nature! He’s phenomenal in all phases; he could do pure show jumping and pure dressage; he’s unique,” she said. “He has a huge attitude in a small package, he knows how cool he is, and he’s been fantastic all week,” she added. Her individual bronze was an especially precious result because she bred the horse and also competed his dam at the FEI European Championships in Blair Castle (GBR) in 2015.

March, team gold medallist at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 and team silver medallist at the last FEI European Eventing Championships two years ago, described her individual silver medal winning ride Brookfield Inocent as “definitely one of the best I’ve ever ridden – in all three phases he couldn’t have done any more!” And she added, “Personally, I think that if we’re ahead of Ingrid Klimke and Micky Jung then that’s a medal in itself, wherever we’d finish! This has just been a fabulous week!”

Reflected

Meanwhile, newly crowned individual European champion Wilson reflected on the enormity of it all with her trademark modesty. “This has been very very special, being with this fantastic group of girls who all get along really well. It’s been fun all the way and the horses have been phenomenal.

“It’s a first championship for Dublin; he missed a bit of time when I injured my neck (two years ago) and then Covid came long, but now I’m so proud for my owners. I was delighted with his dressage; it just felt very solid and good and then he stormed around the cross-country and produced a beautiful round in the show jumping. How lovely it is to have had him since he was a young horse and to build that lovely partnership and trust between us,” she said with quiet pride, adding, “Thank you to Switzerland for putting on these Championships!”

Gratitude

Everyone expressed their gratitude to the Organising Committee headed up by Jean-Pierre Kratzer, President of the Institut Equestre National d’Avenches, where this week’s event has taken place. A total of 21,000 spectators came through the gates of the fabulous venue, including over 10,000 on cross-country day.

“I built this place 20 years ago for racing, and to expand our business we then built a training centre for 150 horses. Last year during Covid, we were asked to help riders in preparation for Tokyo and we took the opportunity to plan for the future and help develop Eventing here,” he explained.

“When we got the opportunity to organise these Championships I talked with Mike Etherington-Smith in July about how to make it the best, and he asked if he could work with Martin Plewa. It was one opportunity for a lot of people and we took it and put it together in a few weeks with good team spirit. So I’m delighted to see all the teams happy and hear them say they want to come back; that’s the best thank you we could get!”

Results here.

by Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager, Media Relations & Media Operations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Mixed Cross-Country Fortunes, but British Hold Fast Going into Final Day

Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin. (FEI/Richard Juillart)

When asked what she thought of the cross-country course after completing her Dressage test with JL Dublin at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland on Thursday, Great Britain’s Nicola Wilson described it as “positively terrifying!” But on a day of mixed fortunes for the British side who still managed to maintain the lead they established on the opening day, the pair rose from third to the very top of the Individual rankings after a spectacular run that further stretched the gap between her team and the defending champions from Germany.

And it was a very exciting afternoon for France. An unfortunate tip-up for Gwendolen Fer and Romantic Love in the water at fence 23 piled plenty of pressure on her compatriots who, however, rose gallantly to the challenge to hold on to bronze medal spot going into the final Jumping phase.

The British tally of 69.1 leaves them just over nine penalty points ahead of Germany, while on 96.8 the French are a good distance behind. Team Switzerland shot up from ninth to fourth while the Irish climbed from eleventh to fifth, and the stage is set for a sizzling conclusion to the 35th edition of these Championships, which are taking place against the odds during these troubling Covid times.

It’s only six short weeks since course designer, Great Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith, started work on the track that embraces the beautiful racing venue at Avenches, but the horses, riders, and the enthusiastic crowd that turned up to see Europe’s best battle it out were treated to a great day of sport.

And the British maintained their supremacy despite a disappointing performance from the reigning World Championship partnership of Ros Canter and Allstar B. Sitting in Individual silver medal spot as the day began, the pair plummeted to 55th with two run-outs late in the course.

Set things up

Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent produced one of just seven fault-free rounds to set things up for the British side.

“Everything is easy when you have a horse like him. The time was tight enough but he’s a real cruiser. What a horse and how lucky am I to have him!” she said.

And when Wilson followed suit, they were already looking very secure. Despite her earlier reservations, Wilson admitted that “the course rode beautifully, and my horse was very honest.” So when Kitty King and Vendredi Biats added just 0.8 time penalties to her dressage mark, then Canter’s additional 56 penalties could be dropped as they were comfortably in control.

German pathfinder Anna Siemer also had a great day, adding just 1.6 to her scoreline with FRH Butts Avondale. She was over the moon after her ride. “It was so much fun!” she said. “For her the dressage was done and now this is what we are here for! She’s like a pony; I know her for 10 years now, and from the moment she jumped her first cross-country fence, she was a cross-country machine!” said the rider who walked the track seven times in order to ensure she met with no surprises.

Andreas Dibowski was next out for the German side, adding 15.2 penalties to his scoreline with FRH Corrida. But Michael Jung pulled it back with a classic clear with the nine-year-old fischerWild Wave, demonstrating the skill that has earned the German superstar the title “The Terminator.”

“He’s a young horse but amazing, with a lot of talent in all three disciplines. Today he showed how light and easy he can gallop, and he has super endurance, he’s fast, and has a lot of scope for the bigger, tougher courses. Right now, all he needs is just more experience – to learn to be clever and to think. I’m really happy with him,” Jung said.

Weight of expectation

Now only the individual leader, Ingrid Klimke, was left to go for the German side, with a huge weight of expectation on her shoulders. If she can take the individual title she will be the first athlete in the long history of the FEI Eventing European Championships to do so with the same horse on three consecutive occasions. But 1.2 time penalties saw her lose her grip on pole position and she goes into the final phase just 0.5 penalties behind Wilson at the head of affairs.

“He was bold and brave, like he always is,” Klimke said of her beloved Bobby. “I had lots of time at the 7-minute mark, and then in the end there were two seconds (added) because I just couldn’t go any faster, especially in the turns. I had to take my time so I didn’t have a run-out. I had to be precise to the end and I felt it was the fastest I would like to go through the corners and the deeper ground. I thought I would make it, but unfortunately we didn’t – but he did a lovely job really and he finished full of himself!” she said.

Meanwhile, Jean Lou Bigot got the French off to a great start when delivering a fault-free run with Utrillo du Halage, but Gwendolen Fer’s fall left them looking very vulnerable. However, when Stanislas de Zuchowicz and the lovely grey Covadys de Triaval added only 14 time penalties to their score, the French situation began to stabilise. And he was thrilled with his result, produced under pressure.

“It was his first time at 4-Star level and my Chef d’Equipe told me I had to be clear, but my horse was fantastic! My job was to be careful about his balance because his jump is always fantastic, and his canter is always very good. We had a slip on the turn after fence 15 and that was a tricky moment, but I had the face of my coach in my head, and I knew we had to stay on our feet!” said the man from Fontainebleau who first rode for the French team in 2009.

Great round

And then Maxime Livio secured that bronze medal position definitively with a great round from Api du Libaire.

“The trainer told me to be quick enough to secure the bronze medal place but not to take any stupid risk like I might if I was only an individual rider, but the plan was not to take too big risk with that horse because he’s not really experienced. So I was quite comfortable with that. He (the horse) allowed me to take the straight route at 6/7, because he’s very straight. So I took that risk and he answered very well, but I just felt when I jumped the water when I came back on the race-track that his jumping was not as energetic at the beginning. So I decided okay, now we try to hold it together. He was a bit tired in the body but not in the mind. He was listening to me, looking at the fences, fully focused, and I’m very pleased because he fought with me to the very end for the French team. And also, his score is really good, so I am very happy!” Livio said.

It’s all so very close, and the result could go any which way on the exciting final day.

Results here.

by Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager, Media Relations & Media Operations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Super-Tight Contest Going into Cross-Country Day

Maxime Livio with Api du Libaire. (FEI/Richard Juilliart)

Great Britain maintained the lead in the Dressage phase, but there will only be a hair’s breadth between them and the defending team champions from Germany when the cross-country phase of the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 gets underway.

A margin of 4.9 penalty points is all that separates the two sides as the best horse-and-athlete combinations from all across Europe continue to battle it out for the prestigious team and individual medals at these 35th bi-annual Championships.

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke took another step towards an historic first-ever three-in-a-row individual title with the same horse, when steering the brilliant SAP Hale Bob OLD into pole position in the Dressage arena. But Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Allstar B, who took double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games two years ago, came dangerously close to toppling them when third-last to go.

Scoring 20.6, Canter lies just 0.4 behind Klimke when the horses set out to take on the challenging cross-country track designed by Great Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith, which consists of 40 jumping efforts and 32 fences over a distance of 5,678 metres that must be covered in 10 minutes 7 seconds to avoid time penalties.

And lying third, only 0.3 further behind, is Canter’s team-mate and first-day Dressage leader Nicola Wilson with JL Dublin, while a super test from Maxime Livio and his attractive 11-year-old grey gelding Api du Libraire leaves him individually fourth and secured third place for Team France.

Reshuffle

Klimke was always expected to reshuffle the order with her 17-year-old gelding whose career record includes Olympic team silver, individual World Championship bronze, and four European gold medals, the last two of the latter clinched on home ground in Luhmuehlen two years ago. He certainly didn’t disappoint again, but Bobby was full of beans before starting his test.

“Maybe he thought we were in cross-country already! I didn’t warm up for long because he knows all the movements and I thought it would be good if he was a bit fresh, because the ground is a bit deep (in the arena), but I didn’t know he was that fresh! I should have cantered a few more rounds outside!

“I had to take an extra loop to calm him down, but the moment I entered the ring, I knew exactly that he knows his job inside out and I could really enjoy it and I could ride very precisely from point to point. After so many years now, it is really a pleasure to ride through the test knowing he is absolutely focused and there is so much trust between us,” she pointed out.

She says the cross-country course reminds her of the track at Wiesbaden in Germany, “which feels like seven minutes in a jump-off – you can’t breathe very much!” But Bobby is a past-master over fences. “The good thing is that he has a very handy canter for the turns, and he doesn’t mind the ground,” she explained.

His lazy self

Canter gave the German star a real run for her money when third-last to go. Albie, as her 16-year-old horse is known to his friends, didn’t make it entirely easy for her though because, as she explained, “He was his usual lazy self! I wanted everyone to clap and cheer as we came in and he pricked his ears for about half a second but then he went ahhh… he’s always listening to me, and in a way it’s a benefit, but I was possibly sweating more than he was!” she said.

“But honestly, he’s just the most rideable horse I’ve ever had in a dressage test. He doesn’t change, regardless of the atmosphere or anything else; he just lets me ride for every mark, and that’s where his heart shines really and always has done. Time and again, he does mistake-free tests. It’s a lot of pressure coming out on him again (after their World Championship success), but I want to try and enjoy every minute because I know I haven’t got many left with him,” she added.

Impressive

While both Klimke and Canter’s horses are super-experienced, Livio’s fourth-place ride with Api du Libaire was all the more impressive because it’s this pair’s first Championship together, and you’d never have guessed it.

“We knew since the beginning this horse’s talent for the three phases is really nice; he can fight with the best horses in the world. This is his first Championship so it’s good to be where we are today and it’s a good score for the team, but it’s a three-day event also so we take it day by day,” said the 34-year-old Frenchman.

He described his handsome and characterful gelding as “a strange horse; he’s like a kid but not a bad kid, just someone who is pleased to be here and wants to see everything! My job is to show him a lot, and I’m pleased because he was totally connected to me, and when he is like that, he is a super student because he tries all the time,” he added.

Challenging

Meanwhile, looking ahead to the cross-country test, Canter said, “It’s a really challenging course in terms of the full circles we do and all the accuracy questions and the difference in surfaces which will affect horse’s balance. We’ll need to prepare for every fence, riding and planning the bits in between. Albie gets very wound up at the start but he’s a wise old man, so I’ll keep his warm-up limited and keep his energy and adrenaline for the course.”

Klimke said the most important thing will be to maintain the horse’s rhythm and “not lose any stride, just keep a wonderful flow,” all very possible perhaps when you are partnering a creature of the calibre of SAP Hale Bob OLD who she affectionately calls “the professor.”

Livio agreed. “The rider who can be fluent in their riding will do the best. This course is a good test of the ability of the rider to be fluent – if we manage to do that it will go well,” he said.

Team France lies only 7.6 penalty points behind the Germans who currently hold silver medal spot. But the French will need to be on the button because fantastic tests from Harald Ambros (Lexikon 2), Robert Mandl (Sacre-Coeur), and Lea Siegl (van Helsing P) moved Austria up into fourth, less than two points behind.

The Dutch team is in fifth place, Italy in sixth, Sweden in seventh, and Belgium in eighth, while the hosts from Switzerland lie ninth. Spain, Ireland, Russia, and Czech Republic fill the last four places.

Results here.

by Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager, Media Relations & Media Operations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Tryon Fall Horse Trials: Boyd Martin Aces Advanced

Boyd Martin and Wabanaki ©Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Mill Spring, NC – September 13, 2021 – Boyd Martin (Cochranville, PA) and Wabanaki conquered the White Oak Cross-Country Course to win the Advanced A Division at the Tryon Fall Horse Trials at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) with a final score of 47.3. Sitting fourth after the Dressage and Show Jumping phases, Martin stepped up to the occasion and put in the fastest Cross-Country round of the day to add only 7.2 time penalties and take the win. Wrapping up her weekend in second place with a final score of 51.1 was Lillian Heard (Cochranville, PA) and Dasset Olympus, the 2013 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Debbie Greenspan. Third place honors were awarded to Lucienne Bellissimo (Wellington, FL) and Atlantic Vital Spark, the 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Horse Scout Eventing LLC with a score of 51.6.

Martin, who topped the competition aboard Wabanaki, the 2011 Hanoverian gelding owned by The Dawnland Syndicate, began on top after a Dressage test that earned the duo a score of 32.1. Though the tough competition proved to be no big deal for Wabanaki, Martin shared that his mount is still new to the Advanced division: “It’s his third crack at the level. He was absolutely fantastic for where he is in his training. He still needs to grow, learn, and get more seasoned. Tryon put on a spectacular event. Obviously, it was a difficult and tough competition, but it was a great learning experience for the young ones.”

Martin galloped to a time of 6:43 seconds in the cross country phase of the competition, over ten seconds ahead of Heard’s time of 6:54 seconds. The White Oak Cross-Country Course with tracks set by Captain Mark Phillips (GBR) offered Martin the perfect number of challenges, while still building Wabanaki’s confidence. Martin commented, “There were a lot of difficult combinations followed by easier fences. It was good for the young ones to have a tough question and then nice and easy ones to keep them confident.

“Hats off to Tryon, because the footing feels like the golf course it is. The footing out there is spectacular,” Martin emphasized. “I love Tryon and everything about it. The venue is world class from the Dressage rings to jumping under the lights last night in front of the crowd. There’s great stabling. The Cross-Country course takes a bit of riding because it used to be a golf course, so it has those mounds and dips, which is good practice,” Martin relayed. “Tryon has been unbelievable with the irrigation system. Walking out on the course, the grass was all spongey, which the horses love.”

For full results from the Tryon Fall Horse Trials, click here.

For more info and results, visit www.Tryon.com.

Make Plans to Attend The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S

Photo by Lisa Madren Photography.

Myakka City, Fla. – Aug. 31, 2021 – Make your travel plans to attend The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S Oct. 22-24, 2021. The Event at TerraNova, a US Equestrian-sanctioned event, will host a range of levels including Starter, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Modified, Preliminary, Intermediate, CCI1*-S, CCI2*-S, CCI3*-S, and CCI4*-S at its new expansive facility just east of Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida. Entries open Sept. 7 on EventEntries.com and close Oct. 5.

Enjoy world-class footing and a Capt. Mark Phillips-designed and Eric Bull-crafted cross-country course, VIP tables and tailgating, boutique shopping, and gourmet fare.

When you’re not competing, enjoy all that the area has to offer. Soak up the sun along white-sand beaches. Treat yourself to diverse dining options, the arts and culture, shopping, and Florida fun.

TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s newest equestrian competition venue. Tucked into the picturesque countryside of Myakka City, in Manatee County just east of Bradenton and Sarasota, TerraNova is a welcoming setting for all levels of horse enthusiasts to enjoy equestrian sports. The team at TerraNova built a family-friendly facility designed to deliver an unparalleled experience for competitors and horses while keeping safety a priority. No detail was overlooked with six state-of-the-art arenas and a sprawling cross-country course designed by Olympic gold-medalist Capt. Mark Phillips and built by master craftsman Eric Bull.

For more information about TerraNova Equestrian Center, click here.

German Nicolai Aldinger Wins 4* Class in Strzegom

Photo: Leszek Wójcik.

Nicolai Aldinger with the 11-year-old Timmo was the best in the CCI4*-S, the highest ranked class during Strzegom Summer Tour. Poland’s Julia Gillmaier won the CCI3*-S.

Nicolai Aldinger, who was in the third position after two trials, secured his win with a good round in the cross-country. He went clear over the fences and only 3 seconds over the optimum time. Second place went to Yoshiaki Oiwa riding Tullyoran Cruise JRA. The Japanese rider was tenth after dressage, had a clear round in the jumping, and added some time points in the XC. Third place went to Merel Blom (NED) with Crossborder Radar Love N.O.P.

Polish athlete Mateusz Kiempa, riding Lassban Radovix, was second after dressage and jumping, but added time penalties in the cross-country to his result and it cost him the podium. The pair finished fourth.

Riders from 15 countries competed at the event with over 250 horses. Four international short-format classes and five national ones were played out.

The CCI3*-S ended with the victory of Julia Gillmaier (POL) with Red Dream Princes, whose clear round in the cross-country made her jump up from the eighth position after two trials. The next two places went to German riders. Jan Matthias with Wilbur Larch, the overnight leader, crossed the finish line with time faults, which cost him the win and he had to settle for second. Third place went to Lara Krueger with Lara’s Little Loretta.

The winner of the two-star class was Yoshiaki Oiwa with Calle 44. The Japanese rider took the lead in the dressage and kept it until the end – even despite points for time in the cross-country. Second place went to Merel Blom from the Netherlands riding Denim. Daria Kobiernik (POL) with the Polish-bred Chodów, after clear runs in the jumping and XC, finished third.

The best rider of the CCI1*-Intro was Germany’s Peter Thomsen, who took the first place with Ibsen 27 and second with Portofino 81. Third place went to his compatriot Isabella Von Roeder riding Bob.

Online results: https://zawodykonne.com/zawody/193/tour/14.

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