Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Show Jumping, Spruce Meadows

CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament 2023 Highlights

(Calgary, Alta Sept. 6, 2022 – Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ – Photo: Mike Sturk)

The CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament will once again welcome the world’s best horse and rider combinations to Calgary, Canada for five days of intense show jumping competition from 6-10 September 2023. Based in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Spruce Meadows is considered to be one of North American’s premier equestrian venues. Spectators attending the show will not only experience spectacular scenery, but thrilling competition, alluring shopping, and inspiring entertainment.

The CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament will be the second Major to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, with celebrations beginning at CHIO Aachen in June, exactly 10 years after the first Major took place. Within this, the focal point of the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament, the CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex, the third Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of 2023, will provide a fitting conclusion to five days of sporting excellence.

Throughout the week, the Blacksmith World Championships will take place in the Behind Equi-Plex arena. The daily competitions are a brilliant opportunity to witness the great skill, precision, and accuracy required through the categories of forge work, blade-smithing, and welding. In addition, equine inspired demonstrations and live entertainment will take place daily, varying from a live tutorial held by Jonathan Field on the topic of Horsemanship, to demonstrations held by Canadian, Pia Formuller, on Grand Prix Dressage, and Vaulting demonstrated by the Diamond Willow Vaulting Club. Prepare to come away amazed and full of knowledge!

Read more here.

© 2023 Rolex – Rolex Grand Slam

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, FEI

Winners Crowned as World and European Championships Conclude in Exloo

BRAM CHARDON © FEI/Martin Dokoupil

The thunder cracked and the lightning flashed, bringing a triumphant double championship to an end in Exloo.  The Para Drivers had exited the arena in time to avoid the storm, but in scenes reminiscent of the prize giving at the FEI World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) last year, the Four-in-Hand medals were presented, and speeches made, during a deluge.

The Dutch crowd was thrilled to see their favourite Bram Chardon (NED) retain his European title, one he has now won three times consecutively.  As overnight leader, he was last to drive the Cones, but kept his cool and produced a double clear when he needed it the most.  That came just after his teammate Koos de Ronde guaranteed himself an individual medal after his double clear and sealed the sixth team gold for The Netherlands, aided by the iconic Ijsbrand Chardon.

“It’s great to win the European Championship in your home country for your home crowd. I was particularly happy with my Dressage score and to have my season’s best here – it was such a relief as I knew what my team could do, but to be able to show it here was perfect.  In the Marathon, I knew I could not attack but had to be more defensive in my driving, which worked out and meant I could keep the quick guys behind me while also taking the lead.  It was really tight between us as they were pushing and were very fast, which we expected, but my horses did enough to keep me in front.  Today in the Cones, we knew that the routes were open and with so many double clears before me, it was tricky because with less than a cone between Michael Brauchle and me, I didn’t want to throw away my gold medal.  But I still wanted to have a double clear and finish in style – which I did, and it was wonderful to do it in front of the public with such a great atmosphere here in Exloo!”

The margins were minimal between the top three drivers and the top two nations, as Germany’s Michael Brauchle dropped to bronze individually after a ball roll to enable Koos to jump up a place to silver.  But Michael and his teammates Anna Sandmann and Mareike Harm had done enough over the four days of competition to seal their team silver.  Double clears from Belgium’s Glenn Geerts, Dries Degrieck, and Tom Stokmans ensured they too had a place on the podium for the bronze.

The Cones proved to be less decisive than in other championships, but had to suit the horse fours and the Para Equestrians.  The flowing course meant that there were 16 double clears in the horse fours, and the winner was Georg Von Stein (GER), with Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) second, and in third, Jiri Nesvacil Jnr. with the stunning grey Kladruber stallions.

Para Driving World Championships and Hand in Hand Trophy

The Para Drivers slotted into a later morning session after the lower order of horse fours placed 38 to 20 had driven.  The route was the same, but the cones were narrowed and time allowed increased.

Enjoying the expertise of Bram as her trainer before and during the championship, the first title of the day went to reigning Grade I Para Driving World Champion Tracy Bowman (USA).  She drove a flawless round with her pony Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars to win the phase and emphatically retain her crown. Together, she and Bram also won the Hand-in-Hand trophy and in the prize giving, Bram sat behind Tracy on the groom’s seat of the carriage to enter the arena.

Paying tribute for her success to the support she has received from the extended Chardon crew, who were recording the split times on the course to feed back to her, Tracy said, “This is the absolute fairytale and Lars is my unicorn! I think across all the equestrian sports, Lars is recognised for his quality and ability.  Bram was amazing and gave me a fantastic gameplan – which worked.”

Patricia Großerichter (GER) was one of five Grade I athletes to produce a double clear, which helped clinch a silver medal, ahead of Australia’s Jodie Mckeone in bronze after her storming round for a win in the Marathon.

Alexandra Röder (GER) was untouchable in the Grade II class, leading in all three phases and taking gold for the first time since she won at Sandringham (GBR) in 2014.  Silver and bronze went to the host nation’s Ingmar Veneman and Aad van Marwijk, both medallists at previous championships.

With the strong showing from the German ladies, who were joined on the national team by Para legend Heiner Lehrter, they were clear winners of the team gold for the fourth time.  The silver went to the USA with Tracy joined by long term team members Bob Giles and Diane Kastama.  They were only narrowly ahead of Great Britain by 0.74, who finished in bronze for the fifth time, helped by Deborah Daniel’s second placing in the Cones and strong performances by Mick Ward and Emily Ham.

During his closing ceremony speech, FEI Driving Committee Chair Karoly Fugli (HUN) paid tribute to the inclusivity of the championship and sport driving as a whole, citing the success of joining the Para Drivers with the Four-in-Hands.  The organisers at Exloo were delighted with the support from the large crowds who were present throughout the event, especially the many families who came for the day to enjoy Saturday’s Marathon.  Reflecting the international nature of the combined event, even more fans tuned in from all over the world to watch the live coverage of the action on FEI TV.

by Sarah Dance

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, FEI

Marathon Supremos Dominate in Exloo

PATRICIA GROßERICHTER (GER) with GENTLE-MAN © FEI/Martin Dokoupil

Bold brilliance from Marathon specialists Michael Brauchle (GER) and Koos de Ronde (NED) has put them in contention for titles in Exloo, while reigning Four-in-Hand Champion Bram Chardon (NED) is in front, but only just.

With the comfort of his sub-40 Dressage score, Bram had an advantage going into the second phase in his bid to remain European Champion.  As one of the first of the serious contenders to race through the eight obstacles, he took efficient routes and played it relatively safe.  With a score of 124.96, which placed him 7th to add to his Dressage of 39.85, the total of 164.48 is marginally ahead of Michael’s 166.21 and Koos’ 169.10, so there will be little margin for error in the Cones.

With Michael and Koos on the course at the same time, they were nip and tuck as to who was posting the fastest times through the obstacles.  Michael led the tally with five to Koos’ three, but after a slightly sticky obstacle seven for Michael, they averaged out closely with the German a slither in front on 115.30 and Koos on 116.19 – enough to raise them to silver and bronze positions.

“I was really happy with my team – my horses did a good job today.  I had one ball in the second obstacle and in number seven I made a small mistake, although I had a good line, but perhaps I put on a bit too much pressure.  But it was no problem in the end.  And as for the water, it wasn’t too deep, which meant that I could go through much faster and get the best time!” said Michael Brauchle.

Dressage leader Mareike Harm (GER) produced a Marathon that was on form, and after the two phases ties for 4th place (172.45) with countryman Georg von Stein, competing as an individual, who pulled out a great round to finish in 5th (123.27).  Glenn Geerts (BEL) put the setback of a disappointing Friday behind him when he stormed through the obstacles and found himself for some time the fastest overall.  Pumping the air as he exited the last obstacle, then pointing to his horses, he ended in 3rd on 119.64 and rose from 21st to 8th on the individual scoreboard with 179.67.

As one of the last of 38 the competitors to set out, Austria’s Daniel Schneiders produced a consistent round, which gave him a 4th place on 121.32 pulled him up to 7th (176.82).  Anna Sandmann, supported like the rest of the German team by Boyd Exell, who is their trainer for the event, dropped three places to 6th (174.19).  Radek Nesvacil (CZE), also trained by Boyd, improved on his 11th after Dressage with a 6th placing (123.53), which puts him just behind Glenn (179.70).

For the team event, the Dutch and Germans have swapped places, 326.66 to 328.01, but it’s a fragile lead as just one ball roll at 3 penalties could change the order.  The pressure will be on for cool, clear rounds on Sunday as the team and individual placings will go down to the wire.  Belgium retains the bronze position on 358.09, comfortably ahead of France on 369.82.

Consistent Para Equestrians

Starting the proceedings on a sunny Saturday morning, the Para Driving World Championship saw individual first places remain unchanged with Grade 1 Tracy Bowman (USA) on 132.23 ahead of Patricia Großerichter on 140.76 (GER).  However, storming rounds from Jodie Mckeone, who has travelled from Victoria, Australia, driving a Dutch Hackney loaned to her by British legend George Bowman, meant she won the Grade 1 Marathon with 81.46 ahead of Tracy’s 85.43 and move up to 3rd going into the Cones.  Both classes drove six of the eight obstacles, missing numbers three and four, and in the Grade 2 section, Dressage leader Alexandra Röder maintained her position with a leading round of 83.95. Aad van Marwijk, competing as an individual for The Netherlands, pulled himself up to 2nd with a great round of 89.31, although Alexandra has quite a margin going into the Cones, sitting on 132.91 ahead of Aad’s 152.59.  In 3rd was one of the home crowd’s favourites, Ingman Veneman (NED), who retained her position after the Dressage and is only just behind Aad on 154.50.

In the Para team event, Germany remains in front on 273.67 with the USA on 292.45.  The British have moved into bronze position on 299.69, with Emily Ham and Mick Ward putting their team into medal contention after confident rounds.

by Sarah Dance

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, FEI

Narrow Lead for Germans after Day 2 of Dressage in Exloo

Mareike Harm (GER) competes with ZALANDO, G, RACCIANO and ZAZOU 30. © FEI/Martin Dokoupil

In an elegant display, Germany’s leading lady Mareike Harm put herself into first place with a score of 38.52 in her bid for European titles, despite some heavy rain. As one of the last drivers of the day, she had a long wait and witnessed the top order change as defending champion Bram Chardon (NED) broke through the sub-40 barrier with an exceptional test to finish on 39.52. With a mere one point between them, as soon as they could, they returned to walking the obstacles with their trainers, leaving nothing to chance before the Marathon.

“It wasn’t so good at the start for me this afternoon, because everything had been cleaned for days; all the harness and the horses were so shiny, but as just as we walked out of the stables, it started to really rain.  But my horses gave everything and were so easy to drive and fantastic – they did nothing wrong,” said Harm.

Mareike’s teammate Anna Sandmann was the first of the competitors to gain consistently high marks from the five judges to gain a low score of 42.58 and 3rd place.  Their total puts the German team ahead on 81.10, dropping Michael Brauchle’s overnight leading score.

The Dutch just missed an early lead in the team competition because of a harness malfunction at the start of Ijsbrand Chardon’s test.  The penultimate driver to go, a frustrating loose strap on the right leader meant that the grooms had to dismount to correct the situation which added 5 penalties to his otherwise competitive score of 40.99. Showing all his years of practice and a cool head, Ijsbrand halted and raised his whip, pausing his test for a few moments before producing a commanding performance, which was to the judges’ liking.  Ending the day in 4th, he keeps himself in medal contention and contributes to the team score of 85.51.

Dries Degrieck was another who drove a mature test and tallied 51.04 to add to Tom Stokmans’ score from the previous day to give 108.81 and put the Belgians into 3rd for the teams.

For most of the day, it was overcast in Exloo but just as Fredrik Persson entered the arena, the weather broke and the torrential downpour began.  Despite the challenging conditions, he drove a fine quality test to finish on 48.31, which was good enough for 5th and put the Swedish team into 4th on 112.01, ahead of France in 5th on 113.48.

Meanwhile, the Para Drivers made the most of their day off from the competition to finalise their routes through the obstacles.  Course builder Jeroen Houterman (NED) commented that he had to prioritise the routes for the horse fours, because of the overall length of the turnouts, but include options for the single horses and ponies.  He is also delighted to see how many times they are being examined, which for him means he has presented plenty of alternatives for both championships.

Ahead of her bid to retain her Grade I gold medal and keep the American team in podium contention, Tracy Bowman stated, “The beginning looks amazing – it’s fast, it’s inviting, it’s flowing – even the water looks great!  Number 7 will be tougher, especially for Lars, as he’s a pony who really likes to power through, so I might need to take a slightly different approach.”

by Sarah Dance

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Milan in Full Focus ahead of European Titles Clash

Marcus Ehning will be flying the German flag partnering Stargold at the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 in Milan (ITA). (FEI)

The build-up is reaching a climax ahead of the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023, which gets underway at San Siro Racecourse in Milan, Italy on 30 August.

Team and individual medals are up for grabs, and the flags of 24 nations will fly high at this 37th edition of an event that is steeped in the stories of champions.

A total of 87 athletes and their horses are entered, with 16 countries fielding teams and eight more represented by individuals. The chance for three unqualified teams from FEI Olympic Groups A and/or B to pick up a starting spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also adds to the prospect for a super-competitive week of thrilling sport.

History

This is only the third time in its 66-year history for the FEI Jumping European Championship to be staged in Italy. There were only individual medals on offer when the Italy’s Graziano Mancinelli and Rockette reigned supreme in Rome in 1963 where two more greats – Germany’s Alwin Schockemöhle with Freiherr and Great Britain’s Harvey Smith on Warpaint – stood on the second and third steps of the podium.

At San Patrignano in 2005 it was Marco Kutscher and Montender who came out on top ahead of Switzerland’s Christina Liebherr in silver, while The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam claimed individual bronze. Germany took the team title – first introduced in 1975 – that year too, when Kutscher was joined by Marcus Ehning, Christian Ahlmann, and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum to pin Switzerland and The Netherlands into silver and bronze.

Ehning has an extraordinary record at European Championships, dating all the way back to Hickstead (GBR) in 1999 when he joined Michaels-Beerbaum, Carsten-Otto Nagel, and Ludger Beerbaum to clinch team gold. He did it twice more – in 2003, when he also claimed individual bronze, and in 2005. He was on the silver-medal-winning teams in 2007, 2019, and 2021, and took team bronze in 2009.

Riding the exciting 12-year-old stallion Stargold, with whom he won the 5* Grand Prix in Aachen (GER) last month, the 49-year-old Olympic, World, and European team gold medallist and three-time FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion is back in Otto Becker’s selection this year. He will be accompanied by Gerrit Nieberg, Jana Wargers, Philipp Weishaupt, and Christian Kukuk.

Germany holds pole position on the European Championships Roll of Honour with seven team and 15 individual gold medals collected down the years, three of the latter going to the legendary partnership of Paul Schockemöhle and Deister over three consecutive editions in the 1980s. André Thieme will not defend the individual title he won with DSP Chakaria at Riesenbeck (GER) in 2021.

Defending

The defending team champions are Switzerland, and Chef d’Equipe Michel Sorg brings all four of the side that clinched victory at Riesenbeck (GER) two years ago – Martin Fuchs, who also clinched individual silver on that occasion, Steve Guerdat, Bryan Balsiger, and Elian Baumann, along with Edouard Schmitz.

The Swiss are in flying form after a summer filled with success including victory in Aachen and three sensational wins in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Europe Division 1 series. But they know they have no room for complacency, because they have a double mission in Milan.

Despite their prominence in the sport, they are still chasing a qualifying spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and will be on the hunt for one of the three on offer, along with teams from Austria, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. If they don’t make the cut this time around, they only have one more chance when a single spot comes up for grabs at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona (ESP) at the end of September. They won’t want to leave it that late.

Full list

The full list of teams for the 2023 Championship is Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, and all have entered five athletes, except for Norway and Portugal, who send only three. Individuals will represent Bulgaria, Greece, Israel, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

There will be seven of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20 riders in the latest world rankings all flying their countries’ flags, with world number two Julien Epaillard and world number six Simon Delestre amongst Henk Nooren’s formidable French quintet, while the ultra-dependable Harrie Smolders – currently world number three – is listed on Jos Lansink’s Dutch team.

Seventh-ranked Shane Sweetnam headlines Michael Blake’s Irish side, while Di Lampard’s British team includes reigning Olympic champion and world number nine, Ben Maher. Sweden has world number one and double world champion, Henrik von Eckermann, playing a starring role in a side that also includes Jens Fredricson, Wilma Hellström, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, and Petronella Anderson.

The Swedes have never won the European team title, taking silver in 2001 and 2017 and bronze in 2013. They twice won individual gold, Bengtsson and Ninja La Silla in 2011 and Peder Fredricson and H&M All In in 2017.

Timetable

The Championship timetable begins with the first horse inspection on 29 August, which will be followed by a training session before the draw for order-of-go in the evening. The first competition, a Table C Speed and Handiness, is open to teams and individuals and takes place on 30 August, with the score for each athlete converted into penalties at the end of the day.

The second competition begins with one round on 31 August, and is open to all teams and individuals, but only the top 10 teams and top 50 individuals go through to the second round on 1 September, when the team medals will be decided.

The top 25 go through to the first round of the individual final on 3 September, with the top 12 returning for a second round to decide the fate of the European individual title for 2023.

Further information here.

by Louise Parkes

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, FEI

Few Surprises on Day 1 of Dressage in Exloo

Tracy Bowman with Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars. Copyright © FEI/Martin Dokoupil

It was a day that stuck to form – for most – as the Championships got underway at the Hippisch Centrum.  With near perfect conditions for the equines and athletes, who benefitted from the smooth surface in the sand arena, it was previous medallists who led the way.

The Grade I Para Drivers opened with the first two sessions.  Chrissy Aitken from Ohio, USA, driving a borrowed Dutch horse which she only met for the first time in early August, set the standard with a score of 52.56.  Representing the USA for the first time as an individual, it was good enough to put her into 3rd place ahead of Saturday’s marathon, which she is delighted about.  With the weight of expectation on him, Germany’s multi-medallist Heiner Lehrter had a brief satnav error, turning left instead of right during his test which pushed him down the order.  However, the German team, thanks to the showing of Patricia Großerichter, who finished the Grade I class in 2nd with 49.36, and Alexandra Röder, who rounded off the Grade II class in 1st with 48.96, ensured that the defending champions are sitting atop the leaderboard for the nations.

It was reigning Grade I champion, Tracy Bowman (USA), who on balance most impressed the five judges and went into 1st with 46.80.  Her trainer is none other than Bram Chardon and he briefly stepped into the FEI TV commentator’s box during Tracy’s near flawless test.  It was a treat to hear from him how thoroughly they prepared pony Lars, who had been ridden earlier in the day to warm up.  Nothing was taken for granted, despite the vast experience of both pony and athlete, a level of excellence which keeps them in strong contention for another gold medal.  Plus, it’s likely that Tracy and Bram will be the pairing to beat for the Hand-in-Hand trophy.

Although veteran Para Driver Bob Giles (USA) didn’t enjoy his best day with a borrowed Welsh pony, the experience of Grade II former medallist Diane Kastama paid off when she put down a solid test of 64.48 to help put the American team into second.  The Dutch are in third, the British in fourth, and Italy, with two drivers, are in fifth.

Opening the Four-in-hand European Championship event were 12 of the 39 athletes.  Staking their early claims to podium places were Germany’s Michael Brauchle, who tallied 50.91, and fellow marathon specialist Koos de Ronde (NED), who smiled broadly at the end of his smooth test to finish in 2nd overnight on 52.91 – both decent performances for team and individual placings.  Driving his bay Lusitanos, France’s Benjamin Aillaud is currently in 3rd with 56.84.

Afterwards, Brauchle said, “I was really happy with my horses, who made a good job of the test today.  The atmosphere was good and not too exciting for the horses, and it was great to have Boyd helping me as team trainer.”

by Sarah Dance

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Training/Clinics

Davison and Hughes to Host London Int’l Horse Show’s ‘Dressage Unwrapped’ Masterclass

Photo Credit: London International Horse Show

Organisers of The London International Horse Show 2023 have announced an exciting addition to the LeMieux Masterclass Series: ‘Dressage Unwrapped,’ featuring World Eventing Champion, Yasmin Ingham, who was part of the British team to win a European gold medal earlier this month.

The Masterclass will take place in the New Horizon Plastics London Arena – a new arena being introduced at the 2023 Show – on Thursday 14 December, and aims to provide both amateurs and experienced riders with Dressage tips and tricks that riders can put into practice at home. The hour-long session will be co-presented by Dressage World Championship silver medallists Gareth Hughes and Richard Davison, who will work with both Ingham and the up-and-coming Dressage young rider, Ruby Hughes, daughter of Gareth.

British Olympic Dressage rider Davison is no stranger to the London International, having competed at the Show for over 20 years, a tenure during which he has represented Great Britain at multiple Championships, most recently at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, where alongside his co-host Hughes, he won a team silver medal. Hughes is also part of the British Dressage team heading to the 2023 FEI European Championships in Reisenbeck in September. The pair will be perfectly placed to provide the audience with guidance and insights on expert training routines.

World individual and European team Eventing Champion Yasmin Ingham will be demonstrating the advised practices and is sure to provide a spectacle for the Show’s audience.

Ingham will be joined in the arena by 16-year-old Ruby Hughes, who has had a successful year in international Young Rider classes, including recent team and individual victories at Hickstead. The former Vaulting competitor has made huge strides on the Dressage circuit in only her second year competing in Dressage internationally. Together, the quartet of Davison, Hughes, Ingham, and Hughes will bring unique qualities and experiences to the Masterclass to provide an insight into how they train and prepare for competition at the highest level.

Davison said, “Having been involved with the Dressage Unwrapped Masterclasses at the London International Horse Show last year, I’m even more excited to be presenting this latest edition, as I know how beneficial it can be for the audience. The addition of Gareth, Yas, and Ruby will make this Masterclass completely unique and will, I hope, provide a really exciting and informative session.”

Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, said, “The LeMieux Masterclass Series provides fantastic opportunities for world-class riders to share their knowledge with an eager-to-learn audience, and I have no-doubt that Richard and Gareth will deliver on every dimension regarding this. It is a great privilege to welcome Yasmin, who has achieved so much over the last 12 months, and Ruby, a star of the future, to make this Masterclass truly unmissable.”

More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets, can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Niki McEwen / rEvolution / nmcewen@revolutionworld.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Olympic Champion Helps Germany Claim Belgian Leg of FEI Eventing Nations Cup

Libussa Lubbeke rides Caramia 34. Photo: FEI/Libby Law Photography

In a nail-biting cross-country finish, Germany claimed The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ in Arville (BEL) by just 0.3 of a penalty over home side Belgium. Their victory was massively helped by a strong performance from Julia Krajewski, the individual gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics. The 34-year-old was also the individual winner of the CCIO4* competition, after jumping a super double clear on her impressive nine-year-old Holsteiner stallion, Nickel 21. The Germans performed well as a team, leading throughout to achieve a score of 103.2, although four very strong and fast cross-country performances left the Belgians breathing down their necks with an overall score of 103.5. New Zealand presented an experienced team of riders, all of whom were established at 5*, to finish third on a score of 116.4.

Hans Melzer, chef d’equipe of the winning team, was delighted with the German performance, particularly after a year that has been somewhat up and down for German riders.

“This year, sometimes we were unlucky in Nations Cups and at Aachen, but this one was important, because we had three long-listed riders for the Europeans (Championships), which are all to go to Blenheim. It was good to show here, because it’s a hilly event and we don’t have so many of those in Germany, so it was good preparation for the rest of the season. What they showed today was very good cross-country riding.

“Julia (Krajewski) was with her younger horse, which was his third time at 4* and is a horse maybe for the future. He will go to the long (CCI4*-L) at Boekelo and the other three were all younger riders from our prospective group based in Warendorf, and it was good to see the younger ones competing here and really attacking.”

12 national teams from three continents came forward to compete at the Nations Cup in Arville, which is one of Belgium’s most prestigious equestrian events. The event as a whole attracted riders from as far afield as India, Morocco, and Australia. Melzer highlighted the significance of the Series and why the event had proved so popular with riders from all over the world.

“The Nations Cups are super events because every rider is proud to ride for their country.  It’s a good competition and especially here we have 12 nations, so it’s like a little championship. It’s really great with atmosphere and a super course. I think it’s important we keep these Nations Cups going the whole year in every country, because when you have enough riders, you can test riders in a team and the team order and everything that they learn being part of a team.

“It was a real four star. It’s not too big, but it was very technical with many questions and the country is really hilly. The second part of the course is up and down and up and down. We had 114 starters here which was unbelievable, but the facilities are super, we had good weather, the ground is perfect, so you could go and try to ride the time because there was no risk. It’s very good here in Arville.”

With the electors weighing up options for next year’s Olympics, events like these become more significant, and Melzer will continue to assess their performance as these German team riders will now head to Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (GBR) in September. “I think Julia will have a definite Olympic chance, and the others are good enough when they have a good result here and then Blenheim ahead and there is a chance to put them on the long-list.”

When asked if the Germans can rise once again as the dominant eventing nation, he responded, “The Germans did very well at the FEI World Championships in Pratoni, and now the Brits are the strongest team in all ways. Our team must work everything at 100% and maybe we have a chance. It’s important to give the younger rider a good plan; that’s how they have a chance to come to the top and where they ride, how they train, with whom they train. We have our very good system in Germany since 2002 — our prospective group and three of our riders today came through this system. And in the past Julia Karajewski, Sandra Auffarth, and Frank Ostholt – they all came out of this group, and for the future, this is a good thing we have, as we train a group of riders always together and they get more experienced and more confident.”

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ action now moves to the final event of the Nations Cup Series, which will play out at Boekelo (NED) (4-8 October). The Belgians continue to lead the Series with 600 points overall.

Final scores from Arville can be found here: https://live.rechenstelle.de/2023/arville/nationcup03.html.

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

British Breeze to Golden Glory Once Again

Team Great Britain. (FEI/Libby Law)

It was all about the British once more when the FEI Eventing European Championship 2023 drew to a close at Haras du Pin, France. At the last edition in Avenches (SUI) two years ago, they swept all before them, and again now they took not only the team title, but team-members Ros Canter (Lordships Graffalo) and Kitty King (Vendredi Biats) clinched individual gold and silver ahead of Germany’s Sandra Auffarth in bronze.

The team ranking established after a thrilling cross-country phase remained the same, with Germany standing on the second step of the podium ahead of the hosts from France during the medal ceremony.

In the final analysis, the British score of 103.9 left them well clear of their German rivals, who completed with 131.2, while the French took bronze on a score of 134.2. German chances had been compromised by the loss of their star performer Michael Jung, who was eliminated for an unlucky fall just a few fences from home with Fischerchipmunk FRH.

Team Ireland finished fourth, with Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, and The Netherlands completing the line-up. A total of 56 combinations started in dressage on Thursday, but that was narrowed down to just 37 in the deciding jumping phase. For Belgium and The Netherlands, there was plenty to celebrate as they picked up the two qualifying spots on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This was Great Britain’s 24th team and 20th individual title in the 70-year history of this Championship.

Pressure

The French team kept the pressure on Germany with clear rounds from both Karim Florent Laghouag (Triton Fontaine) and Nicolas Touzaint (Absolut Gold HDC), but Stephane Landois (Ride for Thais Chaman D) lost his grip on overnight individual fourth place with a fence down, and Gaspard Maksud (Zaragoza) also left one on the floor. With the German team reduced to just three, they had plenty to contend with, but while Malin Hansen-Hotopp (Carlitos Quidditch K) had a fence error and some additional time faults, both Christopher Wahler (Carjatan S) and Sandra Auffarth (Viamant du Matz) were foot-perfect over the track designed by Quentin Perney, which consisted of 12 fences and 15 jumping efforts.

Lying sixth in the individual rankings at the start of the day, that clear would promote Wahler to individual fourth place behind team-mate Auffarth, and ahead of the two French clear-round jumpers, Touzaint, who slotted into fifth, and Landois, who finished sixth.

Britain’s Kitty King had no room for a fence error if she was to hold Auffarth at bay for the silver medal as she went into the ring to jump the penultimate round of this Championship, but when she added only 1.2 time faults to her scoreline, she was secure for the second step of the individual podium. Then all eyes turned to Canter and Lordships Graffalo, the horse she calls Walter.

When dressage leader Jung went out of contention, she rose to pole position and she had more than two fences in hand as she set off. The first element of the double at fence four hit the floor, but she still completed with a 6.7 fault advantage over King to take the individual honours and to put the icing on the British team cake.

Expectation

Talking about how she handled the weight of expectation, Canter said, “I had to keep in my own bubble a little bit, remind myself who I’m sat on and just try and do the best job I could in that situation.”

The team success means even more to her than her individual achievement. “For me the team always comes first, it’s what I do it for, it’s what I dream of doing!

“For me the team always comes first; it’s what I do it for; it’s what I dream of doing. Our family are sporty all-rounders and it’s always been about riding for Great Britain. After (winning) Badminton, that was such a massive box ticked for me and I didn’t think it could get much better! I’ve got Walter to thank for it all; he’s just unbelievable!” added the 37-year-old, who took team and individual gold at the world championship in 2018 and European team Gold in both 2017 and 2021.

Like Canter, King was on the winning British side at the 2021 European Championship, but she said she wasn’t expecting to feature so prominently this time around.

“I thought I’d be coming out here just to put a score on the board and be a good pathfinder, and that it would be up to the rest with their amazing horses. So to come home with a medal of any colour is a huge honour and achievement and I’m very, very proud of my horse! I’m delighted with silver – and Ros definitely deserves the gold!” she pointed out.

Germany’s Auffarth was quite happy with her individual bronze, but even happier that her team managed to take silver after losing their star player in Michael Jung. She said her chestnut gelding Viamant was a bit fired up by the enthusiastic crowd, but it also made him jump even better. “I’m very proud of him, and proud of my team and all the work we put in at our training camps.”

Favourites

At the post-competition press conference, her Chef d’Equipe, Jens Adolphsen, said, “After Tokyo, everyone said the Brits are favourites for the next 50 years! But then it changed (when the German team won gold at the last year’s world championship) and now I hope it changes again!”

Paris 2024 is now in full focus for all the nations, and the relief for Belgium and The Netherlands with confirmation of their participation was enormous. It was particularly emotional for Dutch team member and coach, Andrew Heffernan.

“I had 20 years of competing and then I got the job as coach, because we needed to qualify for Paris, and with the support of all my riders, I came out of retirement and rode on the team. And thank God it has worked out – now I’m going straight back into retirement because the pressure this week from my perspective doing both jobs has been huge. This was what we needed to achieve, and we’ve done it!” he said, attempting to control an ocean of happy tears.

There was a question about gender balance in equestrian sport from the floor of the press conference, and FEI President and IOC member Ingmar de Vos, who had earlier thanked the show organisers, officials, and volunteers for making this FEI Eventing European Championship such a special occasion, pointed out that “we are the absolute champions of gender diversity because everyone has a chance in our sport!”

Indeed, everyone has a chance, but they’ll all be out to beat the British next summer, so when Ros Canter was asked if she expects to be the Paris 2024 Olympic champion, she replied, “The simple answer is: I hope so!”

For now, she can bask in the light of European golden glory.

Results

by Louise Parkes

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Brits Are Bossing It after Brilliant Cross-Country Day

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo (FEI/Libby Law)

Team Great Britain’s mission to take their 24th team and 20th individual title is back on track after a thrilling cross-country day at the FEI Eventing European Championship 2023 at Haras du Pin in France.

They were already on top of the team leaderboard, but it was German star, Michael Jung, who was heading the individual standings at the end of the dressage phase.

On a roller-coaster of an afternoon, Jung was eliminated for an unlucky fall at the drop before the final water complex, and going into the closing jumping phase it is Britain’s Ros Canter and the horse with which she won Badminton 2023, Lordships Graffalo, who head the individual standings.

Storming

The pair was in a league of their own when storming around the recalibrated course with nine seconds to spare on a day when not one other combination managed to get home within the optimum time of 8 minutes 18 seconds. Lying second when the actions will resume is Canter’s team-mate Kitty King (Vendredi Biats), while Germany’s Sandra Auffarth (Viamant du Matz) is in third and Frenchman Stephane Landois (Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau) is in fourth place.

There were many changes to the individual leaderboard, but none as dramatic as that of Ireland’s Sarah Ennis who, lying 54th of the 56 competitors after dressage, has rocketed up to fifth with Grantstown Jackson going into the final day. Team silver medallist at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018, she had the unenviable task of going first on the cross-country track and, coming home in 8 minutes 24 seconds, gave the impression that the challenge was not as difficult as had been anticipated. As it turned out, on a day when three horse-and-rider combinations retired and eight were eliminated, she and her Irish-bred gelding were one of the very best when producing the second-fastest ride in this phase.

Decision

After a night of torrential rain, the Ground Jury made an early decision to shorten the track, dress the take-off areas of some fences, and to delay the start, originally scheduled for mid-day, to 14.00 hours. The loop of fences from 12 to 15 was removed, so horses went directly from the log-pile at eleven to the water complex at 17ab and 18, and there was an option at fence five.

It wasn’t just Pierre Le Goupil’s beautifully designed course that asked questions. The going, already challenged by over 250mm of rain in the last few weeks and further softened by the overnight downpour, tested strength and stamina.

British pathfinder King set her team up nicely when collecting just 3.6 time penalties, but there was a nervous moment when reigning world champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai de Loir had a run-out at the last element of the coffin combination at fence 22. When Laura Collett’s line through the corner at fence 20 with London 52 went under review, there was further cause for concern. But in the end the pair were awarded just 9.2 time penalties and even before Canter set off, Team GB were already assured of the lead going into the closing day.

Exhibition

Canter gave an exhibition of cross-country riding, recovering quickly from a blip at fence two where a number of others also had an uneasy moment, to return with a fresh horse and a big smile.

“He’s very efficient, a very careful horse; he never balloons, he never goes green, so he always lands travelling which is very good. He’s extremely polite which is unusual – to have a horse that travels at his speed that is so responsive. So when he gallops, he gallops low, but when you sit up, he bunches up and his head comes up. It’s the best of both worlds. There aren’t many that gallop low and then don’t want to stay down there. Not many that have their heads up to jump but then want to gallop low. I think that’s where he’s just amazing. I’ve never sat on a horse like him that travels so efficiently and that is so rideable and so brave.

“He measures every jump; he reads every jump and seems to know how much he has to give everything. He makes my job easy because, hand on heart, I’m not normally the fastest rider!” said Canter afterwards.

Dashed

Michael Jung’s freak fall late on the track dashed German chances of a closer contest going into the final day. His normally sure-footed gelding Fischerchipmunk FRH just didn’t seem to get his landing gear down in time and knuckled over on the slope at fence 24 to leave his rider with no chance of staying in the saddle.

Jung was stoic, however. “It was just unlucky; there was nothing anyone could do about it,” he said afterwards. That’s horse sport, as the double Olympic champion knows only too well.

Auffarth, Christoph Wahler (Carjatan S), and Malin Hansen-Hotopp (Carlitos Quidditch K) are left to fly the German flag, but there is a 27.3 penalty gap between them and the leading British, while the French foursome of Landois, Gaspard Maksud (Zaragoza), Nicolas Touzaint (Absolut Gold HDC), and Karim Florent Laghouag (Triton Fontaine) are only 0.2 penalty points behind in bronze medal position. Team Ireland lies fourth (136.4), the Swiss are in fifth (147.9), Belgium is in sixth place (166.2), Sweden in seventh (194.8), and The Netherlands lies eighth (212.2).

Both Team Italy and Team Austria dropped out of contention, so the battle for the two Olympic qualifying spots is already over and it is the Belgians and Dutch who are on their way to Paris 2024.

Result after Cross-Country

by Louise Parkes

press@fei.org
www.fei.org