Tag Archives: Roger Yves Bost

Longines Grand Prix of Paris: The French Flair

© Cécile Sablayrolles pour EEM.

What better present for the organizer and the public of the 11th Longines Masters of Paris than this 100% French podium? In front of their fans, French team stalwarts Simon Delestre, Kevin Staut, and Roger-Yves Bost took first, second, and third, respectively, in the Longines Grand Prix of Paris. Believe us, there was noise – a lot of noise! – in the stands while history was made in the arena.

“Fair,” “perfectly balanced,” “definitely sport and welfare oriented.” A lot of praise went towards French course designer Grégory Bodo’s tracks during the press conference. “The course was interesting and faults occurred everywhere as opposed to a true stumbling block which would have penalized a certain type of horses in particular. Grégory did a very subtle job forcing the riders to ride forward which one of the basis of our sport.” Coming from reigning team Olympic champion Kevin Staut, second of this Longines Grand Prix of Paris, these words were certainly honey to the ears of Bodo who is very much in demand in the horse world and whose courses raise unanimous appreciation wherever he operates. “The tracks of the Longines Grand Prix of Paris and all the weekend’s classes of this 11th Longines Masters of Paris required fluidity, delicacy, accuracy, and rhythm. I nonetheless included two turns to give the competitors a chance to take risks.” Did it mean that the Longines Grand Prix of Paris was to be won on the flat and not over the jumps?

“A champions’ class”
“Hermès Ryan is naturally very fast on the ground,” confirmed the winner Simon Delestre. “I did actually win on the flat and stuck to my plan as far as related distances were concerned but turned very fast. This was a big Grand Prix. Going last in a six-strong jump-off was a rather comfortable position to be in.”

“Walking the course, I really thought that this was going to be a champions’ class and that the winner would be really strong,” added Roger-Yves Bost, third of the Longines Grand Prix of Paris, the other reigning Olympic champion on the podium. “I had to risk it all, take off strides… I knew that the rockets Staut and Delestre were going to be hot on my heels. I haven’t ridden very many jump-offs this fast with Sangria. I’m really pleased with her.”

As far as final placings go, the three French leaders are followed by Ireland’s Darragh Kenny on Classic Dream, France’s Félicie Bertrand, the only lady rider to have qualified for the jump-off of this Longines Grand Prix of Paris 2019 on Sultane des Ibis, and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann riding Take A Chance On Me Z.

55 000 spectators over four days
Christophe Ameeuw, president and founder of EEM, organizer of the Longines Masters of Paris and the Longines Masters Series (Hong-Kong, Lausanne, Paris), commented that this Grand Prix perfectly reflected the sport, passion, and boldness which prevailed in Paris-Villepinte over the weekend. “This 100% French podium is the perfect conclusion. An event like ours must absolutely serve the sport and keep bringing on to new fans the best showjumping has to offer. During this weekend, we have experienced historical moments and kept our good spirits despite external constraint. We also innovated with the introduction of a new competition for the best ponies in the world as our duty is to always challenge ourselves, fly high, experience new things, and pursue our ideas. There is still some way to go and many people have yet to discover this sport which, to my eyes, is the most beautiful in the world. Therefore, we need to cross community borders and create new fans. This actually was one of the bets of this youth oriented 11th edition.”

Find all the results HERE.

© 2019 Blizko Communication

Brilliant Bosty and Super Sydney Turn On Their Magic in Madrid

Photo: Roger Yves Bost and Sydney Une Prince. (FEI/Lukasz Kowalski)

Roger Yves Bost (52) posted the second French win of the season at the sixth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2017/2018 Western European League in Madrid, Spain. Riding the brilliant chestnut mare Sydney Une Prince, who he partnered to clinch team gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the enigmatic horseman set a super-hot target time when eighth to go in an epic 18-horse jump-off and couldn’t be caught.

Breaking the beam in 42.23 seconds he was a half-second quicker than Belgian runner-up Niels Bruynseels (33) who was second-last into the arena with Cas de Liberte and who pinned new Irish star Mark McAuley (30) and the grey gelding Miebello into third place by a tiny margin of just 0.01 seconds. McAuley has rocketed up to fourth on the league table, and with 37 points to his credit it seems a place at the Longines Final in Paris next April is now well within the Irishman’s grasp.

Bosty, as the Frenchman is better known, is always guaranteed to keep spectators on the edges of their seats with his unorthodox riding style, and this was no exception. He wasn’t quite convinced he was quick enough to take the win when he left the arena for the second time, however.

“I thought maybe it was good enough for third or fourth place, but I tried my best and Sydney always gives me 100 percent! I lost one stride in the middle of the course, but she is so fast over the fences and I think that’s why we won – she is so brave and so consistent!” — Roger Yves Bost (FRA)

He is determined to qualify for the Final on home turf, particularly because the venue holds some happy memories. “I won the Grand Prix in Paris Bercy in 1996 and that was special, so getting to the Final is my first goal right now,” he said. Lying eighth on the leaderboard and carrying 30 points he looks well on his way, and with seven more qualifying opportunities yet to go in the 13-leg series he still has plenty of time.

The top-18 will make the cut from the Western European League and Bruynseels holds that 18th spot going into the next round as the series moves to La Coruna in Spain’s north-west in two weeks’ time.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Bosty Bursts the Belgian Bubble with Brilliant Victory at Mechelen

Roger Yves Bost and Sydney Une Prince. (Dirk Caremans/FEI)

Mechelen (BEL), 30 December 2016 – That enigmatic Frenchman, Roger Yves Bost, did what he does best when storming to victory in spectacular style at the ninth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League in Mechelen, Belgium. Riding the 10-year-old mare Sydney Une Prince who carried him to team gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the 51-year-old rider snatched pole position from 21-year-old Belgian hero Jos Verlooy with a daredevil run that brought the spectators to their feet.

Germany’s Holger Wulschner set a tough target with BSC Skipper in the 12-horse jump-off when clear in 40.08 seconds, but that would only prove good enough for third place at the end of an afternoon that included plenty of thrills, spills and drama. Last year’s winner at the Belgian fixture was current world no. 1 Christian Ahlmann, but the German maestro was eliminated in the first round when Aragon Z was in uncooperative mood.

Verlooy was first to challenge Wulschner’s time, going well into the lead when breaking the beam in 39.71 seconds when sixth to go against the clock with the 11-year-old Caracas. “I really tried. I didn’t think I could go any faster!” said the young man who finished fifth with Domino at the Longines Final in Las Vegas in 2015. It seemed the target was still vulnerable, however, when Verlooy’s good friend and rival, 21-year-old Irish sensation Bertram Allen, broke the beam even sooner, although he left the opening vertical on the floor for four faults in 39.43 with his very promising eight-year-old Izzy by Picobello. 

Fourth-last into the ring, Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and Armitages Boy looked set to go out in front until they missed their stride to the very last fence. And the crowd gasped in even greater disbelief when French star Kevin Staut, who leads the Western European League rankings and is more than qualified for the Longines Final in Omaha, Nebraska (USA) at the end of March, then parted company with Ayade de Septon when they got into a muddle earlier on the track. Last man in, however, Bost would make no mistake, storming home in 38.86 seconds to put the result beyond doubt.

“Sydney is very fast. I didn’t take the maximum risk but at the last two jumps I tried a little more,” said the man whose unorthodox riding style sets him apart from the rest and whose personal popularity is universal. The Belgian crowd applauded the Frenchman as if he was one of their own, and the result has settled Bost’s resolve. “I only need about 10 more points to qualify so I’m going to try some more shows now because I really want to go to America for the Final!” he said. 

Full result here

Quotes:

Roger Yves Bost FRA (1st), talking about his mare, Sydney Une Prince: “After Rio she jumped in Barcelona and then had a break. Then I took her to Stuttgart, Paris and Geneva before coming here.”

Holger Wulschner GER (3rd): “The course designer did a super job – every big class this week we had 12 clears so everyone in jump off had money. This show always has a lovely audience – they are a very happy crowd!”

John Roche, FEI Jumping Director: “I’d like to congratulate the owner of winning horse, Monsieur Francois Badel, and also the course designer Lucien Somers for producing excellent sport this afternoon. On behalf of the FEI I’d like to thank Lucien for all his wonderful work. As this is his last show I’d like to thank him very sincerely for his enormous contribution to the sport over the years.”

Full standings here

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Watch it all LIVE on www.feitv.org.

Social media: #FEIWorldCupWEL #RidetoOmaha #FEIWorldCupFinals #TwoHearts #Longines @LonginesEq

Rider biographies: view online and download from http://www.fei.org/bios.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Mechelen:

Press Officer
Edith de Reys
edith.dereys@skynet.be
+44 1753 847 900

At FEI:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Roger-Yves Bost and Pedro Veniss Victorious on Day Two of Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’

Roger-Yves Bost and Quod’Coeur de la Loge. Photos by Spruce Meadows Media Services.

Calgary, AB – Day two of the 2016 ‘Masters’ Tournament CSIO5* got underway on Thursday with two feature competitions in the International Ring at Spruce Meadows. The ATCO Founders Classic 1.50m was the first competition of the day with a win for Pedro Veniss (BRA) and For Felicila. The CANA Cup 1.60m wrapped up the afternoon with victory for Roger-Yves Bost (FRA) and Quod’Coeur de la Loge.

The ‘Masters’ Tournament runs September 7-11, 2016, featuring the best horses and riders in the world competing at Spruce Meadows. Highlights include Friday’s Mercedes-Benz Evening of the Horse, which hosts the exciting ATCO Six Bar competition; the BMO Nations’ Cup on Saturday, with teams from around the world competing for top honors; and Sunday’s CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, with a staggering $2 million in prize money up for grabs in this year’s competition.

The course designer in the International Ring for ‘Masters’ competition this week is Venezuela’s Leopoldo Palacios. In Thursday’s feature CANA Cup 1.60m, Palacios saw 58 entries over his first round course, with eight moving on to the jump-off. Rio Olympic Team Gold Medalist Roger-Yves Bost jumped to victory with a naturally fast jump-off round in 41.24 seconds riding Quod’Coeur de la Loge.

For the second day in a row, The Netherlands’ Frank Schuttert took second place honors with Handelshuis Schuttert’s Winchester HS. The pair finished close behind in 41.54 seconds. Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya guided AM Horses SL’s Arrayan to third place honors with his time of 42.02 seconds.

Speaking of Quod’Coeur de la Loge, a 12-year-old Selle Francais stallion (Ideal de la Loge x Tenor de la Cour), Bost stated, “I think this is the third time this horse has come to Calgary. He knows the place and he likes the grass arena. I rode his father here – Ideal de la Loge – I went to Nations’ Cup with the father and I hope he does the same. He jumped very well today for the two rounds and I am very happy.”

Commenting on his jump-off, Bost detailed, “I needed to start good because the double was not so easy and after that I could just gallop. He has a big stride. I started with him when he was five years old. When I go to the jump-off I know right away that he is going to be good.

“He jumped really well in the first round,” Bost added. “It was not so easy; the time allowed was really short today. You needed to gallop a little bit, but it was good. When you win it is always good.”

Bost plans to jump Quod’Coeur de la Loge again in Saturday’s BMO Nations’ Cup, as well as in Sunday’s $2 Million CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex.

Schuttert, after two top placings in a row with his mount Winchester HS, plans to give his horse two days off now before jumping Sunday’s Grand Prix. Speaking of Thursday’s round and how it compared to his finish on Wednesday, Schuttert noted, “My plan was a little bit the same as yesterday. I wanted to be fast for sure to end up in the front of the class. He is a naturally fast horse and he turns quick, so I rode the same jump-off as I did yesterday, and I am very happy that I was second again.”

Commenting on Winchester, Schuttert added, “He has a little bit his own style. He has a lot of character. As soon as he comes into the ring he always fights for me and wants to do a good job. He has all the scope you could want and I think the most important thing is that he always wants to go for the clear round.”

Third place finisher Sergio Alvarez Moya has only had his mount Arrayan for six months and was very happy with his finish on Thursday.

“He has improved a lot in the last few months,” Moya stated. “He was a bit difficult to ride and not too easy to control in the first few shows. Definitely this ring suits him very well – he likes big fields and big jumps. Once I get into the jump-off, he is naturally fast. I probably lost the jump-off from one to two – I could have done one less stride – but the left side he does not turn as well as the right. Everything was tight, but Bost and Frank are very fast riders and they have naturally fast horses, so I am happy. It was a positive result.”

While Bost’s strategy for the weekend is to jump the Nations’ Cup with his horse prior to Sunday’s Grand Prix, and Schuttert will rest his mount until Sunday, Moya has different plans. He will jump Arrayan in Friday night’s ATCO Six Bar competition with hopes that it will be good training for Sunday’s major event.

“On Sunday that is going to be the biggest class I have ever jumped with him, and I am thinking the six bar could be a good exercise for him before the grand prix,” Moya explained. “It makes the horses think, and it is good when they understand that they have to stay quiet between jumps, and use their bodies. Normally he always thinks forward and it is hard for him to sit, so I think the six-bar could be good for him and we could maybe get a good result. Then I will give him a day off on Saturday and try our best on Sunday. I am very happy with how he jumped today. He always tries his best. I think the better the control gets for sure he is going to get faster and he will be able to jump everything.”

Moya is competing at Spruce Meadows for the first time and shared his impression of the competition, stating, “I don’t think any rider that comes to Spruce Meadows doesn’t say that it is unbelievable. The facilities are well organized and everything is just amazing. It is for sure one of the best shows in the world.”

Pedro Veniss Wins ATCO Founders Classic

The ATCO Founders Classic 1.50m was the first competition held in the International Ring on Thursday with a win for Brazil’s Pedro Veniss aboard Hermann Theiss’s For Felicila. Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) set the track for 52 first-round starters, with 11 advancing to the jump-off, and six double clear rounds. Veniss and the 11-year-old Hanoverian mare (For Pleasure x Espri) clocked the winning time of 42.53 seconds.

USA’s Andrew Ramsay took second and fourth place honors, finishing in the runner up position with The Doodle Group’s Cocq a Doodle in a time of 43.05 seconds, and placing fourth aboard The Stranger Group’s Stranger 30 in 43.70 seconds. Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt jumped into third place with his time of 43.57 seconds riding Catokia 2. Olivier Robert took the fifth place prize for France riding Quenelle du Py through the timers in 43.80 seconds. Nigel Coupe jumped the final double clear round in 44.22 seconds to place sixth aboard John O’Halloran’s Jubilee III for Great Britain.

Pedro Veniss and For Felicila
Pedro Veniss and For Felicila

Veniss began riding For Felicila in January this year and described his winning mount as a lovely horse, adding, “She is really fast in the jump-off and she was very good today.”

He continued, “The first round was good. The time was a bit tight, but she jumped great. Then in the jump-off, I tried to go as fast as I could, and she was amazing. She has a really big canter, so I think I did fewer strides than the others to the last jump for sure, and maybe from one to two also.”

Veniss traveled to Spruce Meadows for the first time in 2015 when he was a part of the winning team for Brazil in the BMO Nations’ Cup and also placed third in the $1.5 Million CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, aboard his top mount Quabri de l’Isle. The pair also recently jumped for Brazil at the Olympic Games on home soil in Rio.

“The grand prix is the goal. The prize money is really high, so we have the best riders in the world, but I think I have a really good horse that loves that ring,” Veniss noted. “He jumped beautiful here last year and was very good in the Olympic Games, and he jumped very good today, so he feels ready.”

While Quabri de l’Isle takes on the major tracks in Saturday’s BMO Nations’ Cup and Sunday’s $2 Million CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, this weekend, Veniss will jump For Felicila again in Saturday’s Suncor Winning Round competition.

His win with the mare on Thursday not only secured his qualification for the grand prix, but was also his first individual win ever at Spruce Meadows.

“This is my first win here, so I am very happy,” Veniss acknowledged. “This is a top show. I came here for the first time last year and we won the Nations’ Cup and I was third in the Grand Prix, and every week I have been thinking about coming back to Spruce Meadows.”

The ‘Masters’ Tournament continues on Friday with competition in the International Ring featured during the Mercedes-Benz Evening of the Horse beginning at 5 p.m. Competition highlights the Friends of the Meadows Cup 1.60m followed by the exciting ATCO Six Bar competition. The night will be capped off by a performance by the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) and a Symphony of Fireworks.

For a complete tournament schedule and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.

Spruce Meadows Media Services
caroline.grant@sprucemeadows.com
403.974.4232

Lauren Fisher
Jump Media
lauren@jumpmediallc.com

Olympic Fever Returns to Aachen as Jumpers Take to the Stage

Frenchman Roger Yves Bost, individual gold medallist at Hagen two years ago, will defend his European title at Aachen (GER) this week. (FEI/Richard Juilliart)

Aachen (GER), 16 August 2015 – Olympic fever returns to the FEI European Championships in Aachen (GER) this week with three berths at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games up for grabs in Jumping. And with European Driving and Vaulting medals also on offer, it’s going to be a hectic schedule right up to the closing ceremony next Sunday evening.

Jumping

The Jumping horses had their first tour of the Soers arena in this afternoon’s training session and the competition proper gets underway tomorrow, 19 August, with the first qualifying competition for individuals and teams which begins at 14.30 local time.

Following the withdrawal of Dimitri Natsis (GRE), a total of 94 horse-and-rider combinations from 28 nations will compete, and 23 countries will battle it out for the team medals. Only The Netherlands, France, Germany and Sweden have already achieved Olympic Jumping qualification, so the race for those last remaining Rio spots will be run between the rest. The British return as defending team champions, while individual title-holder, Roger Yves Bost, will be flying the French flag once again.

British Chef d’Equipe, Di Lampard, has the weight of Olympic qualification on her shoulders this week as well as the defence of the European team title, but she’s optimistic about her side’s chances. “We’ve had a great season and the actual team we have here this week is the winning Nations Cup team from Rotterdam,” she said today. “The spirit in this team is second to none and we are well-prepared and looking forward to it.”

The host nation hasn’t enjoyed the same level of recent success in team events, but Germany’s Otto Becker is reckoning on the “home advantage,” and that extra element could count for a lot.

The first round of the Jumping team competition and second individual qualifier takes place on Thursday, with the top 10 teams going through to Friday’s team medal decider. And then, following a rest day on Saturday, the top 25 will go through to Sunday’s individual final which is always guaranteed to be a thriller.

Driving

When it comes to edge-of-the-seat action, the Four-in-Hand Driving Championships has plenty to offer.

The more demure Dressage takes place on Wednesday and Thursday followed by the Cones phase on Friday, testing accuracy and control. But then the handbrakes come off for Saturday’s Marathon, which is always hugely popular with the spectators as the drivers steer their teams through a series of cross-country obstacles at tremendous speed. It is no easy feat and is always guaranteed to provide plenty of drama.

A record number of 14 nations will be represented by 36 drivers and 12 teams. And the Dutch will be going for a hat-trick of team titles led by defending individual champion IJsbrand Chardon.

Vaulting

When it comes to numbers, the Vaulters have the most, with 130 athletes from 15 nations demonstrating their strength, power and immense athleticism in the battle for individual, pas-de-deux and squad medals when the action gets underway on Thursday.

The popularity of this equestrian sport continues to grow at an incredible rate, and there will be plenty of home support for the German team as they come out to defend their title in the squads. But in the absence of Britain’s Joanne Eccles, and French stars Jacques Ferrari and Nicolas Andreani who are all now retired, new individual champions will be crowned, while Austria’s Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha, the current world and European champions, are expected to dominate the Pas-de-Deux.

The Pas-de-Deux and male individual medals will be awarded on Saturday, with the prize-giving for individual female and squads on Sunday.

Media Contacts:

At Aachen:

Niels Knippertz
Press Officer
nielsknippertz@chioaachen.de
+49 (0) 241 9171 182

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Bost Is Best at Longines Leg in Lyon

Reigning FEI European champion, Roger Yves Bost from France, steered Qoud‘Coeur de la Loge to victory on home turf at the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series in Lyon, France today. (FEI/Pierre Costabadie)

Lyon (FRA), 2 November 2014 – There was a frenzy of French excitement at the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League in Lyon today when the reigning FEI European individual champion, Roger Yves Bost, emerged victorious on home ground.

In a competition that sizzled with excitement from beginning to end, it came down to a 14-horse jump-off against the clock in which the 49-year-old rider and his 10-year-old horse Qoud’Coeur de la Loge snatched victory from the grasp of Dutch veteran Wout-Jan van der Schans and Capetown.

Today’s success was all the more special for Bost as his winning ride is by his great former campaigner, the stallion Ideal de la Loge. And in a field sparkling with quality combinations, it was Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and Embassy ll who slotted into third ahead of The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder and Cognac Champblanc in fourth place.

Significant jumping test

A total of 18 countries were represented by the 40 starters, and course-designer Frank Rothenberger’s first-round track certainly presented a significant jumping test. Maximum-height verticals and oxers were spread all around the arena, but, arguably, the final decorative white planks produced some of the biggest surprises of the day when the top three riders in the current Longines world rankings all went out of contention here.

The statistics spoke for themselves, with seven riders opting to retire in round one, including former Olympic and FEI World Cup™ champion Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil (Status), Australian star Edwina Tops-Alexander (Old Chap Tame) and Spain’s Sergio Alvarez-Moya (Action-Breaker). But no-one would have expected that current World no. 1 Scott Brash from Great Britain with his London 2012 Olympic team gold-medal-winning ride Hello Sanctos, World no. 2 Ludger Beerbaum and his European team silver-medal-winning ride Chiara, and world no 3, fellow-German and three-time FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion Marcus Ehning partnering the spectacular Cornado NRW, would all sail around the track only to fall foul of the final obstacle.

Bost explained afterwards, “The problem was that horses had to give so much at the previous oxer, so it was up to the rider to keep their focus and momentum coming down to the last fence. I had to cut my distance short and go on a long stride, and that worked for me,” he said.

Major target

Jump-off pathfinder, Wout-Jan van der Schans, set them a blistering target when clear in 37.24 seconds with Capetown. Key to success in this round was the ability to gallop long distances and arrive in balance at the next obstacle, and making a really good job of the roll-back from the oxer that was now second on the course to, the following oxer at fence seven. Another long run down the long side of the arena took them to the water-tray oxer at eight and then riders had to take further risk on the roll-back to the remaining two elements of the triple combination. From there it was a case of making a good distance to the penultimate Longines vertical and racing down to the final oxer on the other side of the arena.

And, fourth to go, Germany’s Hans-Dieter and Embassy ll had a great crack at it with the extravagant 13-year-old horse giving the fences plenty of air but still returning a good time of 38.41 seconds to slot temporarily into second. Bost’s round changed everything, however.

The Frenchman started out to a roar of “allez Bosty” from the sidelines, and “allez” he most certainly did, with his French-bred horse answering his every question along the way. For anyone who watched this rider at his best with Ideal de la Loge there was a sense of deja vu, and he was very aware of that himself. “He’s very similar to Ideal, not just physically but in his attitude as well,” Bost said afterwards. “He loves to go fast, just like his father, but he is easier in the mouth,” the rider pointed out after posting the new target of 36.82.

Four French

And, try as they might, the rest couldn’t better that.

There were four French in the final barrage, and Bost’s fellow-countryman, Simon Delestre, returned the quickest time of 35.89 with Qlassic Bois Margot but left the penultimate oxer on the floor. Third-last into the arena, America’s Lauren Hough and Ohlala also bettered the time when breaking the beam in 36.54 but again left one on the ground while the man who claimed team and individual silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, Patrice Delaveau, set the crowd alight again when second-last into the arena with Carinjo HDC. But the pair arrived on a bad stride to the first element of the double three fences from home, and it fell apart for them there. And when The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder opted for a calm and careful clear with the clean-jumping 11-year-old grey, Cognac Champblanc, then he easily slotted into fourth place.

Course designer, Frank Rothenberger, admitted that he was surprised at how well the horses and riders coped with his very tough track.

“I was expecting to get eight or nine into the jump-off so in the end I was surprised when we had 14, but this is a big arena with excellent footing, and the horses were well prepared having already jumped in other big classes over the last few days,” he said.

Huge potential

Bost talked about Qoud’Coeur de la Loge who, just last weekend, won the 3-Star Grand Prix at St Lo in France. “He is a horse with huge potential and we are carefully planning his career. I want to save him a bit as well, choosing the shows he goes to, but I’m super-confident about his future and very happy with him,” he said.

Wout-Jan van der Schans was more than pleased with his runner-up result. “I was first to go in the jump-off so I had to be super-fast and, to be honest, I feel like I won today! I couldn’t do the WEG (Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy) because the horse was a bit green and not ready and I was a bit frustrated about that. But we went to the (Furusiyya FEI) Nations Cup Final in Barcelona and we won the Grand Prix there on the Sunday, and today he gave me everything he had, so I think he is great!” he added.

Bost made another little piece of equestrian history today when he was the first French rider ever to win the FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in Lyon. “It’s a very special thing to happen on the 20th anniversary of our show,” said Show Director Sylvie Robert this evening.

For further information on the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series at Lyon in France, visit website www.equitalyon.com or contact Press Officer Veronique Gauthier, Email veronique-gauthier@club-internet.fr, Tel +33 967 073 729.

The next leg will take place in Verona, Italy on Sunday 9 November. For details of the Italian fixture, go to website www.jumpingverona.it, or contact Press Officer Caterina Vagnozzi, Email c.vagnozzi@gmail.com, Tel +39 335 6107070.

Facts and Figures:

Lyon, France was the venue for the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European series today.

40 horse-and-rider combinations from 18 countries lined out.

Course designer was Germany’s Frank Rothenberger.

14 horse-and-rider combinations from 9 nations qualified for the second-round jump-off against the clock.

The country with the biggest number of riders in the jump-off was France, with four in total.

Only four horse-and-rider combinations jumped double-clear rounds.

Today’s winner was reigning European champion Roger Yves Bost from France riding Qoud’Coeur de la Loge, a 10-year-old daughter of the stallion Ideal de la Loge which also brought this rider many great successes during their career together.

The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final will take place in Las Vegas, USA from 15-19 April 2015.

It will be the sixth time for the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final to visit the American city.

Quotes:

Hans-Dieter Dreher GER, talking about his horse Embassy ll – “I have not been competing this horse for a while so I’m very happy to finish third!”

Frank Rothenberger GER, course designer – “I have to admit I was impressed with how well the horses handled the course today, and by how fast they were against the clock.”

Full standings here.

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/nKnV4EeGp4A

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By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts

At La Baule:

Veronique Gauthier
Press Officer
Email: veronique-gauthier@club-internet.fr
Tel: +33 672 770 600

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
Email: grania.willis@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 142

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Flying Frenchman Bost Claims Individual Jumping Title in Tense Thriller

(L to R): silver medallist Ben Maher (GBR), gold medallist Roger Yves Bost (FRA) and bronze medallist Scott Brash (GBR).

Herning (DEN), 22 August 2013 – Roger Yves Bost became only the fifth French rider to claim Individual European gold when galloping to victory in the PSI FEI European Jumping Individual Championship final at Herning in Denmark this afternoon.  Great Britain’s Ben Maher went into the final competition with the narrowest of leads, but a fence down in this afternoon’s opening round saw him having to settle for silver ahead of team-mate Scott Brash who rose from overnight tenth place to take bronze when producing the only double-clear performance of the day.

Bost follows in famous footsteps, as the list of previous French champions is an impressive one.  Pierre Durand and the legendary Jappeloup first topped the podium for France at St Gallen, Switzerland in 1987, Eric Navet reigned supreme on home turf at La Baule, France in 1991, Alexandra Ledermann and Rochet M – the first woman ever to take the title – topped the line-up in Hickstead, Great Britain in 1999 and Kevin Staut and Kraque Boom were winners in Windsor, Great Britain in 2009.

Lived Up to Expectations

The Individual Final more than lived up to expectations, with course-designer, Frank Rothenberger, setting two more super-tough tests.  The first-round track was serious from the outset, and there were plenty of splashes in the open water at fence three which proved more difficult when approached, as it was earlier in the week, from left to right.  A roll-back from the following oxer at four to the vertical at five led, on a left-hand bend, to an oxer at six with its narrow black planks, but it was the latter part of the track that proved most influential.  The triple combination of oxer, vertical, oxer at fence seven looked uncomplicated without any filling material, and the middle element was the tallest at 1.55m.  But riders who faltered in any way at this one very often found themselves on a difficult distance to the following water-tray vertical.  Many went on four strides here rather than taking the option of five, but in both cases caution was required.

Having tackled that question it was then on to the narrow orange wall at nine which stood a massive 1.65m tall, before galloping down to the 1.55m drunken oxer that stretched them out with a 1.90m spread.  Just two fences left to go, and the test was still relentless, as the penultimate 1.55m oxer was followed by a very difficult double of verticals.  The choice here was to approach on a normal six strides or chip in one more to get horses a little higher at the opening element.  The two-stride distance between the two elements was very tight, and of the 25 horse-and-rider combinations who went through to this final day, 15 of them hit at least one element of this.

Fault-Free

Italy’s Luca Moneta was first to go and was clear with Neptune Brecourt until lowering the very last.  He was so quick in achieving his four-fault result however that Rothenberger and the Ground Jury decided to reduce the time-allowed by a significant five seconds, from 80 to 75.  As the course designer admitted afterwards, “Maybe that was two seconds too much.”  Only two riders managed to come home with a completely clean sheet, and the eventual champion wasn’t one of them as Bost and Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois picked up a single time fault in one of their trademark thrilling tours of the track.

The first of the clear rounds came from Brash and his London 2012 Olympic team gold medal winning ride Hello Sanctos who made the whole thing look very easy, but with a little luck on their side as they survived a little tap at the second element of the final double, with the top pole rolling forward and then gently back into position.  That was always going to be a critical round, and when The Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling and VDL Bubalu put a foot in the water, hit the final element of the triple combination and dropped both elements of the final double and Frenchman Patrice Delaveau steered Orient Express home with eight additional penalties collected at the open water and the middle of the triple combination the British rider was rocketing up the order.

Another Spectacular Exhibition

Switzerland’s Jessica Sprunger and Palloubet D’Halong put in another spectacular exhibition but fell foul of the front element of the last, while Olympic individual champion, Steve Guerdat, was faultless with Nino des Buissonnets to put pressure on the remaining five.  All jumping in order of merit and with less than a fence between them, none could afford the slightest mistake.  So when Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum and Chiara hit the second element of the final double and fellow-countryman Daniel Deusser’s Cornet D’Amour hit the water-tray vertical at eight the tension was rising by the minute.  Like so many others, defending Individual champion, Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, was clear to the very last with Casall Ask.  “On that last line he came back to me great, and I felt I did not want to do too much, but we had faults anyway,” he said afterwards.

Bost’s single time penalty moved him onto a scoreline of just 1.58 penalty points, so nothing but a clear would keep Britain’s Ben Maher out in front.  It wasn’t the dreaded final double that penalised him however.  It was his run from the narrow wall to the drunken oxer.  Moving his mare up a gear to ensure his time was good he arrived on a long stride, and as Cella became airborne it was clear she wouldn’t leave the fence intact.  “It was a silly fence to have down, but it was wide and it was there to be jumped – she was little careful and I was maybe a little too far away,” the British rider said afterwards.

Less Complicated

The new second-round track looked less complicated, but the ten fences would take their toll, particularly the final triple combination.  Only 19 returned to do battle in this round, and nine of them ran into trouble here including Switzerland’s Guerdat whose chances were completely dashed when Nino stopped at the second element and then hit it at his second attempt.

There were four clears this time out, the first registered by Frenchman Aymeric de Ponnat and Armitages Boy. They were lying well down the order in 16th place and it promoted them all the way up to 11th in the final analysis.

Now lying fifth, Brash really piled the pressure on those ahead of him with another amazing tour of the track, with Hello Sanctos looking as fresh as he did when the jumping action began five days ago.  Bengtsson hit the same second element of the triple combination that put paid to Guerdat’s chances just a few minutes later, but Maher wasn’t giving up without a fight and, despite a loud rattle at the oxer at five, the mare returned another fabulous foot-perfect run to throw down the gauntlet.  Bost could afford a time-fault or two, but a pole down would hand the gold medal back to his British rival.  It was all down to this one last effort.

And the man they call Bosty grabbed both the opportunity and the mare who perfectly matches her rider’s unorthodox style, with both hands, steering her through the course and arriving to the last line without incident.  As he headed for the triple combination there was an intake of breath around the stadium, but there was no need to worry.  The 13-year-old mare who he calls “my Princess” or “my Poupee” (my doll) was never going to let him down. The roar from the crowd said it all as one of the most popular competitors in the sport had the gold in his grasp.

First Individual Medal

“This is my first Senior Individual gold medal; I have some Team Championship medals, but never an Individual one!” he said excitedly afterwards.  Talking about his great mare, he said, “She was very relaxed here; she didn’t want to touch one fence,” and when asked about if her feisty temperament makes her difficult to ride, he replied, “No, she’s not so difficult – I can manage, this is my job!”

Silver medallist Maher was very happy with his result.  “Cella was amazing today.  We had a great second round and I put as much pressure as I could on Roger today but he did too good a job!” he said.  The British rider described his mare as “more of a machine than a horse!  She can be temperamental sometimes but this is her first Championship and I couldn’t be more happy.  I was concerned that she might get tired, but she jumped very well in the last round.  There has been a lot for her to learn from these Championships and I’ve a lot of people to thank including her owner Jane Clark and the British Equestrian Federation for their fantastic support.”

Jane Clark may not yet know of her horse’s fantastic result today because the American horse-owner is currently holidaying in the wilds of Alaska and has been difficult to contact.  Maher eventually got through to her to tell her about Cella’s Team gold medal winning performance on Thursday, but he said today that it could take some time to let her know what happened today.

Came across Their Horses

The gold and silver medallists talked about how they each came across the horses that earned them medals this afternoon.  Bost explained, “I was already riding some of Lady Forbes’ young horses when she asked me to ride Myrtille Paulois,” while Maher said, “I had a meeting with Jane Clark towards the end of the last year because she was looking for a rider for her horses and it was lucky for me that I was the one she chose.  I now have her fantastic string to add to the horses I already had in my stable.”

There was plenty of friendly banter between the medal-winners at the post-competition press conference.  Maher pointed out that “Roger [Yves Bost] said on Tuesday (after the opening speed competition), ‘If I lost a few kilos I could have caught you’ – so I wonder what diet he’s been on for the last few days!”  He congratulated the Frenchman: “Roger rode the round of a lifetime today and he’s the well-deserved winner,” Maher said.

Today’s new champion is 20 years older than 27-year-old Brash who said this evening, “The beauty of our sport is that hopefully we will still be riding past Bosty’s age.  Michel Robert for example looks fit and young and rides as good as ever. I’m looking forward to a long career and I’m looking forward to sitting here one day in Bosty’s seat!”

Knows More Than Most

One man who knows more than most about the joy of wearing an individual European gold medal around his neck is Germany’s Paul Schockemohle, triple-champion with the great Deister at Munich (GER) in 1981, Hickstead (GBR) in 1983 and Dinard (FRA) in 1985.  He continues to be a major influence in the sport, and took up title sponsorship of the PSI FEI European Jumping Championship in Herning.  He said today, “My expectations were not so high but there has been a super atmosphere and everything at the show was good. Frank [Rothenberger, course designer] did a good job and the riders did a good job too.”

He pointed out the vital role of those who support the sport through horse-ownership. He said that at these Championships, “Three owners who are a very, very long time in the sport have been rewarded – Lady Georgina Forbes (Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois) who sponsored Jessica Kuerten before and now sponsors Bosty, and Jane Clark (Cella) who 35 years ago bought a horse from me!  And Phil Harris (Hello Sanctos) who also sponsored David Broome.  These are three owners who bought into the sport and stayed in the sport, and I want to congratulate them and their riders.”

Wonderful Championships

FEI Secretary General, Ingmar de Vos, concluded the press conference, saying, “On behalf of the FEI I would like to congratulate the riders and also the Organising Committee and the Danish Equestrian Federation for wonderful Championships and a very high-class venue.  This stadium is fantastic for our sport and I’d like to say a special thanks to Jens Trabjerg (Event President) and Bo Kristoffersen (Sport Director).  It has been a pleasure for the FEI to work with such a professional team.  Thanks to ECCO and to Paul Schockemohle’s PSI for their support – but of course these Championships are not over yet and we are looking forward to another great day tomorrow.”

Tomorrow brings the Blue Hors Dressage Individual Freestyle that brings the ECCO FEI European Championships to a close.

Today however the glory belongs to a much-admired Frenchman who never hides his great fondness for his horses.  “There are days like this in which nothing bad can happen and everything goes just right,” he said, “but this was really Myrtille’s day.  I took the week class by class, course by course, without watching what the other riders were doing.  I really tried to do my best.  I have been riding Myrtille now for two years and it hasn’t always been easy.  This arena suited her because it is like an indoor arena so she was more focussed and concentrated on what she was doing.  The first thing I thought when we crossed the finish line today was how much I love my princess!” said the new champion.

Result, PSI FEI European Jumping Individual Championship 2013 – here.

Facts and Figures:

47-year-old Frenchman, Roger Yves Bost, won the PSI FEI European Jumping Individual Championship final at Herning in Denmark today riding Lady Georgina Forbes’ mare, Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois.

Bost is the fifth Frenchman to win the Individual title in the history of the FEI European Jumping Championship which first took place in Rotterdam (NED) in 1957.

The first French rider to win the Individual title was Pierre Durand riding the legendary Jappeloup.

25 riders started in the first round of the PSI FEI European Jumping Individual Final today.

The first-round course had 12 fences, with the final double of verticals proving the most problematic.

19 returned for the second round over a new 10-fence track.  Again the last fence was the bogey, the triple combination.

British riders Ben Maher (Cella) and Scott Brash (Hello Sanctos) claimed Individual silver and bronze.

Brash produced the only double-clear performance in today’s Individual final with his Olympic team gold medal winning ride, Hello Sanctos.

Winning rider, Roger Yves Bost from France, received an additional prize alongside the Individual trophy – a filly foal by the stallion Casall Ask who was ridden into fourth place today by Sweden’s defending champion Rolf-Goran Bengtsson.

Quotes:

Scott Brash GBR, bronze medallist today – “My horse has been fantastic all week; he got better and better each day and only there are only so many top horses who can do that.  He was a joy to ride today, and he made my life easy!”

Scott Brash GBR, talking about the first-round course – “Today was very hard; the time was very tight but it worked in my favour.”

Ben Maher GBR, silver medallist – “It was always going to be big today.  Frank has set every test possible this week. In the end the time factor today helped both me and Scott because we both ride fast horses.”

Ben Maher GBR, talking about the difficult final double of verticals in today’s first round – “I did it on six strides (from the previous fence) and Roger did that also. My original plan was to do it in seven but I changed my mind.”

Ben Maher GBR – “I’ve never done a World Games yet and I’m looking forward to trying to get on the team next year.”

Gold medallist Roger Yves Bost FRA – “I’ve been riding a long time and I like to have a lot of contact with my horses, but my training is no different to any of the other riders.”

For further information on the ECCO FEI European Championships 2013, go to website: http://european-herning.dk/GB.aspx.

FEI Online Press kits

Extensive information on the P.S.I. FEI European Jumping Championships, Blue Hors FEI European Dressage Championships and JYSK FEI European Para-Dressage Championships, can be found in the FEI’s Online Press Kit Zone: www.feipresskits.org. Each press kit includes an event preview, athlete biographies, competition timetable, Championships history and key contact details.

FEI TV

The P.S.I. FEI European Jumping Championships and Blue Hors FEI European Dressage Championships will be live on FEI TV, the FEI’s official online video platform, starting on 20 August at 16.45 local time – see the complete live schedule here: www.feitv.org/live. Key performances and interviews with medal winners will be available as video-on-demand from the JYSK FEI European Para-Dressage Championships.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Herning:

Britt Carlsen
Press Officer
bc@wiegaarden.dk
+45 96 570 580

At FEI:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
Email: grania.willis@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 142

Bost Celebrates His Birthday with Super Victory in Helsinki

Roger Yves Bost celebrated his 47th birthday today with victory in the second leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2012/2013 Western European League. Photo: FEI/Tapio Mäenpää.

Helsinki (FIN), 21 October 2012 – Roger Yves Bost celebrated his 47th birthday in style when clinching maximum points in the second qualifying leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League at Helsinki, Finland today.  Riding Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois, the enigmatic Frenchman whose jumping technique often seems to defy the laws of gravity, produced another one of his trademark heart-stopping rounds to pip Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya and Carlo in a nail-biting 14-horse jump-off.  Jeroen Dubbeldam and BMC Utascha, winners of the opening round at Oslo a week ago, had to settle for third place this time out. But the Dutchman now holds a strong lead at the top of the series table. With 35 points already to his credit, he only needs one more strong result to ensure his spot at the final in Gothenburg, Sweden next April.

The start-list was reduced from 40 to 39 due to the late withdrawal of Finland’s Mikael Forsten who broke his hand when landing awkwardly over a fence in an earlier class at his home fixture this morning.  This was very bad luck indeed, as he is not long recovered from a broken arm sustained while competing in the Grand Prix at Hagen, Germany last year.

Continue reading Bost Celebrates His Birthday with Super Victory in Helsinki