© Comité Equestre de Saumur / Photos Les Garennes.
The Verrie racecourse hosted the second part of the CCI 4*-L Equi Action dressage test. And what a second part, capable of upsetting the ranking of the day before! The Italian Stefano Brecciaroli is relegated to provisional seventh place, ahead of an impressive array of French riders, and a German rider, Julia Krajewski, who put all these gentlemen in agreement. On an average of 75.32% (24.7 penalties), the rider, riding Amande de B’neville, is ahead of the Frenchmen Thomas Carlile and Birmane (74.84%, 25.2 penalties) and Nicolas Touzaint on Eboli (72.54%, 27.5 penalties). Eight couples (out of thirty-four) thus finish the dressage with an average of over 70%, which demonstrate the level of entries for this last French CCI 4*-L before Tokyo.
On Saturday, the riders of the CCI 4*-L Equi Action will meet on the cross-country course created by Pierre Michelet. First departure at 12:15 p.m. Live broadcast on SC Sport (www.saumur.org).
Start-lists and results here.
A word from Julia Krajewski (GER):
“I am of course very happy to be at the top of the provisional classification at the end of the dressage. Amande de B’neville had a very good session. She is a mare that can stress, so you have to be careful not to asking too much of her, while constantly sending her positive signals. Today, she was really with me and relaxed during the session. For the other tests, I am more relaxed: it is a very good jumper and above all a real cross-country machine. She has never raced a CCI 5* before and is still in full development: Saumur Complet gives her a very good experience. About the cross-country course of tomorrow, which I have ‘walked’ today, it seems to me very interesting. The time allotted is accessible; it is sufficiently technical; it will be necessary to ask the right questions and undoubtedly to give a breather to the horses on long gallops, in particular towards the 8-9 minutes. I did not know the cross country of the Saumur Complet before, then I studied the videos I found on YouTube. I am very satisfied: the elements I was expecting are indeed on the course of tomorrow! Despite everything, we will have to be very focused and constantly anticipating.”