Tag Archives: FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders

Double-Gold for France and Germany at Montelibretti

(L to R) individual silver medallist Hella Meise (GER), individual and team gold medallist Marie Charlotte Fuss (FRA) and individual bronze and team gold medallist Alexis Goury (FRA). (Massimo Argenziano/FEI)

Montelibretti (ITA), 26 September 2016 – It was double-gold for both Germany and France at the FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders 2016 which drew to a close at the Military Equestrian Centre in Montelibretti, Italy. Athletes from 20 nations battled it out for the 12 medals on offer, and it was a fascinating contest in both categories, with many rising talents of the sport demonstrating their exciting potential.

As German Eventing super-star and double Olympic champion, Michael Jung, said before the event began, “It is at these championships that young athletes get their first taste of team competition. They learn to perform under greater pressure and with increased responsibilities. Team members need to support each other and fight together to get on the podium.” And that is exactly what they did. Traditionally the super-power at these championships has been Great Britain, with 32 Junior and 32 Young Rider titles to their credit down the years. However, this time around the gold eluded them, and they had to settle for team bronze in the Junior division.

Juniors

Germany led both the Junior and Young Rider standings after Dressage, and they held on for the win in the Junior category.

The leading Junior score of 33.40 posted by Jerome Robine and Guccimo R was backed up by second place for Anais Neumann and Pumuckel E, and with last year’s individual champion Johanna Zantop in sixth with FBW Santana’s Boy and Emma Brussau only two places further adrift with Donnerstag, the Germans were more than 12 penalty points ahead of the French in second and more than 20 ahead of the British in third going into cross-country day.

Robine, riding a home-bred horse he knows very well, said he expected the course would “not be too hard. I think in previous years it maybe was a bit more technical, but the time is tight and it won’t be easy to get away fast from the fences, and that will be the difficulty on this course, I think.”

Bearing that in mind he and all his team-mates kicked on around Giuseppe della Chiesa’s course to get home well within the time, as did their nearest rivals from France who also held firm for second place despite two stops at fence 12 for their leading contenders, Romain Sans and Enzo van’T Vennehof who were lying third after Dressage. Taking the remaining French scores into account, however, their scoreline of 131.30 still left them just under three penalty points ahead of the British who were all impressively clear.

Jumping

The course, however, took quite a toll, 35 of the 83 starters penalised at various points around the track and only 65 lining out in Sunday’s final Jumping phase in which Robine’s luck deserted him, 12 faults dropping him to seventh place. His misfortune simply opened the window of opportunity for team-mate Neumann whose foot-perfect round with Pumuckel E would clinch the individual title. And despite five faults from Zantop, when Brussau was also clear then the final tally of 126.60 was plenty good enough for team gold for the defending champions from Germany.

The French were even more efficient, Romain, Heloise Le Guern (Orage de Longuenee Ene HN), Julie Simonet (Sursumcord Or) and Victor Levecque (Phunambule des Auges) adding nothing to their cross-country finishing score while the British held on for the bronze despite an additional nine faults. Only Felicity Collins (RSH Contend Or) kept a clean sheet in the showjumping arena, Isabelle Upton (Eros DHI) picking up two time faults, Phoebe Locke (Union Fortunus) collecting four faults and Richard Coney (Kananaskis) accumulating five for a final British scoreline of 143.50. Team Ireland finished just off the podium in fourth place, almost 15 penalty points further adrift.

In the Individual championship it was 18-year-old Levecque, double-gold medallist at the FEI European Pony Championships in Millstreet, Ireland two years ago and double-silver medallist in the Junior Championships in 2015, who claimed silver again for France. The top six riders all finished on their Dressage scores and individual bronze went to Sofia Sjoborg (DHI Mighty Dwight) who competed as an individual for The Netherlands. Lying fifth after Dressage, she moved up to fourth after her clear cross-country run and was again foot-perfect in the final phase, so her finishing score of 41.30 left her just over one penalty point ahead of Germany’s Emma Brussau who missed out on the podium.

Young Riders

Team Germany led the Young Riders leaderboard after both Dressage and Cross-Country, but they were overtaken by the French in Sunday’s final show jumping phase.

It was a close-fought affair in the early stages, with only four penalty points separating the two sides after Dressage, while the British were less than a point further behind in third ahead of the host nation in fourth. Clear rounds proved very hard to get on cross-country day, when only three were posted from a starting field of 58 horse-and-rider combinations. But British chances looked good when their pathfinder, Sam Ecroyd (Opera House), posted one of these. They lost their grip on bronze medal spot, however, when both India Wishart (The Masters Harry) and Elia Hitchman (Rocky Rockstar) collected time penalties and then last year’s individual champion, Will Furlong (Livingstone) retired. And when Ecroyd’s horse was withdrawn on the final day, their chances were further dashed and they had to settle for fifth spot in the final analysis.

Meanwhile, despite 15 time faults for Flora Reemtsma (Ikarosz), the Germans maintained their lead when Marie-Sophie Arnold (Remember Me 74) completed the track clear and inside the time while 2015 Junior team gold and individual bronze medallist, Hanna Knuppel, collected just 0.4 time for time and Tina Kruger (Dolce Mia) picked up 1.20 time penalties. The German scoreline now stood at 141.90 giving them a generous advantage over the French in silver medal spot on 152.30 while the British decline saw the Italians move up to bronze position going into the final day. Of the 58 cross-country starters only 42 lined out in the Jumping phase.

Slip

The withdrawal of Reemtsma’s Ikarosz left Team Germany with just three scores to count, and when Kruger returned with 16 faults to add, Arnold collected 12 and Knuppel added eight then their final total of 177.90 saw them slip to silver medal spot. Because despite the loss of their second-line partnership of Thais Meheust and Quamilha who were lying eighth after a strong performance in the first two phases but who withdrew after cross-country, a show jumping clear from Marie Charlotte Fuss (Sillas de la Nee), a single error for Alexis Goury (Trompe L’Oeil D’Emery) and an eight-fault result for Victor Burtin (Early van Ter Nieuwbeke) saw the French round up their total at 169.00 for victory.

And the Italians were well-pleased when taking team bronze when Ludovica Manzoli (Pin Up de Mai), Luca Mezzaroba (Laomaco), Giulio Gugielmi (Mister Brightside) and Fosco Girardi (Feldheger) posted 207.20 which left them almost 28 points clear of Team Belgium in fourth place. This was Italy’s first Young Rider medal since 2008, and Chef d’Equipe, Alberto Casolari, said, “I am really proud of all our riders, these four and the eight individuals. Italian Eventing proved it can be competitive.”

Pascal Forabosco, Chef d’Equipe for the gold medallists from France, said, “This medal is the result of a year of hard work. I would like to thank the Italian Equestrian Federation and the Military Equestrian Centre for this fantastic event.”

FISE (Italian NF) President and show jumping legend Vittorio Orlandi was also delighted with how the event went and has big ambitions for the future of his riders. “Italy proved once again that it is capable of organising important events like this one, and do it well. As far as the team is concerned I am proud of them. In my role as President of FISE I promise I will support Eventing. My dream is to see my riders with gold at the next Olympics!” he said.

Full results here.

By Louise Parkes

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Double-Gold for France, While Ireland and Finland Also Stand Top of the Podium

Finland’s Elmo Jankari and Duchess Desiree claimed Young Riders Individual gold at the FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders. Photo: FEI/PSV Jean Morel.

Jardy (FRA), 15 September 2013 – France claimed the Junior Individual and Young Rider Team titles at the FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders on home turf at Jardy (FRA) today.  And last year’s silver medallists from Ireland claimed Junior Team gold, while Finland’s Elmo Jankari topped the Young Rider Individual podium.

Nothing was easily won at these 2013 Championships, with appalling weather conditions during yesterday’s cross-country phase testing the skill and resolve of both horses and riders.  Heavy rain failed to dampen young ambition however, and despite some late alterations to Pierre Michelet’s cross-country track the event continued to a thrilling finale today.

Juniors

A total of 88 riders from 21 countries – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine – were represented in the Junior category, and 17 nations fielded teams.

Germany firmly took the early lead with a team score of 124.40 when Flora Reemtsma (River of Joy), Rebecca-Juana Gerken (Elektra) and Pauline Knorr (Abke’s Boy) filled the top three places after dressage.  Great Britain lay in silver medal spot almost 12 points adrift while the Irish were close behind in third ahead of Switzerland in fourth place.  But this was never going to be a Championship won in the dressage arena, and things changed radically on cross-country day.

In the Junior category a total of 13 riders parted company with their horses, while seven horse falls were recorded, and 17 horse-and-rider combinations were eliminated over the cross-country track.

It was the Irish who were out in front going into today’s final Jumping phase despite elimination for Joshua Pim (The Irish Minstrel) for a cross-country fall, when Elizabeth Hayden (Miracle), Harold Megahey (Chuckelberry) and Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua) all maintained their dressage scores.  And the Swiss, despite fielding only three riders in their side, held silver medal spot ahead of the British who had slipped to bronze medal position.  Emily King (Mr Hiho) added just 0.4 time penalties across the fixed fences, while Will Furlong (Pioneer Silvie) and Genevieve Clarke (Uchin) went clear, but a stop for Sophie Beatty (Stanley) proved costly yesterday.

And British chances were completely dashed by the elimination of 2012 Individual silver medallists King and Mr Hiho today, when only Furlong and Pioneer Silvie managed to keep a clean sheet for the British side.  The French, however, bounced up from overnight fourth to separate the gold-medal-winning Irish from the Swiss in bronze, thanks to a foot-perfect run from Robin Boulanger (Orpheo des Sablons), and single errors from Victor Burtin (Early van ter Nieuwbeke) and Soizic Lefevre (Saga de Mai). Fourth-line French rider Alexis Lavrov (Sultane de la Barbais) withdrew before the Jumping phase.

Final Tally

The Irish completed with a significant 22-point advantage on a final tally of 139.3, with the silver medallists from France on 162.0 and the bronze medallists from Switzerland on 165.6.  Belgium finished just outside the medal-zone in fourth ahead of Germany in fifth and Poland in sixth, and the first seven teams all registered just three completion scores per team.

The French had the whip hand when it came to the Individual title however, Robin Boulanger finishing on his dressage mark of 42.5 to pip another 18-year-old, Ireland’s Elizabeth Hayden, by just 0.4 points for the gold.  Will Furlong put the British on the third step of the podium with his completion score of 44.2 and Germany’s Anna-Katharina Voge just missed out on a medal placing in fourth (47.3) ahead of Switzerland’s Teresa Stokar in fifth (47.5) while Ireland’s Harold Megahey, Cathal Daniels and Susaannah Berry filled the next three placings.

Junior Team gold and Individual silver medallist, Hayden, talked afterwards about the pressure of going into today’s Jumping phase.  “I was second-last to jump and I knew I had a pole or two in hand for the team, but I had no idea what I needed to do to keep in an individual medal.  Miracle tried so hard for me.  He’s just eight years old and I’ve only had him since March but we’ve gelled really quickly,” said the rider from County Kildare who is trained by Ken Mahon, Irish Jumping coach Ian Fearon and Irish Olympic dressage rider Heike Holstein.

Young Riders

While France would take the Young Riders Team title, this competition was dominated by Finland’s Elmo Jankari and Duchess Desiree from the outset.  A score of 41.1 from Ground Jury members Nathalie Carriere (FRA), Angela Tucker (GBR), James Rooney (IRL) and Tom Ryckewaert (BEL) put this partnership out in front after Dressage and, despite a pole down in today’s Jumping phase, they couldn’t be caught in the battle for the Individual title.

A total of 56 competitors from 14 countries – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland – lined out in the Young Riders Championship, and nine countries fielded teams.

The French were lying fourth after the Dressage phase when pathfinder Francois Lemiere (Ogustin du Terroir) produced their best score of 50.20, Arnaud Etienne Ducoin (Obelix de Mai) scored 50.90, Alexis Gomez (Quartz du Lerchenberg) was awarded a mark of 52.40 and Stephane Landois (Klan de Cheyliac) posted 53.00.

Germany held the lead when Carolin Thenhausen (Don Diego) and Christoph Wahler (Printus) both posted 43.70 while Nils Trebbe (Priemus) achieved a mark of 44.60 and Pia Munker, Team and Individual gold medallist at last year’s Championships, scored 45.00 with Louise M.  The British lay second ahead of The Netherlands in third, but once again the cross-country course would take a heavy toll, with Dutch chances devastated by two retirements and one elimination. In the Young Rider division there were nine rider falls and eight horse falls while two horse-and-rider combinations retired and nine were eliminated on the cross-country course.

Despite a stop for anchor rider Landois, the French were out in front going into today’s final Jumping phase, with the British still in silver medal spot and the Irish suddenly challenging after a meteoric rise from sixth to third despite cross-country elimination for last-line rider Caroline Marwood (Jazzin Along).

And although the remaining three added to their scorelines in the Jumping arena today, the Irish held on for bronze medal position with more than 13 penalty-points of an advantage over Switzerland in fourth place.

The British were also reduced to a three-strong side after Tom Jackson (Waltham Fiddlers Find) took a fall yesterday, but Holly Woodhead (DHI Lupison) Camilla Dumas (Artistiek) and David Doel (Ricoshea) stood firm for silver while the impressive French reigned supreme.

Individual Medals

However it was individual French rider, Pierre Touzaint, who came closest to Jankari in the battle for the Individual medals.  Lying 14th after dressage with Pin Up de Mai, he rocketed up to second with a superb cross-country run and stayed there.  Bronze went to German team member Nils Trebbe who added 7.6 cross-country time penalties to his dressage score for a final tally that left him one point behind Touzaint and a full mark ahead of The Netherlands’ Nienke van Roekel (Bylbao) in fourth place.

Gold medallist Jankari, who turns 21 next month, has enjoyed some excellent recent form with his mare Duchess Desiree, including wins at CIC 2* Furstenau (GER) in July and CIC 3* Sopot (POL) in August.  He said, “As we saw, it wasn’t just a dressage competition; we had a hard day yesterday. I have an incredible great horse who is always fighting for me. I’m really pleased with her. I had a really nice competition in France.”

Touzaint was also delighted with Individual silver and complimented his support team. “I really appreciated the whole championship, first of all because my horse was really there and we were well prepared with the federal staff. I was quite impressed with my state of mind in the competition. I was really relaxed. Thanks to the team spirit of these past two weeks we were really together, and this was great pleasure,” he pointed out.

Bronze medallist Nils Trebbe said “I never expected to win a medal because my horse is only seven years old and it’s my first year as a Young Rider. So hopefully we will be back to take the silver next year!”

Emmanuel Feltesse, President of the Organising Committee, said, “I would like to thank all the teams that came from 21 nations and answered our invitation, and the FEI who trusted us by giving us these championships.”

And he praised the competitors. “I would like to thank you, the riders of the teams, for a great moment of sport, beautiful sport and beautiful competition. As an organiser, these Europeans were a great satisfaction. I think the public were really passionate and, even if yesterday wasn’t easy on the weather level, you produced great sport and showed a superb team spirit!”

Results:

FEI European Junior Team Eventing Championship:  GOLD – Ireland 139.3: Miracle (Elizabeth Hayden) 42.9, Chuckelberry (Harold Megahey) 47.9, Rioghan Rue (Cathal Daniels) 48.5, The Irish Minstrel (Joshua Pim) Elim; SILVER – France 162.0: Orpheo des Sablons (Robin Boulanger) 42.5, Early van Ter Nieuwbeke (Victor Burtin) 57.3, Saga de Mai (Soizic Lefevre) 62.2; Sultane de la Barbais (Alexis Lavrov) WD; BRONZE – Switzerland 165.6: Glenn Grant 5 (Teresa Stokar) 47.5, Welcome Peramain (Alex Barrelet) 52.7, Wanga V Schloesslihof (Sophie Schiesser) 65.4.

FEI European Junior Individual Eventing Championship: GOLD – Orpheo des Sablons (Robin Boulanger) FRA 42.5; SILVER – Miracle (Elizabeth Hayden) IRL 42.9; BRONZE – Pioneer Silvie (Will Furlong) GBR 44.2.

FEI European Young Riders Team Eventing Championship: GOLD – France 179.5: Quartz du Lerchenberg (Alexis Gomez) 56.8, Ogustin du Terroir (Francois Lemiere) 58.2, Obelix de Mai (Arnaud Etienne Ducoin) 64.5, Klan de Cheyliac (Stephane Landois) 73.0; SILVER – Great Britain 219.4: DHI Lupison (Holly Woodhead) 55.9, Artistiek (Camilla Dumas) 70.5, Ricoshea (David Doel) 93.0, Waltham Fiddlers Find (Tom Jackson) Elim; BRONZE – Ireland 230.0: Fernhill M25 (Michelle Kenny) 70.0, riverstown Express (Melanie Young) 72.9, Red Baron (David Hannigan) 87.1, Jazzin Along (Caroline Marwood) Elim.

FEI European Young Riders Individual Eventing Championship: GOLD – Duchess Desiree (Elmo Jankari) FIN 45.1; SILVER – Pin Up de Mai (Pierre Touzaint) FRA 50.2; BRONZE – Priemus (Nils Trebbe) GER 52.2.

By Louise Parkes