FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing: Germany makes it five in a row

News Desk — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 06:26:08 +0000

(left to right) The winning German team of Andreas Ostholt, Anna-Maria Rieke, Josefa Sommer and Andreas Dibowski claimed the honours at Waregem (BEL), penultimate leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 (Photo: EventingPhoto.com/FEI).

An in-form German team reigned supreme at Waregem (BEL), the eighth and penultimate competition in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014. They scored a fifth successive victory in the series and have now extended their lead to 10 points over Great Britain, who finished second at Belgium’s premier event.

Andreas Ostholt, riding Pennysylvania 28, Anna-Maria Rieke (Petite Dame), Andreas Dibowski (FRH Butts Avedon) and Josefa Sommer (Hamilton 24) finished first, third, sixth and seventh respectively.

Although the Germans led after the Dressage and Jumping phases, 12 faults from Dressage leader Dibowski narrowed the gap between the two leading nations so that it came down to a mere four time penalties at the start of Cross Country.

Sarah Bullimore (Lilly Corinne) and Nicky Roncoroni (Stonedge) both achieved the optimum Cross Country time and finished the competition in fourth and fifth places to give Britain an obvious chance of challenging for the lead, with fifth-placed Lucy Wiegersma going last for the team on Mr Chunky.

However, Wiegersma withdrew the horse before Cross Country due to a minor injury, so Britain had to count the score of their pathfinder, 12^th-placed Tom McEwen on Diesel, who had 10 time faults, and settle for second place.

Ireland rose two places after Cross Country to finish third, with Wiegersma’s partner Padraig McCarthy getting a fine tune across country on her former ride, Simon Porloe, to finish in 10^th place.

The home side, Belgium, made their first appearance in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing this year and took fourth place. France, down to two riders after Margot Chabanne (Mitou de Mas) had a rider fall at fence 5 and Arnaud Boiteau (Sultan de la Motte) was eliminated for cumulative refusals, slipped to fifth place.

The Cross Country course, designed by Waregem’s Event Director Tom Ryckewaert (BEL), provided an exciting climax to the competition. The track was straightforward and on perfect going, but its undulations and changing cambers meant that horses needed to be in perfect balance, and the time was influential. There were 39 clear rounds from the 49 Cross Country starters, with 10 inside the time.

The action now moves to the always popular Dutch venue of Boekelo in a fortnight’s time for the CCIO3* final of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014, and the big question has to be whether any other country can prevent the seemingly unstoppable Germans running away with this series and scoring a record sixth consecutive win.

Results from Waregem (BEL)

1 Germany 163.2 penalties

Andreas Ostholt/Pennsylvania 28, 50.3; Anna-Maria Rieke/Petite Dame, 53.6; Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Avedon, 59.3; (Josefa Sommer/Hamilton 24, 63.1)

2 Great Britain, 180.5

Sarah Bullimore/Lilly Corinne, 53.9; Nicky Roncoroni/Stonedge, 57.8; Tom McEwen/Diesel, 68.8; (Lucy Wiegersma/Mr Chunky, WD before Cross Country)

3 Ireland, 214.8

Padraig McCarthy/Simon Porloe, 64.9; Fraser Duffy/Primus 209, 71.9; Jonty Evans/Double Dutch, 78.0

4 Belgium, 214.8

Kris Vervaeke/Victor van Steenkerke, 71.7; Julian Despontin/Waldano 36, 75.9; Karin Donckers/Lady Brown, 83.9; (Joris Vanspringel/Limestone, WD before Cross Country)

5 France, 1,132.00

Antoine le Pape/Oscar de Ravelet, 64.6; Geoffroy Soullez/Madiran du Liot HN, 67.4; (Arnaud Boiteau/Sultan de la Motte, EL Cross Country; Margot Chabanne/Mitou de Mas, EL Cross Country)

Full results on www.eventingwaregem.be

FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing Leaderboard (after 8 of 9 events)

1 Germany 64 points

2 Great Britain 54

3 France 50

4 Ireland 22

4 Italy 22

6 Netherlands 20

7 New Zealand 18

8 Denmark 14

9 Sweden 13

10 Belgium 7

11 Spain 6

12 Poland 5

13 Australia 4

View the standings here: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-nations-cup-eventing/current-results

FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing: French get off to flying start

News Desk — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 08:24:25 +0000

France’s Donatien Schauly, Eric Vigeanel, Nicolas Touzaint and Maxime Livio with Chef d’Equipe Thierry Touzaint (centre) dominated the opening leg of FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 at Fontainebleau (FRA). Photo: Eric Knoll/FEI.

The French team scored a convincing win on home ground in the opening leg of FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 held at Fontainebleau (FRA) over the weekend.

A strong quartet set the standard for the season by leading the Dressage, and were then the only team to produce four clear Cross Country rounds.

Former dual European Champion Nicolas Touzaint finished best of the four in fourth place, followed by Eric Vigeanel in sixth, Maxime Livio, eighth, and Donatien Schauly in 14^th.

Last year, France was beaten at Fontainebleau by Germany who, with Great Britain, went on to dominate the series. France finished third on the final leaderboard at the end of the season but, boosted by a team bronze medal at the 2013 FEI European Championships in Malmö (SWE), they look likely to challenge for the top spot this year, especially now that they have the master planner Thierry Touzaint back as team trainer.

In the end, Germany was not able to field a team, so five nations contested this first leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing. The Netherlands, a nation that has participated enthusiastically in the series since it began in 2012, was second, with the Dutch rider Elaine Pen and Vira, leading throughout to emerge as individual winners of the competition.

Pen finished on the same score as Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon on the popular grey mare Borough Pennyz, but was closer to the optimum Cross Country time to claim the honours. Second-placed Panizzon led her three-rider team to fourth place. The Italians had been third after Cross Country until Alberto Giugni and Sportsfield Quality picked up 25 penalties in the final Jumping phase, which meant the Italians slipped a place to finish behind Great Britain.

Britain, winners of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2013, have a policy of selecting teams for this series from a pool of up-and-coming riders. Izzy Taylor, who made her senior squad début last year, finished best in individual 13^th place on Dax van Ternieuwbeke.

The British had been third after Dressage, but lost any chance of improving on this position when Emily Llewellyn had a refusal at Course Designer Pierre Michelet’s influential fourth fence on Greenlawn Sky High and Lucy Wiegersma and Mr Chunky were eliminated at fence 19.

Spain, which finished fourth in the inaugural series in 2012, came fifth at Fontainebleau after two riders were eliminated for Cross Country falls.

Next month, the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing moves, for the first time, to Ireland. Cross Country Course Designer Peter Fell will have set a very different style of test on his home turf at Ballindenisk.

Results from Fontainebleau:

1 France, 150.4

Nicolas Touzaint/Crocket 30, 48.2; Eric Vigeanel/Qatar du Puech Rouget, 50.8; Maxime Livio/Opium de Verrieres, 51.4; Donatien Schauly/Pivoine des Touches, 58.2

2 Netherlands, 181.8

Elaine Pen/Vira, 42.4; Tim Lips/Keyflow, 60.8; Andrew Heffernan/Millthyme Corolla, 78.6 (Florinoor Hoogland/Captain Henessy, EL Cross Country)

3 Great Britain, 223.6

Izzy Taylor/Dax van Ternieuwbeke, 55.6; Gemma Tattersall/Chico Bella P, 60.6; Emily Llewellyn/Greenlawn Sky High, 107.4 (Lucy Wiegersma/Mr Chunky, EL Cross Country)

4 Italy, 233.0

Vittoria Panizzon/Borough Pennyz, 42.4; Alberto Giugni/Sportsfield Quality, 93.0; Ariana Schivo/Quefira de l’Ormeau, 97.6

5 Spain, 1180.6

Cristina Pinedo Sendagort/Helena Xll, 82.8; Albert Hermoso Farras/Yasmina V, 97.8 (Gonzalo Blasco Botin/Judy, EL Cross Country; Gonzalo Senra Chover/Busti Husti, EL Cross Country)

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FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing: Germany makes it five in a row

FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing: French get off to flying start