Equestrian News NI » weg

Dubbeldam Makes it Double-Dutch Gold

News Desk — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 07:26:28 +0000

The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam celebrates victory in the individual Jumping final after receiving the gold medal from IOC Member, Tsunekazu Takeda, Vice-President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Member of the FEI Olympic Council, and FEI President, HRH Princess Haya. (Dirk Caremans/FEI)

Jeroen Dubbeldam made it double-gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy today when adding the individual title to last Thursday’s team victory for The Netherlands. He made his way into this afternoon’s top-four Jumping final thanks to a horse that he admitted was inexperienced at this level of the sport and which clearly surprised him during the week. But the 10-year-old Dutch-bred Zenith lived up to his name when providing his 41-year-old rider with a title he has wanted for a very long time.

Written by By Louise Parkes

“I made a big mistake in the second round at Jerez (ESP) in 2002 with De Sjiem, and I’ve never forgiven myself for that – until now!” Dubbeldam said this evening, relishing his victory over Frenchman Patrice Delaveau, who took silver and America’s Beezie Madden who claimed the bronze. But Delaveau chased Dubbeldam right down to the wire, finishing only a single time fault behind.

For Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson it was a disappointing day as he missed out on the podium. Faulting with his own horse, Casall ASK, in the first rotation of horses he did it again with both Delaveau’s Orient Express and Dubbeldam’s Zenith. However Madden’s bronze, following silver at Aachen (GER) in 2006, was hard-won when the 50-year-old New Yorker finished just two faults ahead of the Swede after also having a fence down with each of her opponent’s rides.

Eight-fence test

French course designer, Frederic Cottier, set them an eight-fence test that started out over a vertical, moved on to a 1.48m oxer and then to a 1.50m vertical before a right turn brought them back to an oxer standing 1.52m high. It was the following triple combination, an oxer to a double of verticals, that presented the biggest challenge of the day, and then there was a roll-back to a white oxer at fence six before running left-handed down to the final line. The penultimate vertical stood at 1.55m and the final oxer was 1.50m high and 1.60 wide. First into the ring, however, Dubbeldam threw down a perfect clear with his own horse that put it up to the rest of them.

Bengtsson looked vulnerable from the outset when hitting the middle element of the triple combination with his own stallion, Casall ASK, especially when both Madden and Delaveau followed with clears. And the Swedish rider’s chances took another blow when, partnering Dubbeldam’s Zenith, he repeated the mistake at exactly the same spot and also added two time faults.

Madden and Casall ASK left the final element of the combination on the floor and when the American rider faulted again at the combination with Zenith, it was already turning into a tussle for gold between the French and Dutch men.

Delaveau would live to regret the single time penalty he collected with Bengtsson’s stallion when Dubbeldam once again kept a clean sheet, this time with Madden’s Cortes C. The French rider piled the pressure on his Dutch opponent when bringing Zenith home without incident, but Dubbeldam never flinched, clinching it with a lovely clear from the 15-year-old Casall ASK, who looked like he might be tiring at the start of the day, but who seemed to warm to the novelty of new hands on the reins to finish fresh as a daisy.

Applause of the crowd

One of the memorable moments of these championships will be the sight of Casall ASK looking totally relaxed while Dubbeldam wandered around the arena to take the applause of the crowd. The French supporters really wanted their own man to win, but they didn’t hold back in celebrating with this new, true champion.

Delaveau was understandably disappointed that he couldn’t deliver the gold on home ground, and the 49-year-old rider who won European bronze at Aachen in 1986 and team silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky said: “that will stay in my head for a very long time. I wasted a bit of time on the approach to the second-last fence and then I added a stride to the last and took too long to get to the finish. I realised what I had done when it was too late,” he admitted.

Losing out by just a single time fault was a painful experience. “I was beaten by only a fraction of a second and that’s hard to swallow, but it was good for the horses that they didn’t have to jump off, and Jeroen really was the best today,” he said, sportingly paying tribute to the newly-crowned champion.

Skill

Course designer Frederic Cottier also complimented Dubbeldam for the skill he showed today. “I wanted this championship to be different to the last two at Aachen and Kentucky where it came down to a jump-off” he said. “I wanted the competition to be more complex. I didn’t want a jump-off and I succeeded in that. The fact that all four horses jumped so well and that even the oldest one, who is 15, was still in great shape today is proof of the success of the courses during the week. And special congratulations to Jeroen, who was under such pressure today, he really is a tremendous champion!”

Dubbeldam admitted that he did indeed feel the tension. “Yes I must say the pressure was pretty high! My own horse put me under this pressure because he jumped a clear round with Patrice, but I must say in that round, with my horse in it, I was really happy he did a clear round, because this horse brought me so much this week and he really deserved to finish this tournament with a clear round. I’m very happy that his last round in this stadium was clear, I’m very proud of him.”

The man whose sparkling career really took off when he won individual gold at the FEI European Young Riders Championship at Millstreet in Ireland in 1994 with a horse called Killarney, has since added individual Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney, Australia and team gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Aachen, Germany eight years ago. It has taken him some time to find a horse of the calibre of Zenith to take the place that he held in his heart for his Olympic ride De Sjiem.

Fund

“I saw him (Zenith) at a show in Germany for seven and eight-year-old horses,” he said. “I knew the fund in Holland was looking for a horse for me and he was already owned by a Dutch owner so that maybe he might be one for them to buy for me. I proposed it and tried the horse for two weeks. I felt he had a lot of quality and scope although he was quite green and there was a lot of work to do. But we don’t mind hard work and the horse now shows what I felt back then!” said the proud Dutchman.

Zenith is owned by the Dutch syndicate Springpaarden Fonds Nederlands, the brain-child of Dutch photographer Jacob Melissen, which purchases horses for the best Dutch riders. And 25 of Zenith’s 80 owners were in the stadium this afternoon watching their investment pay off handsomely as the horse helped bring in the gold. The syndicate, whose President is Gerrit-Jan Swinkels, also owned Utascha which competed at a previous FEI World Equestrian Games™, so the concept is clearly a very successful one.

Dubbeldam said he really enjoyed himself today. Riders only had three minutes in which to familiarise themselves with their rivals’ mounts, but they showed a lifetime of experience and wonderful horsemanship as the competition played itself out.

“With all three horses I had a fantastic feeling, totally different but all felt they wanted to jump the fences clear. Three minutes isn’t long enough to change any horse, so what I did was try to find their strongest points and then bring those forward. Luckily I found the strong points of all three horses and they gave me wonderful clear rounds. I did enjoy it, I really felt three amazing horses under me, it’s great to be world champion but I also enjoyed riding such great horses! It’s been a great day!”

Results:

Top-Four Jumping Final: GOLD – Jeroen Dubbeldam (Zenith SFN) NED, 0 faults; SILVER – Patrice Delaveau (Orient Express HDC) FRA, 1; BRONZE – Beezie Madden (Cortes C) USA, 12; 4, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Casall ASK) SWE. 14.

Full results and startlists at www.normandy2014.com

Sandra Auffarth takes Germany to the top of the world

News Desk — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 07:34:31 +0000

Sandra Auffarth and the Normandy-bred Opgun Louvo were foot-perfect throughout to take individual Eventing gold and lead the Germans to team gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy. (Trevor Holt/FEI)

German riders gave a master class in Jumping at the finale of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ Eventing competition to give Germany the full set of titles: Olympic, European and now World team gold medals, with Sandra Auffarth also taking individual gold.

Written by By Kate Green

All four riders – Sandra Auffarth, Michael Jung, Ingrid Klimke and Dirk Schrade – were flawless over the coloured poles and Auffarth, whose performance on the magnificent Opgun Louvo has been exemplary throughout the event, deservedly collected what looks like the first of many individual titles. Click here for audio interview with Sandra Auffarth.

“It’s unbelievable that we are double world champions,” said the modest Auffarth. “When I first rode Opgun Louvo I didn’t think he was a future champion, but we have taken every level step by step and he’s been fantastic this weekend, really working hard.”

Defending champion Jung, who won individual silver on his brave little mare fisherRocana FST, was quick to compliment his team mate. “Sandra is a true world champion,” he said. “She went across country last of all in the worst ground but she and her horse know each other so well.

“For me, it would have been great to come to a world championships on the same horse (La Biosthetique Sam) four years later, but I’m happy with silver because my mare did such a fantastic job. She’s a very clever horse.”

As at last year’s FEI European Championships, only William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Chilli Morning, the Cross Country leaders, were able to halt German domination of the medals by taking individual bronze.

Although Britain’s team silver medal always looked secure, thanks to a great clear round from Zara Phillips and High Kingdom, the Germans’ brilliance pushed Fox-Pitt right to the wire and he had no leeway to win the individual title that so many people feel this classic horseman deserves.

His charming stallion Chilli Morning was impeccably behaved, considering the deafening cheers for Auffarth that would have blown the roof off had the stadium had one, but he just caught the second fence with his front legs and, to muffled groans, that was the gold medal gone.

“Of course I’m frustrated, but I’m probably lucky not to have had two fences down,” Fox-Pitt said philosophically. “I’ve never ridden a stallion at any decent level before. He’s a real worker and trier, and he’s a rare commodity. I’m very proud of him and it’s great for his future as a sire.” (Click here for audio interview with William Fox-Pitt)

Meanwhile, an interesting battle had been developing for team bronze. The Australians held third place in the team competition after Cross Country but lost it at a strike with an unfortunate 24-fault round from Shane Rose and Taurus.

The French could have benefitted from this, but Jean Teulere (Matelot du Grand Val) and Cedric Lyard (Cadeau du Roi) collected eight faults apiece. Sadly, Maxime Livio’s superb clear round on Qalao des Mers, which elevated him from eighth to fifth place individually, was not enough to rescue the home team’s medal chances.

Instead, the Netherlands team, who have been giving notice of deepening strength with their consistent results in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ series, rode for their lives to be deserved recipients of team bronze, the country’s first ever medal at world championship level.

Elaine Pen and Vira have been one of the up-and-coming partnerships this year and they produced a beautiful clear round to rise seven places to 13^th individually. Merel Bloom (Rumour Has It) was also clear in 26^th place and the talented Tim Lips, who has long flown the Dutch flag in Eventing, finished in 18^th place on Keyflow N.O.P.

Speaking on behalf of his team mates, British-based Andrew Heffernan, who retired Boleybawn Ace on the Cross Country, said: “This means more than you can possibly imagine. We came here with one goal, which was to qualify for Rio, and not only have we done that but we’ve had a fantastic experience. It’s our first world medal, so watch out the rest of the world!”

An electric atmosphere in the 21,000-seat arena fully justified the decision to transport the horses from the Dressage and Cross Country venue into the D’Ornano Stadium in Caen as the capacity crowd got into the spirit of the occasion, sporting national flags, executing Mexican waves and cheering ecstatically.

Frederic Cottier’s Jumping course provided the perfect finale; it was testing – there were a few refusals – but not at all punishing and horses were jumping well despite the testing conditions of the previous day’s Cross Country.

The top six nations – medallists Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands, plus France, Australia and Ireland – have all secured qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

About the new World Champion

Sandra Auffarth, 27, is steeped in horsemanship, having competed in Jumping to a high level as well as Eventing. Her parents, Karl-Heinz and Barbel Auffarth, breed competition horses at their Stal Auffarth, which has been established for 30 years. Sandra is closely involved with the business and plans to take it over when her parents retire.

She has ridden the 12-year-old Opgun Louvo, a Normandy-bred Selle Francais by Shogoun ll, since he was five. They sprang to prominence at the 2011 FEI European Championships when they won team gold and individual silver and in 2012 they won Olympic team gold and individual bronze. The horse spent part of 2013 on the sidelines, but came back to claim victory at the Aachen CCIO3* this year.

Final Individual Results

1 Sandra Auffarth/Opgun Louvo (GER)* 35.2 + 16.8 + 0 = 52.0

2 Michael Jung/fischerRocana FST (GER)* 40.7 + 11.6 + 0 = 52.3

3 William Fox-Pitt/Chilli Morning (GBR)* 37.5 + 12.8 + 4 = 54.3

4 Jonelle Price/Classic Moet (NZL) 48.5 + 4.0 + 4 = 56.5

5 Maxime Livio/Qalao des Mers (FRA)* 45.3 + 13.2 + 0 = 58.5

6 Karin Donckers/Fletcha van’t Verahof (BEL)* 42.3 + 13.6 + 4 = 59.9

7 Peter Thomsen/Horseware’s Barney (GER) 46.3 + 14.0 + 0 = 60.3

8 Boyd Martin/Shamwari 4 (USA)* 46.3 + 13.6 + 4 = 63.9

9 Andrew Nicholson/Nereo (NZL)* 45.3 + 7.2 + 12 = 64.5

10 Andreas Ostholt/So Is Et (GER) 46.3 + 10.4 + 8 = 64.7

(* denotes team rider)

Team medals

GOLD: Germany 177.9 (Sandra Auffarth/Opgun Louvo, 52.0; Michael Jung fischerRocana FST 52.3; Ingrid Klimke/FRH Escada JS, 73.6; (Dirk Schrade/Hop and Skip, 135.3)

SILVER: Great Britain 198.8 (William Fox-Pitt/Chilli Morning, 54.3; Zara Phillips/High Kingdom, 68.9; Kristina Cook/De Novo News, 75.6 (Harry Meade/Wild Lone)

BRONZE: Netherlands 246.8 (Elaine Pen/Vira, 72.3; Tim Lips/Keyflow N.O.P., 79.9; Merel Blom/Rumour Has It, 94.6 (Andrew Heffernan/Boleybawn Ace, RET XC)

Full results on www.normandy2014.com

Chilli Morning and Fox-Pitt turn up the heat in WEG

News Desk — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 08:25:32 +0000

Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt and the 14-year old stallion Chilli Morning are in the lead after the first day of Eventing Dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy. (Trevor Holt/FEI)

William Fox-Pitt (GBR) has given the British team a massive morale boost after the first day of the Eventing competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, where the Dressage phase is taking place below the chateau at Haras du Pin deep in the Normandy countryside.

Written by By Kate Green

Fox-Pitt and the biddable stallion Chilli Morning scored the only sub-40 mark, 37.5, to head defending champion Michael Jung and the mare FischerRocana FST by 3.2 penalties.

“Chilli is lovely to ride on the flat,” said Fox-Pitt, who was individual silver medallist and a member of the winning British team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky (USA). “I’m relieved that we nailed it. That was his best test ever.”

Jung’s good score on the relatively inexperienced nine-year-old and Ingrid Klimke’s mark of 41.2 on another mare, FRH Escada JS, despite losing marks for a tense walk and early canter strike-off, puts Germany in the lead at this early stage.

“I’m very happy,” said Jung. “My horse was relaxed and didn’t make too many mistakes. She also concentrated. The arena wasn’t slippery, but horses were looking at the ground because of the rainwater in the arena.”

The New Zealand team is currently second, ahead of Great Britain and the USA, with one penalty covering the three nations.

Tim Price (NZL) is in individual fourth place on his Luhmühlen CCI4* winner Wesko with a mark of 42.0 and Sir Mark Todd, a team bronze medallist in 2010, is 10^th on Leonidas ll on a score of 49.2.

Todd explained: “There was some clapping before I went into the arena and Leo was a bit distracted and made some mistakes. He isn’t used to this kind of atmosphere and the sloppy going.”

The 2006 world champion Zara Phillips (GBR) didn’t get the British team off to the start she would have liked and admitted to being annoyed with her score of 54.5 on High Kingdom, which leaves her in 21^st place currently.

“He broke in the medium trot and my marks didn’t come back up after that,” she said. “He does nice work but he’s not a flash horse. However, he’s a real galloper and I’m hoping to bring some good feedback for the others when I go out first across country on Saturday. It’s a long way round and if it stays wet then the dressage scores won’t matter as much.”

Cédric Lyard (FRA) is best of the home side, in seventh place on Cadeau du Roi with a score of 47.3. “I’m really happy with my horse,” he commented. “Cadeau concentrated really well and was expressive. I wanted to get the best marks I possibly could for the French team and I feel that I achieved that.”

The British team is hoping that the wet weather will play to their strengths on Saturday’s cross country day, which riders of all nations anticipate will re-arrange the scoreboard.

Fox-Pitt commented: “It’s a good track with plenty to jump. It’s quite hilly and with the soft ground it’s going to be a serious test. We tend to get all these conditions in England and so it should be good for us here, but the effect of the course will be cumulative and may be hard to gauge.”

Jung described Pierre Michelet’s (FRA) course as “a tough four-star because of the big fences and the hills” while Todd added that going early in the day could turn out to be a lucky draw. “This is a big and long track, it’s hilly and it’s wet. It isn’t going to be a dressage competition,” he predicted.

Follow all the action on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) with live scoring on www.normandy2014.com

Results after first day of Dressage

1. William Fox-Pitt/Chilli Morning (GBR) 37.5

2. Michael Jung/FischerRocana FST (GER) 40.7

3. Ingrid Klimke/FRH Escada JS (GER) 41.2

4. Tim Price/Wesko (NZL) 42.0

5. Elaine Pen/Vira (NED) 42.3

6. Philip Dutton/Trading Aces (USA) 43.8

7. Bill Levett/Shannondale Tital (AUS) 44.7

8. Nicola Wilson/Annie Clover (GBR) 46.0

9. Cédric Lyard/Cadeau du Roi (FRA) 47.3

10. Sarah Ennis/Horseware Stellor Rebound (IRL) 48.5

Full Results Here

Ireland Eventing Team in Seventh after First Day at WEG

News Desk — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 06:28:06 +0000

AFTER the first day of Eventing at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, Ireland is lying seventh of 16 teams.

Britain’s William Fox-Pitt was the day’s leader on 37.5 penalties with Chilli Morning. Leading the Irish after the initial day of dressage is Sarah Ennis with Horseware Stellor Rebound in tenth place on 48.5 penalties, with fellow team member Sam Watson in 32nd position on 59.8 penalties on Horseware Bushman. Individual Irish rider Clare Abbott and Euro Prince held overnight 28th place on 57.3.

Friday sees Irish team members Joseph Murphy and Aoife Clark undertake their dressage tests, along with individual rider Camilla Speirs.

The vital eventing cross-country phase take place in Normandy on Saturday, with medals being decided after Sunday’s show jumping.

In Para Dressage, Ireland’s Helen Kearney and Mister Cool had an impressive 71.522 per cent score today in the Grade 1a section to put them in provisional fifth place. Kate Kerr-Horan and Arlande scored 66.343 per cent in the Grade II Individual test to earn them a ninth place, while in the Grade IV Individual test James Dwyer and Orlando had 64.429 per cent, also for a ninth place.

Helen McFarland with Just Cmall and Tom MacGuinness on Horseware LR Arista started their Endurance race today, which is scheduled to finish this evening.

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy brings together close to 1,000 riders and 1,000 horses from 74 nations for 15 days of world-class competition. The World Equestrian Games take place every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, and are administered by the world governing body, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Anticipation builds for a bumper Eventing competition

News Desk — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 07:24:15 +0000

Defending Eventing world champion Michael Jung (GER) and the nine-year old mare FisherRocana FST pictured at the first horse inspection at the historic Haras du Pin today. (Trevor Holt/FEI)

The stage is set for a truly memorable Eventing competition at Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy at the historic venue of Haras du Pin, where the first horse inspection took place this afternoon against the magnificent backdrop of the chateau built by Louis XlV.

Written by By Kate Green

A record 91 horses representing 27 nations will start the competition, with the Dressage phase beginning at 9.3 CEST tomorrow.

One sad omission will be Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal, a member of the silver medal team at the FEI European Eventing Championships last year and an individual medal prospect here in Normandy. His horse, Alexander, was withdrawn from the holding box, which means Sweden is down to a team of three riders.

The sole Hungarian horse, My Win, ridden by Làszlò Egyed, and Russia’s Pinokolada (Yuri Shumskiy) were also sent to the holding box but were accepted.

The first rider to come before the Ground Jury – President Gillian Rolton (AUS), Alain James (FRA), and Ernst Topp (GER) – tomorrow morning will be the USA’s Buck Davidson on Ballynoe Castle RM.

The Badminton winners Sam Griffiths (AUS) and Paulank Brockagh will go first for Australia. Zara Phillips (GBR), the 2006 world champion, is first for Great Britain on High Kingdom and the New Zealand maestro Sir Mark Todd (NZL) is trailblazer for New Zealand on Leonidas ll.

The Germans have been drawn last of the teams and, for the first time, their defending champion Michael Jung (GER) will act as pathfinder.

Jung has not been able to bring his Olympic, world and European champion La Biosthetique Sam due to a last-minute minor injury, but he will present just as much of a threat to other nations on his second-choice horse, the nine-year-old mare FisherRocana FST, on which he finished second at the FEI Classics™ leg at CCI4* Luhmühlen (GER) in June.

Riders will have been assessing Pierre Michelet’s cross-country course, which runs on an undulating track underneath the chateau and should provide a great spectacle. It will comprise 44 jumping efforts in 11 minutes 30 seconds. The Ground Jury has removed one sheep shelter obstacle from the penultimate fence.

The complete start list is available here.

Follow the action live on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and with live results onwww.normandy2014.com.

Dubarry Announces New Sponsorship Deal for Irish WEG Eventing Squad

News Desk — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 07:16:19 +0000

DUBARRY of Ireland have just announced a new partnership with Horse Sport Ireland.

The sponsorship deal will see the Irish eventing squad wearing Dubarry of Ireland signature tweed clothing, footwear and accessories for both the European Championships and during the current World Equestrian Games (WEG) 2014. Junior, pony and young riders’ team members are also included in this sponsorship deal, with each member receiving a pair of the trademark Admirals “Dubes” deck shoes.

Michael Walsh, Marketing Director at Dubarry said: “Dubarry of Ireland is delighted to be supporting our national team this season and especially with the World Equestrian Games taking place in Europe. It is great to see our product being worn by some of Ireland’s established and rising stars on the equestrian circuit. The sponsorship of the Irish equestrian team is a great match for the Dubarry brand and we hope that this is the continuation of a long lasting relationship with Ireland’s elite eventers.”

Damian McDonald, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland said: “We are pleased that such an iconic Irish brand as Dubarry of Ireland has come on board as official supplier to Team Ireland Equestrian.”

The Irish senior eventing squad consists of six riders from across the island. This sponsorship deal will see Team Ireland completing their trot up wearing signature Dubarry tweeds, deck shoes and accessories at the World Equestrian Games which are currently being held in Normandy, France until September 7th.

Team Members;

· Sam Watson – Carlow
· Aoife Clark – Kildare
· Sarah Ennis – Meath
· Austin O’Connor – Cork
· Clare Abbott – Down
· Joseph Murphy – Westmeath

Established in 1937, Dubarry of Ireland is a luxury Irish footwear and performance lifestyle clothing company. Founded in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Dubarry of Ireland is a well-known brand within equestrian circles internationally.

Turner Reveals Ireland’s Eventing Team for World Equestrian Games

News Desk — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 06:29:49 +0000

IRELAND’S Eventing High Performance Manager Nick Turner just revealed his four-strong team that will compete at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy beginning Thursday.

With all its eventing horses now having passed the veterinary check, the Irish team will be:

Aoife Clark with Fenya’s Elegance

Sarah Ennis with Horseware Stellor Rebound

Joseph Murphy with Electric Cruise

Sam Watson with Horseware Bushman

Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff and Clare Abbott with Euro Prince will compete as individuals.

The entire squad are mounted on Irish Sport Horses.

The dressage phase of championship eventing at Normandy starts on Thursday, with Watson first up at 10:26 am, followed by Abbott at 12:18 pm and Ennis at 15:12 pm. Speirs, Murphy and Clark undertake their dressage tests on Friday.

The cross country element of the Eventing championships takes place on Saturday, with the final show jumping phase deciding medals on Sunday.

In Para Dressage, Ireland’s sole entry today, Breda Bernie with the Irish Sport Horse Master Mexico, finished tenth in the Grade 1b Individual Test on a score of 68.069 per cent. The remaining para dressage riders compete tomorrow.

WEG’s Endurance competition also begins on Thursday morning, and Ireland is represented by Tom MacGuinness with Horseware LR Arista and Helen McFarland on Just Cmall.

Three Top Tens For Irish Para At World Equestrian Games

News Desk — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 08:07:59 +0000

IRISH riders scored three top ten places in their respective tests on the second day (Tuesday) of Para Equestrian at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

Paralympic multi-medallist Helen Kearney and the Irish Sport Horse Mister Cool finished seventh in the Grade 1a Team Test on a score of 68.304 per cent. The competition was won by Italy’s Sara Morganti and Royal Delight with 75.783 per cent.

Kearney and her grey gelding will compete again in Thursday’s Individual Test, starting at 16.25 pm.

James Dwyer and the bay gelding Orlando also finished seventh with 68.238 per cent in the Grade IV team test. Victory in the competition went to Britain’s Sophie Wells with Valerius on 74.595 per cent.

Dwyer and Orlando will compete in Thursday’s Individual Test, starting at 09.11 am.

In the Grade II Team Test, Kate Kerr-Horan and her bay mare Arlande finished ninth on 67.647 per cent in a competition that was won by Britain’s Natasha Baker and Cabral on a score of 73.647. Kerr-Horan competes again on Thursday, with her test beginning at 12.54 pm.

Breda Bernie, who suffered an unfortunate elimination yesterday with the Irish Sport Horse Master Mexico, will be last to compete in tomorrow’s Grade 1b Individual test at 14.52 pm.

In Dressage, Ireland finished the Games in 22nd team position today and will not qualify for further competitions. Roland Tong and Pompidou scored 66.900 per cent, while Anna Merveldt with Vancouver completed on a score of 64.800. James Connor and Casino Royal finished on 62.357 per cent, while Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K were the team discard score on 61.086 per cent. The Team Classification today was won by Germany.

Ireland previously fielded dressage teams at the World Equestrian Games in 1998 (Rome) and 2002 (Jerez de la Frontera).

Germany takes the early lead in WEG Dressage

News Desk — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 08:41:29 +0000

Germany’s Kristina Sprehe and Desperados FRH finished at the top of the leaderboard after Day 1 of the Dressage Team Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 at Stade D’Ornano in Caen, France. (Dirk Caremans/FEI)

Germany holds the advantage over the defending team champions from The Netherlands after the first day of Dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France today. It could have been a daunting task for competition pathfinder, Fabienne Lutkemeier, who was first into the arena at Stade D’Ornano in Caen early this morning. But the 24-year-old from Paderborn showed great strength of character when posting a score of 73.586, and when German team-mate Kristine Sprehe added the best mark of the day, 78.814, then the country that took bronze in 2010 confirmed their sense of purpose.

Written by Louise Parkes

A lot has happened in this sport since The Netherlands broke the stranglehold of the long-dominant Germans at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky four years ago. It was a Dutch team gold for the very first time on that occasion when the silver medal winning British also showed their increasing strength by pinning Germany into bronze medal spot. However there is no denying the resurgence of German Dressage, and this week in Caen they, once more, look the ones to beat.

Still all to play for

However with only two riders from each team in action today, it is still all to play for in the Team Championship when the action resumes tomorrow morning. The Dutch lie second following a lovely performance from Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Johnson who posted 74.357 after Deiderick van Silfhout really rose to the challenge to score 73.414 with Arlando NH. Van Silfhout only got his team call-up when Danielle Heijkoop’s Kingsley Siro was withdrawn last Thursday, but the 26-year-old rider showed exactly why he was on the reserve list, and with Edward Gal and Glock’s Voice, and Adelinde Cornelissen with Jerich Parzival yet to come, the Dutch will be hoping to pull ahead of their German rivals by tomorrow evening.

Great Britain holds third spot thanks to Carl Hester’s mark of 74.186 with Nip Tuck. Gareth Hughes was the first Briton into the arena, scoring 69.714 with DV Stenkjers Nadonna, but Hester really raised the British game with his relatively inexperienced ride who charmed the Ground Jury for individual third place. With the multiple record-breaking partnership of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, and Michael Eilberg with the handsome mare Half Moon Delphi still to come it seems the British could rally strongly tomorrow.

But it will be German star Isabell Werth who gets the second half of the team competition off to a start in the morning, and if she can persuade her mare, Bella Rose, to shimmer and sparkle like she did at Aachen (GER) last month then her country’s position will be further reinforced. And as if that isn’t enough, Germany also has the super-talented partnership of Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW to rely on as anchors. The battle for supremacy will be played out in full as the day progresses, and it promises to be a thriller to the very end.

Good situation

“I’m very happy after our first two riders today” said German Chef d’Equipe, Monica Theodorescu today. “We are in a good situation at the halfway point and I’m looking forward to tomorrow for our next two team members” she added. With Sprehe in pole position and Fabienne Lutkemeier currently lying fourth, that comes as no surprise.

“I woke up at 5 o’clock this morning, it’s a terrible time to start (the dressage test) but I had to be first in this competition!” said Lutkemeier with a laugh after making her 08.00 appearance. Talking about her performance she said “I was very delighted with the trot tour but there was a mistake in the flying changes and I’m disappointed about that. I know we can do better. I wanted to ride fresh but controlled, but I decided to take a calculated risk and I believe it paid off” she explained.

Kristina Sprehe reflected, “I felt very confident today, and Desperados was wonderful to ride. Normally he can be a bit nervous in the first competition at an event, but today he was fantastic. The piaffe could be better, but I wasn’t brave enough this morning. The stadium doesn’t impress him too much so he was really relaxed”.

Every reason to be pleased

Hans Peter Minderhoud has every reason to be pleased. He competed in one of the heaviest downpours that beset the competition programme today and spent a lot of his warm-up time sheltering from the rain before deciding that he just had to go out there and get a soaking. He said the footing in the arena “was not slippy but a bit sticky” and that his horse, Glock’s Johnson “felt it a little at the beginning of the test and was not so expressive, but then he went forward as usual after that and went quite well”. Asked what he hoped his score might be today he replied “I was looking for a score a bit better than Kristina’s (Sprehe)! I was hoping to get a little higher but there were a few small things – overall I am quite happy even though this was not our best test of the season. I had hoped to have that here, but I think I got it a few weeks ago!”

The Dutch rider talked about how proud he is of his 12-year-old stallion who was a real eye-catcher in the ring this afternoon. “I have him since he was three years old so he has been in our stable for almost seven years. He has been breeding a lot so he has two jobs to do. He did his first Grand Prix in January, at the World Cup at Neumunster (GER) he was really good and again at the World Cup Final in Lyon (FRA). He is developing really well and he has a lot more improvement to come in the future. He’s not spooky, he’s quite a clever boy and he always wants to work with you” Minderhoud pointed out.

British hopes alive

Hester has certainly kept British hopes alive going into the second day. “I’m delighted – we’re in the hunt with The Netherlands and Germany and this was a personal best for my horse. He’s 10 years of age and he’s only just stepping up there. I’m very excited about the competition tomorrow and for the rest of the week” he said.

Nip Tuck’s owner, Jane De la Mare, was tearful with delight as her horse left the arena with the British rider. “For both my owner and myself it’s very exciting” Hester said. Nip Tuck was not an expensive purchase, so his presence at a world championship is all the more exceptional. “He cost me 1000 Euros, so to me, that he’s doing this – that’s like my gold medal to be honest. I know he did his absolute best in there for me and did everything I asked” Hester pointed out.

Hester enjoyed the enthusiasm of the spectators who greeted his arrival with a great roar. “You don’t really know what to expect with this crowd, they’re very enthusiastic and it was such a nice reception going in. It’s 24 years later for me, because I rode in Stockholm (at the first World Equestrian Games in 1990), so I’m really happy to be here again on another horse and to get that result.”

Kristina Sprehe said Desperados FRH was “very good to ride today”. Judge at C, Great Britain’s Stephen Clarke, awarded Sprehe’s highest mark of 80.400 and all five members of the Ground Jury put her in first place. Talking about her performance she said, “I had a light connection at all times and he was really perfect today. The first piaffe was a bit unbalanced but this was our best Grand Prix for a long time” she added.

Tomorrow however, there are another 50 riders who also have their hopes and dreams, and some of them will be trying very hard to better the German rider’s result.

It may be another early start, but the German contingent will be out in force to support Isabell Werth as she prepares to bolster her country’s position as the second half of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ Dressage Team Championship gets underway.

The medals are definitely not decided yet….

Results:

Team Grand Prix Part 1 (after 2 riders from each team have completed):

1. Germany 152.4: Desperados FRH (Kristina Sprehe) 78.814; D’Agostino (Fabienne Lutkemeier) 73.586.

2. Netherlands 147.771: Glock’s Johnson TN (Hans Peter Minderhoud) 74.357; Arlando NH N.O.P. (Diederick van Silfhout) 73.414.

4. Great Britain 143.9: Nip Tuck (Carl Hester) 74.196; DV Stenkjers Nadonna (Gareth Hughes) 69.714.

Individual Standings after Day 1: 1, Desperados FRH (Kristina Sprehe) GER 78.814; 2, Glock’s Johnson TN (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 74.357; 3, Nip Tuck (Carl Hester) GBR 74.196; 4, D’Agostino (Fabienne Lutkemeier) GER 73.586; 5, Arlando NH N.O.P (Diederik van Silfhout) NED 73.414; 6, Norte Lavera (Jose Antonio Garcia Mena) ESP 72.414; 7, Wizard (Adrienne Lyle) USA 72.000; 8, Santana (Minna Telde) SWE 71.171; 9, Mariett (Lars Petersen) DEN 70.800; 10, Noble Dream Concept Sol (Marc Boblet) FRA 70.686.

Looking forward to Week 1 of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™

News Desk — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:42:53 +0000

Everyone’s excited and looking forward to the first fabulous week of action at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy – especially the horses! (PSV.J.Morel/FEI).

In just a few short hours the first week of action at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) will get underway, bringing a hectic schedule of top-quality sport across five different venues.

Written By Louise Parkes

Horse inspections took place today in Reining, Dressage and Para-Dressage following which the Kazakhstan Dressage team was reduced from three to just two members rendering them ineligible for the Team competition. The Norwegian team is now down to three horse-and-rider combinations instead of four, and the total number of nations competing for team medals in Dressage now stands at 24.

Meanwhile Sweden’s Kerstin Larsson-Englund must wait until her horse is re-inspected in the morning before she knows if she will start in Para-Dressage.

First into the arena

Dressage will get the Games underway, and first into the arena at Stade d’Ornano at 08.00 in the morning will be German team-member Fabienne Lutkemeier riding D’Agostino FRH.

There has already been plenty of Dressage drama as the super-stallion Totilas who was to spearhead the German team, and who looked set to challenge strongly for Individual glory with rider Matthias Alexander Rath on board, was withdrawn due to a last-minute injury on Wednesday leading to a late call-up for Lutkemeier. The Dutch team suffered a major blow too, with the withdrawal of both Edward Gal’s Glock’s Undercover and Danielle Heijkoop’s Kingsley Siro who are also on the injury list. Gal will still compete, riding Glock’s Voice, but the complexion of the team competition has changed with nations now possibly more evenly matched, while Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin’s quest for a clean sweep of Olympic, European and now World Individual medals with Valegro appears less daunting.

The Dressage Grand Prix runs over two days and the team medals will be awarded when it concludes on Tuesday evening. The three nations qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will then be known.

The Grand Prix Special takes place on Wednesday and, following a rest day on Thursday, the Freestyle brings Dressage to a close on Friday afternoon.

The entire week

Para-Dressage starts tomorrow at 09.00 and runs over the entire week at La Prairie Racecourse close to the town centre of Caen and the top three nations here qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Medal ceremonies for both Dressage and Para-Dressage will take place on Friday evening.

At the Zenith Indoor Stadium in Caen, Reining gets underway at 08.45 tomorrow, with the team medals decided by Tuesday afternoon. There is a rest day in this discipline on Wednesday before the second Individual qualifier takes place on Thursday, and after another rest day on Friday the Individual Reining medals will be decided on Saturday night.

Horse inspections for Eventing and Endurance will be held on Wednesday afternoon and there will be huge excitement when competitors head out from Sartilly at 07.00 on Thursday morning to take on the spectacular and technical 160km Endurance course that includes a tour of the stunning bay at Mont St Michel.

While that is happening the first day of Eventing Dressage will be underway at Haras de Pins, with more to come on Friday at this stunning venue. Saturday’s cross-country phase is expected to draw capacity crowds, and it should also be a

Eagerly anticipated Endurance event at iconic site

News Desk — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:09:25 +0000

Maria Alvarez Ponton (ESP) and Nobby on their way to individual gold in the Endurance event at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010. (Kit Houghton/FEI)

Endurance will see an impressive number of starters for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, beating all previous records by almost 10% when the 160-kilometre ride gets underway on Thursday 28 August.

Written by By Berry Pattison

The competition takes place in Sartilly, just over 100 kilometres from the main Games venue in Caen and a total of 47 nations from as far afield as China, Colombia, Kazakhstan and Thailand will be welcomed onsite when the stables open next Monday 25 August.

The definite entries for the discipline show a total of 173 athletes, with 198 horses declared. National Federations are able to enter up to five athletes and seven horses for the pre-ride inspection, with chefs d’equipe declaring their final horses after the inspection.

The 2014 Games has seen the introduction of a higher minimum speed, this year set at 15kph, to ensure that all horses competing are fit enough to deal with the distance and tough questions asked on track. And for the first time at Championship level, the 160km track is made up of only five loops rather than the more traditional six-loop format.

With a start time of 7am, combinations will set out to tackle one of the most technical courses in recent Championship history. Loop 1, La Lucerne is 37.9km long and stretches to the north of the venue. Loop 2, Avranches is 35.8km long, and includes the stunning bay with the incredible backdrop of Mont Saint-Michel.

Champeaux, the third loop, is 32.8km long and covers ground to the west of the venue. The penultimate loop, Jullouville, is 33.1km long while the final loop, Dragey, is the shortest at just 20.4km long, stretching out to the south-west of the venue.

This year will see many familiar faces, both equine and human, battling for the ultimate title in Endurance riding. Expectations are high for the home nation, France, which has one of the most consistent track records of podium positions over recent years. France took team gold in Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) in 2002 as well as Aachen (GER) in 2006. The French also scooped team silver in 2010 in Kentucky (USA) and will no doubt be looking to step back up to first place on home soil.

Whilst the French team fields some new faces on the Championship scene, one of the most experienced team riders of all is included in the line-up. Jean Philippe Frances has, since 1997, represented his country at Championship level no less than 10 times and will certainly be looking to claim the gold in front of his home crowd.

Alongside France, there will be a keen interest in the UAE, Germany, Spain and Oman, who have dominated the top spots over recent years. But, with the emergence of some exciting new Endurance nations such as Costa Rica and Slovakia, the race is wide open. Both the United States, who narrowly missed out on a team medal in the 2012 World Championships at Euston Park (GBR), and New Zealand have a high chance of bringing home a medal, with both nations showcasing young, upcoming talent alongside experienced, seasoned combinations.

On an individual level the event is just as open. With the notable omission of the Endurance great Nobby, who is now enjoying his well-earned retirement, the status of favourite equine must be held by the incredibly talented 15-year-old mare, Yamamah (previously named Kurrajong Concorde and bred by FEI Award Winner Meg Wade of Australia) which is declared as one of the squad horses for the UAE. Another familiar name on the definite entries list is the legendary Easy Fontnoire, which was part of the silver medal French team in Kentucky. Four years on, this 12-year-old mare will now be partnered by Saudi athlete Tarek Taher.

Many young riders are included in the 2014 line-up and they pose a formidable threat to the senior opposition. Oriana Ricca (URU), winner of the 2013 Pan-Am Games, will partner Talita Kumi, the Spanish horse she rode to fourth place in the Junior/Young Rider World Championships in Tarbes (FRA) last year. Kelsey Russell (USA), who finished fifth in the same Championships aboard Valerie Kanavy’s My Wild Irish Gold, will once again partner this talented bay Anglo-Arab, competing in their first senior Games.

With such high levels of team work required, Endurance is often thought of as a family, all-inclusive discipline and this year is no exception. Nearly 60 years cover the ages of the athletes, with the youngest entrant being 14-year-old Constanza Laliscia (ITA), with the oldest – 72 year old Rouslan Gekiev from Russia – turning 73 just three weeks after the event.

No less than six teams include family connections. Both Germany and Luxembourg field sisters, Melanie and Sabrina Arnold competing for Germany, and Mickels and Valy Schmartz flying the Luxembourg flag. The well-known faces of Heather and Jeremy Reynolds will both be part of Team USA, whilst Spain will be represented by well-known husband-and-wife team, Jaume Punti Dachs and Maria Alvarez Ponton. The Spanish family links at the Games don’t stop there, as fellow team member Javier Cervera has a cousin competing in the Jumping at D’Ornano Stadium in Caen.

New Zealand has selected mother and daughter Andrea and Georgia Smith, who will both be competing on home-bred horses. And finally, it really is a family affair for Australia, with mother and daughter Penny and Alexandra Toft competing and father Peter Toft acting as chef d’equipe.

With such widespread talent the Endurance event at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy is sure to be one of the closest contests in a long time and is most certainly not one to be missed.

For the non-Olympic athletes competing in Endurance, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ is the absolute pinnacle of their sporting career, with many years of training and dedication going into just one day of performance. With horse welfare and fair play top of the agenda, the opportunity to watch the talents and abilities of these top level combinations competing across the dramatic French countryside is eagerly anticipated.

Land Rover’s Guide to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games TM 2014

News Desk — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 06:51:09 +0000

Celebrating discovery of the lesser known disciplines, Landrover have commissioned a series of videos demonstrating insight into Vaulting, Reining and Driving. View the video below on Vaulting with the current vaulting champion, Nicolas Andreani.