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International Jumping Riders Club
The Italian team won LONGINES EEF Series Final in Warsaw
On Sunday, the Longines EEF Nations Cup Final concluded CSIO4* Warsaw Jumping in Poland and it was a real cliff-hanger decided by a jump-off between the Czech Republic and Italy as both teams finished on a score of four faults after two rounds competition.
The Czech team decided to leave the jump-off task to Vladimir Tretera and Gangster v/h Noddevelt (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Careful 28), Italy to Piergiorgio Bucci and Cochello (Casall x Cartani 4). Tretera finished on four faults, while Bucci delivered a clear round – taking Italy to the top of the podium with the help of his team mates Giulia Martinengo Marquet on Calle Delux (Cesano 2 x Con Air 7), Francesca Ciriesi on Cape Coral (Comme Il Faut 5 x Friedenstraum) and Antonio Alfonso on Donanso (Vingino x Manhattan).
About the responsibility given him by the Italian Chef d’Equipe Marco Porro, Bucci said: “To be honest, it’s a feeling I love. That what I like the most, we are made for that, we are waiting for a chance to prove ourselves something and to take responsibility Of course, there is some pressure and there is stress, that’s why we do what we do. We are used to it – sometimes it goes superb and sometimes it is less so, but it is always nice to give our best.”
The Czech team – which in addition to Vladimir Tretera consisted of Filip Dolezal on Coup de Coeur GP Madame Z (Coupe de Coeur x For Pleasure), Alena Machova on Chacco Bella (Chacco-Blue x Quinctius) and Jan Stetina on Gylord (Mylord Carthago x Cash) – might have lost the jump-off to the Italian team, but were not at all disappointed as they for 2022 will step up to take part of Europe Division 1 in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup series where Italy is already one of the participating nations.
Third place went to Austria, that finished on a score of eight faults – with Katharina Romberg on Cuma (Comme Il Faut 5 x Ars Vivendi), Alessandra Reich on Loyd (breeding unknown), Gerfried Puck on Melody vd Smidshoeve (Epleaser van't Heike x Thunder vd Zuuthoeve), and Stefen Eder on Dr Scarpo (Sandro Boy x Carinue) as part of their team.
QUOTES:
Italian Chef d’Equipe Marco Porro:
“I would like to first of all thank all the riders who have been on the team during this series, qualifying us for the final, which resulted in this victory. In the four qualifying legs we fielded young horses and riders so as to give them a chance to mature and prepare for the future. Today the team consisted of the young lady rider Francesca Ciriesi while Giulia Martinengo Marquet together with Piergiorgio Bucci and Antonio Alfonso are more experienced riders. I believe that this Series is an excellent initiative, an opportunity to gain experience, growth and validation for horse and rider combinations preparing to jump at top levels. Creating the foundations for tomorrow’s top riders will be our federation’s goal” Italian Chef d´Equipe, Marco Porro, said.
Chef de Piste, Elio Travagliati:
"Today’s 1.50m course also included two 1.60m verticals and was therefore slightly bigger than previous ones, bearing in mind that the teams qualified for the final included their best combinations selected in the course of all the previous legs of this series. It was a track that required precision from the beginning to the end with technical challenges distributed throughout. The jumps that proved to be the most delicate were the 1.60m planks after the triple, the double with two uprights and the oxer placed after the water jump. Mistakes resulted from a lack of accuracy but without the horses having to make huge efforts while they all jumped well right up to the very last jump. I am extremely happy as all the riders and horses gained great experience jumping a selective track, no team completed the two rounds without faults, as expected at a final."
EEF president Theo Ploegmakers concludes:
"I am more than satisfied with the 2021 series, which was ceremoniously concluded with today's final. Our concept of the Lognines EEF Nation Cup has proven to be a success in practice. The national federations have been given the valuable opportunity to use the team competition with a special focus on young talent (whether horse or rider). A special thanks goes to the organisers and our sponsor Longines, with whom we were able to realise the long awaited launch of the Series despite adverse conditions due to the Covid pandemic. Today's final in Warsaw was a worthy conclusion to the 2021 edition. We were able to experience great sport, had a fantastic winner with the Italians and with their proud second place today, the Czech team will get to compete at Division 1 in the 2022 season."
Press release