The International Jumping Riders Club since 1977 is the voice of the showjumping riders from around the world.
The International Jumping Riders Club since 1977 is the voice of the showjumping riders from around the world.
In the closing stages it seemed to come down to a two-way tussle between the host nation and the Dutch who were amongst the five countries battling for qualifying points today. But it fell apart for both of them, and it was all the more painful for the Swedish side when they had to settle for runner-up spot by just a single-fault margin. The Dutch dropped all the way fifth in the final analysis, behind the USA and Spain in joint-third place, while the British slotted into sixth, Switzerland finished seventh and Ukraine lined up eighth and last.
Satisfactory afternoon
For Spain’s Marco Fuste it was a very satisfactory afternoon. Yesterday the popular Chef d’Equipe said he hoped his side would finish in the top three or, at worst, in fourth place in order to keep them in with a chance of taking one of the seven qualifying spots available to the 10 countries competing in Europe Division 1. Once again the Final will take place on his home turf in Barcelona in October and the hosts don’t want to rely on a wild-card to get there.
This was the Spanish side’s last points-chasing outing of the season, so for them it was down to the wire, but their result today saw them pick up 80 valuable qualifying points to move into runner-up spot on the league table behind the leaders from France with just two further legs remaining.
The course was intriguing, Germany’s Christian Wiegand setting a test that was ridden mostly off holding strides while requiring plenty of pace. In the first round it seemed it may have been all too easy, with 14 clear rounds and seven horse-and-rider combinations posting just single time-penalties, but when the top pole was raised by just five centimetres on eight of the obstacles on the 12-fence track in round two, the picture changed dramatically. Just seven returned with a clean sheet this time out, although America’s Brianne Goutal and Nice de Prissey, Spain’s Sergio Moya and Zipper and The Netherlands’ Wout-Jan van der Schans with Capetown all posted double-clear performances at the end of the day.
Wide open
With just two legs of the Europe Division 1 League remaining, the stage is set for another fine battle at Hickstead, Great Britain in three weeks’ time. The host nation will have to pull out all the stops because, along with the Irish, they are lying last on the leaderboard, and the Germans also still have plenty more work to do as they are only one place further ahead. All however still have two more chances to make the cut as the thrilling second season of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ draws ever-closer to the much-anticipated 2014 Final.
Result:
1. Germany 7 faults: Fibonacci (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) 5/4, Conthendrix (Andre Thieme) 1/1, Lacan 2 (Patrick Stuhlmeyer) 0/4, Firth of Lone (Katrin Eckermann) 1/0.
2. Sweden 8 faults: Casello (Douglas Lindelow) 0/8, Cafino (Alexander Zettermann) 0/4, Unita ASK (Rolf-Gorgan Bengtsson) 8/0, H&M Sibon (Peder Fredricson) 0/4.
3. USA 9 faults: Chela LS (Ashlee Bond) 4/4, Bonanza van Paemel (Catherine Pasmore) 1/9, Juvina (Georgina Bloomberg) 0/4, Nice de Prissey (Brianne Goutal) 0/0.
3. Spain 9 faults: Darius 2 (Manuel Fernandez Saro) 24/8, Prunella D'Ariel (Paola Amilbia Puig) 1/4, Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot (Eduardo Alvarez Aznar) 0/4, Zipper (Sergio Alvarez Moya) 0/0.
5. Netherlands 13 faults: Capetown (Wout-Jan Van der Schans) 0/0, Emerald (Harrie Smolders) 1/9, Lord Sandro DDH (Bart Bles) 0/4, Zirocco Blue VDL (Jur Vrieling) 0/9.
6. Great Britain 18 faults: Utamaro D'Ecaussines (Joe Clee) 0/4, Wonder Why (Spencer Roe) 4/0, Catwalk IV (Robert Whitaker) 1/9, Murka's Odie de Frevent (Peter Charles)9/DNS.
7. Switzerland 25 faults: Concetto Son (Steve Guerdat) 12/DNS, Rubina Vlll (Fabio Crotta) 1/4, Windsor XV (Niklaus Rutschi) 8/4, Quidam du Vivier (Pius Schwizer) 8/0.
8. Ukraine 28 faults: Vivant (Cassio Rivetti) 0/4 , Carlina (Oleksandr Onyshchenko) 12/12, Quinlan (Oleg Krasyuk) 4/13, Charlie (Katharina Offel) 0/8.
Facts and Figures:
Falsterbo in Sweden presented Round 6 of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 Europe Division 1 series today.
A total of eight teams lined out - Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and USA.
5 teams were chasing points towards the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 Final - Great Britain, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
Course designer was Germany's Christian Wiegand.
Time-allowed was 84 seconds.
Only one fence separated the top six teams at the halfway stage of today's competition when Sweden and The Netherlands jointly held the lead.
14 clears in the first round.
3 double-clear performances, from USA's Brianne Goutal and Nice de Prissey, Spain's Sergio Moya and Zipper and The Netherlands' Wout-Jan van der Schans with Capetown.
Germany won ahead of Sweden in second while USA and Spain shared third place.
Just two further legs of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Europe Division 1 series have yet to take place - at Hickstead, Great Britain on Friday 1 August and in Dublin, Ireland on Friday 8 August.
Only 7 of the 10 nations competing in Europe Division 1 can qualify for the Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in October.
Quotes:
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER talking about her horse, Fibonacci: “I feel like I have him on my side but I could see that he found some parts (of today’s course) difficult – his ability to jump and his will power was the difference which undoubtedly helped contribute to his performance. Once we iron these things out, I am sure we will have a great future together”.
Katrin Eckermann GER: “Before today, the biggest competition I competed in with my horse was in Hamburg a few weeks ago. But I was expecting him to go like this here, he has been going so well. I ride him now for three years and I know him well. I did many Youngster classes with him and have taken a lot of time to build him up”.
Katrin Eckermann GER: The course was good, but it was definitely more difficult in the second round when the jumps were higher and wider!”
Standings after Round 6 of Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Europe Division 1 League 2014 at Falsterbo (SWE):
1. France - 345
2. Spain - 282.5
3. Switzerland - 280
4. Netherlands - 250
5. Belgium - 220
5. Sweden - 220
7. Ukraine - 170
8. Germany - 160
9. Ireland - 130
9. Great Britain - 130
by Louise Parkes
Photo: FEI/Roland Thunholm.