We are the champions!
The final day of the eventing competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games had an unusual twist with the competitors and their horses moving from the National Stud of Le Pin to the city centre of Caen. Following the final horse inspection at 7:30am, where all horses presented were passed despite a few tense moments for five competitors, the horses were loaded up and trucked to Caen in convoy.
It was a system that had been tried at the test event last year and all went well but it certainly added another layer of complexity for the riders, horses and the organisers of the event. On the whole however it seems that most riders enjoyed finishing the event in the huge atmosphere in the Stade d’Ornano. The course, designed by Frederic Cottier, had fifteen jumping efforts to be tackled by the 60 horses and riders that presented for the final phase.
The atmosphere in the re-designed football stadium was electric and the spectators enthusiastic. The first clear round came from Germany’s Dirk Schrade riding Hop and Skip, setting a precedent which was followed by his German team mates. A much less experienced rider, Peter Barry of Canada riding his Irish Sport Horse Kilrodan Abbott also jumped a lovely clear some afterwards and told us that he had been doing plenty of straight show jumping recently to prepare – it certainly paid off. Peter, who is an amateur rider, likened the atmosphere in the stadium to that of an ice hockey match back home in Canada and he was delighted with the whole experience of riding at a World Championships
Many good combinations were dropping rails and Shane Rose riding Taurus (above) sadly joined them. 24 jumping penalties had the crowd groaning, knowing that the bronze medal position was slipping from Australia’s grasp and obviously it was a disappointment for Shane when we spoke to him afterwards
Shane Rose
By contrast the Netherlands’ Merel Blom and Rumour Has It jumped a lovely clear round just before Shane and, as Australia moved out of medal contention, the young orange team moved into it. Tim Lips riding Keyflow N.O.P had eight faults but a clear round from Elaine Pen riding the stunning Vira sealed the deal and there were emotional scenes as the young team won their country’s first ever World Championships eventing medal.
Sam Griffiths’ Irish Sport Horse mare Paulank Brockagh (above) was jumping out of her skin, giving every single jump plenty of air but a rail rolled at the very last fence. Sam thought he had gone clear then looked around and saw a pole on the ground
Interestingly, Paulank Brockagh was one of 25 Irish Sport Horses that started in the field of 100 at the beginning of the competition, of which 18 made it through to the show jumping phase.
Australian team rider Paul Tapner riding Kilronan and Stuart Tinney riding Pluto Mio as an individual, both had eight faults. Australia’s other individual rider Bill Levett had withdrawn his horse Shannondale Titan prior to the morning’s horse inspections due an overreach injury
Stuart was pleased with Pluto Mio (above) who had never been in such an atmosphere in his life before as this stadium
“I thought he handled it really well, the girl before me (Nicola Wilson riding Annie Clover) had an unfortunate time and there was a lot of clapping from the crowd for her but Pluto got his head back around everything and just had a couple down but I was really happy with him”
Stuart now heads for a little holiday with his family who were all here to support him in Normandy then heads home ‘to get the young ones ready for Normandy’
Paul Tapner (above) is also heading back home to start working his young horses as he told us when we spoke to him after his show jumping round.
The pressure was now on the German and British teams as the final ten riders rode for team and individual medals. The young French rider Maxime Livio delighted the crowd by jumping a clear round and moving up to fifth place and New Zealand’s Jonelle Price kept her fourth place on Classic Moet with just four faults.
Michael Jung (above) is a man used to pressure and he proved that, even without La Biosthetique Sam, he is a force to be reckoned with. He jumped a clear round on his up and coming mare Fischerrocana FST (‘She was for sale but certainly won’t be sold now!’) and was followed by his young team mate Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo, a French horse born in Normandy, who also produced a beautiful clear round.
One rail for William and Chilli Morning (above) meant that Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo became World Champions (below)
Germany had the team medal but Britain’s William Fox-Pitt could still become the individual world champion. However he did not have any room for error and one fence down cost him the title, moving him into the individual bronze medal winning position to go with his team silver. 27 year old Sandra Auffarth took the gold medal in eventing at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and we agree with her team mate Michael Jung that it was well deserved
Top 5 results (individual)
- Sandra Auffarth (GER)/ Opgun Louvo – 52.0
- Michael Jung (GER)/ Fischerrocana FST – 52.3
- William Fox-Pitt (GBR)/ Chilli Morning – 54.3
- Jonelle Price (NZL)/ Classic Moet – 56.5
- Karin Donckers (BEL)/ Fletcha Van’t Verahof – 59.9
Top 5 results (team)
- Germany – 177.9
- Great Britain – 198.8
- Netherlands – 246.8
- France – 251.5
- Australia – 262.8
