New Zealand's Sir Mark Todd and Alice Montgomery enjoyed a splash in the water after the event was cancelled last year
The city of Le Lion d’Angers in France is located where the Oudon and Mayenne rivers meet. These two waterways form the Isle-Briand, 160 acres of lush vegetation which hosts the National Stud Farm of Le Lion and has been the venue for the Mondial du Lion for the past 28 years. During these years the rivers provided a pleasant backdrop for this showcase of young eventing horse talent which is now the FEI World Eventing Championships for Young Horses but last year the beautiful rivers contributed to the cancellation of the event. On the second day of the 2012 Mondial du Lion, the organisers were forced to cancel due to the heavy rain and deteriorating weather forecast, leaving some eventers with plenty of time to train their young horses in water as they waited to head to their next event in Pau, southern France.
This year the event is back, bigger and better (and hopefully drier). 45,000 spectators attended the event in 2011 and the organisers are hoping to exceed that number this year with plenty to do aside from the young horse competition. An equestrian village with over 100 stalls show casing equestrian goods and regional produce will complement the four days of competition from Thursday 17th October.
The focus of course is on the future stars of the eventing world with classes for 6 year old and 7 year old horses only. The classes follow the standard format with dressage on Thursday and Friday (6 year olds in the morning, 7 year olds in the afternoon), cross country on Saturday and show jumping on Sunday. Qualified through events in various countries, the horses represent the best quality young eventing stock in the world and are partnered by some of the world’s top riders.
Michael Jung's fischerRocana FST was 6YO winner here in 2011 - can her full sister do it this year?
The depth of talent can easily be seen from previous combinations that have done well here previously. La Biosthetique Sam, Michael Jung’s Olympic, World and European Championship winning horse, was second here in 2006 and 2007 while Michael’s Nations Cup horse at Boekelo last weekend (above), fischerRocana FST was the 2011 6 Year Old winner. The 2011 7 year old winner, Zidante ridden by Kitty King, has gone on to consistently place in competition including fourth at the 2012 Blenheim Place International Horse Trials while the runner up FRH Escada is now competed at 3* level by Ingrid Klimke.
The 2010 7 Year Old class list reads like a Who’s Who of current talented eventing horses; FRH Butts Avedon, Quimbo, Billy Shannon (sadly, recently deceased), Bay My Hero, Paulank Brockagh, Borough Pennyz, So is et, Onwards and Upwards, Qwanza and Pivine des Touches to mention just a few. So who will be here this year?
Thomas Carlile and Tenareze
Michael Jung is of course top of the list riding the six year old German bred mare Ricona FST (Ituango xx – Carismo), the full sister of fischerRocana FST. Michael recently won the CCI 1* at Varrseveld in Holland on this young mare. From France, one that catches the eye is Thomas Carlile’s Tenareze by Jaguar Mail who was impressive in the CIC 1* at Le Pin this year.
Kitty King is back this year with Ceylor LAN, the Burghley Young Event Horse Five Year Old title in 2012 and winner of the KBIS Six Year Old CIC1* at Osberton recently. Another British rider who cannot be overlooked is of course William Fox-Pitt.
William won the 6 Year Old Championship here on Oslo Biats in 2008 who was also second in the 7 Year old in 2009; this combination went on to win 4* at les Etoiles de Pau in 2011. This year he will be riding another Biats horse bred by Phillipe Brivois, Top Biats who has been enjoying success at Novice level with William in the past year. Other big names include the Kiwi riders Andrew Nicholson on Jet Set, Caroline Powell on Stellar Seaurchin and Jonelle Richards on Cloud Dancer
William and Henton for Fun were 2nd in the CCI1* at Tattersalls 2013
In the 7 Year Old Championship keep an eye out for William again as he will be riding two horses, Henton for Fun and Luxury FH. Henton for Fun is from the same New Zealand stud as Lizzie Brown’s Henton Attorney General who has just won the CIC3* at Boekelo and was sourced for William by Joanne Bridgeman, who also found Parklane Hawk for him. Could this be William’s next top horse? Also from Great Britain are Laura Collett with Obos Cooley, Ruth Edge with The Precious One and Mary King riding Cavalier Venture.
Fresh from her win New Zealander Lizzie Brown is bringing Bulana and Green Mount Flight, an Irish horse that Lizzie says is ‘one of the best cross country horses I’ve sat on’. Another young French rider with a very promising young horse is Arthur Bonneau and Beauty Boy while from Belgium there is Lara de Liedekerke with two horses , one being Alpaga d’Arville who was leading after the dressage in last year’s 6 Year Old class when the event was cancelled. This is how they looked then
There are so many good riders and horses coming to Le Lion d’Angers that it will be a delight to watch it all unfold.
Of course we will be bringing you our special 4* photo galleries each day thanks to Libby Law who is on the ground at Le Lion d’Angers for us at the FEI World Eventing Championships for Young Horses so stay tuned …
