The victorious French Young Rider team
The Longines FEI European Championships 2018 for Children, Juniors and Young Riders drew to a close at Le Grand Parquet in Fontainebleau, France last week. The host nation claimed all the top honours in eventing, showing that the French not only have top class combinations able to win Olympic gold but also have up and coming stars to step into their shoes
Young Rider Championship
In the Young Rider Eventing Championship France recorded a double-gold thanks to a phenomenal performance from 20-year-old Victor Levecque (Phunambule des Auges) who was joined by Romain Sans (Unetoile de la Serre), Thais Meheust (Quamilha) and Victor Burtin (Early van ter Nieuwbeke).
When their nearest challengers from Germany disappeared from the reckoning it was Italy that lined up in team silver medal spot while Sweden took bronze.
Victor Levecque, the double-gold medallist at the European Pony Championships four years ago, was in a league of his own when finishing on his dressage score of 26.00 to take the Individual Young Riders Eventing title ahead of Germany’s Emma Brussau in silver (31.3) and Britain’s Alex Kennedy (Lissangle Cavaletto B) in bronze.
“Victor is a machine! He is our Kilian Mbappé!” said team-mate Burtin, comparing him to the young French soccer star who was such a sensation throughout the recent FIFA World Cup.
Victor Burtin and Early van ter Nieuwbeke
The British NAF Young Riders had to settle for fourth position on a total score of 170.4 penalties despite Alex Kennedy, last year’s silver medallist, not once looking like they were going to touch a pole to stay on their score of 32.5 penalties and climb the ranks to third place.
On the podium - Emma Brussau (GER), Victor Levecque (FRA) and Alex Kennedy (GBR)
Finishing just outside the medals, Britain’s Yasmin Ingham completed on exactly the same score of 32.5 as her teammate but with a difference in collective marks from the dressage phase, Yasmin took fourth place with Edwin and Sue Davies and Janette Chinn's Rehy DJ following another perfect clear round in today’s show jumping.
Mollie Summerland, who was lying in the individual silver medal position on her own Charly van Ter Heiden going in to the final phase sadly dropped two fences to add eight faults to their score for a total score of 37.0 putting them in ninth place overall. Fellow individual rider Lizzie Baugh had just one fence down on her own Quarry Man to give her a total score of 37.9 for a 13th place finish.
First to go for the British contingent in the final phase, team rider Bubby Upton lowered one fence and picked up four time faults on Rachel Upton’s young horse Cola III. Their three phase score of 105.4 penalties gave them finishing place of 43rd while it wasn’t to be for the team trailblazer, Sam Ecroyd, who unfortunately didn’t get past the Second Horse Inspection with Adam Gillespie’s Kasseedorf.
Christine O'Donnell (IRL) riding Blessington Royal Prince finished 11th in the Young Rider Championship
The JUnior Eventing Championship podium
Junior Championship
In the Junior Championship it was again the French that really shone. Led by 17-year-old Anouk Canteloup (Daniel del Impermeable) who added nothing to her dressage score of 25.90 to also take the individual title, Julie Simonet (SursumcOrd’Or), Chiara Autin (Urban Legend Blues) and Zazie Gardeau (Udine Jolimon Beam) stormed to Junior Team success while Great Britain claimed silver medal spot and Germany stood third on the podium.
Britain’s Heidi Coy (Royal Fury) and Germany’s Brandon Schafer-Gehrau (Fraelein Frieda) also finished on their first-phase totals to take the silver and bronze Individual medals.
L-R Heidi Coy (GBR), Anouk Canteloup (FRA)and Brandon Schafer- Gehrau (GER)
Four clear rounds by all the British riders clinched the Racesafe Junior team a silver medal; Heidi kept her cool to jump a brilliant clear round on Royal Fury and put the pressure on France’s Anouk Canteloup in gold and Alina Dibowski of Germany in silver. The German rider lowered a pole to slip to seventh place lifting Britain’s Heidi to silver where she stayed after a clear round from the French rider who took the individual gold on a score of 25.9.
Sasha Hargreaves rode an impressive round on her rangy chestnut gelding Playtime to bring home another clear round for the team for a three phase score of 29.7 penalties to take a fifth place. Also sticking on their dressage score of 33.3 penalties and helping the team to their silver medal, Georgia Bartlett rode a beautiful clear round on her own Spano de Nazca to finish up their Championships in 11th place.
Sasha Hargreaves and Playtime
Also riding for the Racesafe Junior team, Elicia Miller got them off to a great start earlier in the day with a polished clear round on A Sunny Bay; finishing on her dressage score of 40.5 penalties the pair placed 23rd individually.
First into the arena for Great Britain in this morning’s show jumping, individual Leilia Paske set the standard for the Racesafe squad with a foot perfect clear round on her own Fernhill First Friend to give the combination a three phase completion score of 53.6 penalties to finish in 39th place at her first Championships.
Jade Schlichting (DEN) competing in the Young Rider Championships
