Welcome back William - William Fox-Pitt and Grafennacht at Le Lion first horse inspection
The Haras National at l‘Isle de Briand in Le Lion d’Angers (FRA) is once again the venue for the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses
Known as Le Mondial Du Lion, or often simply Le Lion, these Championships are for 6-Year-Old horses (CCIYH2*-L) and Seven-Year-Old horses (CCIYH3*-L), bringing forward la crème de la crème of young eventing horses from around the world and across multiple breeding societies. Watching these young horses gives shivers of anticipation as you think not only what the weekend brings but also what their future career holds. Are we looking at future Olympic champions? The answer could very well be ‘yes’
The Seven-Year-Old horses (CCIYH3*-L) class has attracted 67 combinations from 15 countries with Britain’s William Fox-Pitt returning to Le Lion d’Angers for the first time since his bad fall in 2016; this time he will be riding the seven-year-old mare Grafennacht that recently finished second in the 7-Year-Old Championship at Osberton International
Several of the top combinations from that event are competing here and are on very good form with Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti riding Swirley Temptress, Willa Newton riding Cock A Doodle Doo, Heidi Coy riding both Russal Z and Halenza and Kitty King riding Cristal Fontaine (last year’s Six Year Old Champion at Le Lion) as ones to watch
Piggy French’s Sportsfield Top Notch, the 7-Year-Old Champion at Osberton is not here, but a past ride of Piggy’s is in this class with Italy’s Susanna Bordone having taken the ride on Emerald Jonny (second here last year with Piggy in the Six Year Old Championship) so Italy certainly has some good horses in this competition
Sam Griffiths riding Annaghmore Valoner and Chris Burton riding Coup de Coeur Dudevin are Australia’s two representatives while Tim Price and Happy Boy are the only New Zealanders in the CCIYH3*-L. The Dutch-bred Happy Boy has spent all of his international competitive career with Tim but this will be his first start at this level. And of course, you cannot overlook the Queen of this event, Ingrid Klimke who has won here three times and this year will be riding Equistros Siena Just Do It
The CCIYH2*-L for six-year-olds has 42 entries from 19 countries. Again, there are a host of talented young horses with great results and rider such as Britain’s Piggy French riding Cooley Lancer, Emily King on Vamanos, Norway’s Yasmin Olsson Sanderson with Inchello DHI and Blair Castle winner Hayden Hankey riding Cartown Galaxy
"I can do this with my eyes shut" Ivian HX and Bella English
Australia has three competitors in this class with Isabel (Bella) English riding Ivian HX, Sammi Birch on Faerie Magnifico and Kevin McNab on Scuderia 1918 Humphreys while there are three Kiwi entries; Jesse Campbell on Global Candy Boy and Caroline Powell with two Irish-bred horses on the card – Greenacres Special Cavalier and Rock Midnight.
Smiling Sammi with Faerie Magnifico
If Ingrid is the Queen of Young Horse Championships then France’s Tom Carlile must be the King and he is riding the stallion Dartagnan De Beliard, a horse that has three consecutive wins at this level from three starts – each time finishing on their dressage score. And their finishing score from the last win at France’s Pompadour National Young Horse Championships was 22 ………..
Tom and the black stallion are drawn last so will be the final combination into the arena on Friday at 11:40am – don’t miss it (but if you do, we’ll be bringing it to you in our exclusive 4* member photo galleries and reports)
Let's dance ......... Germany's Stephan Dubsky presents Cesandro 2
