Leube makes it a German double as

Ardeo Premier (ISH) fourth

THE CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds at last week’s World Breeding Championships for Young Event Horses in Le Lion d’Angers was won by Germany’s Sophie Leube with Sweetwaters Ziethen TSF on whom she had finished fifth in the two-star class 12 months previously when the Trakehner stallion picked up 5.6 penalties in the show jumping phase.

On this occasion, the son of Abendtanz completed on his winning dressage score of 27.6, adding this championship success to his CCI3*-S wins at Langenhagen (Germany) in early September and Kronenberg (The Netherlands) a month earlier. As the international season commenced on the Continent, the dark brown stallion started his 2020 campaign with victory in the CCI2*-S at Westerstede (Germany) in early June.

Two French riders, Adj Donatien Schauly and Nicolas Touzaint, claimed the silver and bronze medals on the Selle Français geldings Dgin du Pestel Mili (by Nartago) and Diabolo Menthe (Scareface de Mars) respectively. The first-named completed on his dressage score (31.3) whereas Touzaint’s total of 33.1 included four show jumping penalties.

The highest-placed Irish Sport Horse was Ardeo Premier who, completing on his first phase score (35.5) under Britain’s Alexander Bragg, moved up from 16th to fourth. This Hold Up Premier gelding was bred in Co Down by Michael Beattie out of the Cruising mare Playgirl.

Berry best of the Irish

Best of the Irish riders in 11th was Susie Berry with the Orestus gelding Kilcandra Capitol on whom she had finished fourth, on her dressage score, in the CCI2*-L at Burgham in mid-August before, with a pole down show jumping, placing 17th on the horse’s three-star debut at Cornbury House last month.

Kilcandra Capitol, a €17,500 graduate of the 2016 Monart Sale, was bred in Co Wicklow at the Kilcandra Stud by Vincent Cousins out of Beavers Bugsy Malone (by Hallodri). The bay, who runs under the banner of the Biggin family’s TruckEast Ltd, is a half-brother to the Coolcorron Cool Diamond gelding Harbour Pilot C (CCI4*) among others.

Northamptonshire-based Berry, who was competing at Le Lion for the second time, completed on a total of 43.6 which included four show jumping penalties. The 24-year-old from Dromara, Co Down commented: “The cross-country was gorgeous – they put so much work into each fence – but caused a fair bit of trouble. I was thankful to be sat on Kilcandra Capitol as he has good footwork and is very quick which makes my life easy.

“His owners are incredibly supportive and came out to watch him in France. We didn’t really know what he would make of it as we, like most others, were underprepared after the strange season, but we were thrilled that he stepped up to the challenge.

“He is going to have a nice holiday now and then will come back into work around Christmas time. We would really love to get him to Blenheim for the eight and nine-year-old class if it runs next year.”