THE Agria FEI Eventing European Championships came to life on Friday afternoon when the battle between two of the current great horses in the sport - London 52 (Laura Collett) and fischerChipmunk (Michael Jung) - reignited at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.
There is nothing between the leading nations at the top of the table after Germany edged ahead of Britain thanks to a phenomenal dressage test from Jung and fischerChipmunk. The team lead on a score of 74.4, just 1.4 marks ahead of the home nation of Britain. France hold the bronze medal position on 90.7 while Ireland lie seventh of the nine after the first phase on a score of 100.6.
Britain’s Laura Collett blew the competition wide open when producing a 20.6 with London 52 in Friday’s final session. The combination produced a beautiful test with their trademark pristine halt earning the first score of nine in the competition.
When the final score of 20.6 flashed on the screen, the home nation went wild for their superstar pairing. “He felt so with me and rideable and he had a big smile on his face. I am over the moon with him,” Collett said afterwards.
Fans didn’t have long to wait before Germany’s reigning Olympic champions Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH took to the arena and took over the lead. In order for Germany to go ahead in the team standings, Jung needed a score of 19.7 or lower and duly delivered with another breathtaking test aboard the 17-year-old gelding with nines throughout for their halt, half-passes and collected canter.
Their final mark of 18.3 put them out in the lead individually as the only sub-20 of the competition. “I am very thankful to ride Chipmunk; he is an amazing horse to ride in every phase. I had a great feeling; he was very concentrated throughout bar one mistake after the medium trot, which gave me a wakeup call! It is a joy to ride this horse.”
Irish scores
Padraig McCarthy was first out for the Irish team on Thursday and scored 35.2 with the inexperienced 11-year-old gelding Pomp N Circumstance (Pompadour x Furisto), owned by Rachel and Sarah Gough and the rider.
On his championship debut, Ireland’s Robbie Kearns and Richard Ames’ 16-year-old gelding Chance Encounter scored 33.3 on Thursday afternoon, which put them into 26th at the end of play. “I’m just on such a high, to be honest, he was incredible,” he said. “He stayed with me all the way through the test. He can be a bit of a tense character, but he just stayed with me and he tries so hard. I’m so proud.”
Aoife Clark got Ireland underway on Friday afternoon with the 10-year-old gelding Full Monte de Lacense, owned by Ace of Spades Syndicate. The pair produced some decent work but lost marks for an awkward first flying change, before recovering well to score two sevens for the second movement. The final score of 34.7 put them into 32nd place after the first phase.
Aoife Clark (IRL) riding Full Monty De Lacense during the dressage phase of the Agria FEI Eventing European Championship, Blenheim Palace \ Peter Nixon
Last to go for Ireland in the team competition was another championship debutant, Ian Cassells, riding Millridge Atlantis (Dinan Casceletto x Warrenstown You 2), an 11-year-old ISH gelding owned by Gerry and Fiona Leahy and bred by Sean O’Loughlin. They produced the best team score of 32.6 and were trending sub-30 but for a late flying change which dropped them down. The combination are in 22nd place individually.
Individuals
Riding individually for Ireland are Paris Olympians Sarah Ennis and Susie Berry. Nine-time championship rider Ennis got her campaign off to a good start on Thursday aboard the 10-year-old gelding Dourough Ferro Class Act, owned by James and Niki Potterton, and bred by Gordon Drury. The combination scored a solid 31.0 to sit best of the Irish in 17th.
Berry completed her test on Friday afternoon with the 13-year-old Kilcandra Stud-bred mare Clever Trick, owned by the rider, Anne Marling and Sue Wilkinson. Berry had her work cut out to finish on 36.3 and lie in 40th overnight. “Today is not her day, hopefully tomorrow is,” Berry said afterwards. “It’s sort of damage control a little bit with the dressage with her, but I was quite pleased.”
Ian Cassells (IRL) riding Millridge Atlantis during the dressage phase Agria FEI Eventing European Championship, Blenheim Palace \ Peter Nixon
Cross-country test
Captain Mark Phillips has built what has been described as a ‘four and a half star’ cross-country track for today’s (Saturday) challenge. Britain’s Tom McEwen said: “The Captain [Mark Phillips] has produced a serious track. There are some challenging questions and unusual angles - it’s a proper technical test. The ground is perfect but I think time will be a factor. It’s measured at 10 minutes and one second [optimum time], but I think it walks more like 10 minutes 15 seconds.”
Cross-country begins at 11am and will be streamed live on Clipmyhorse.tv.
What they said:
Susie Berry (IRL) on the cross-country track: “I think it’s going to be quite difficult to be quick. It all comes up really thick and fast; it nearly feels like a four-star short, but obviously it’s a long way around. It is just combination after combination and not really many places to just relax, especially until the second half of the course. So, it’ll be interesting to see if they just go out and settle and if you stay in a rhythm, then you’ll be flying. I’m looking forward to it!”
Bubby Upton (GBR) on It’s Cooley Time (ISH), bred at Ennisnag Stud: “We’ve only done one four-star long before, so he’s very inexperienced but he’s got all the talent in the world. I’ve had him since he was five and, as a youngster, it’s no secret that he was incredibly sharp; there were stages where I thought we were never going to get through to him mentally. He’s never lacked the talent. He’s always had the talent. At the end of his seven year old year, he turned the corner.”
Tom McEwen (GBR) on his test with JL Dublin: “Apart from the very obvious mistake in the half pass, JL Dublin really showed himself to be the most amazing dressage horse that he is. This test is all about quite a lot of collection work and then expressing, which he does find a little bit more difficult. But he really, really worked hard there and I couldn’t be happier with him.”