FEI/ALLTECH DRIVING
Exell crowned World Champion for third time
A JUBILIANT Boyd Exell kept a clear head to executive a faultless clear round to secure his third consecutive World Championship title.
The Australian beat off a stiff challenge from America’s Chester Weber and European champion Dutch driver Theo Timmermann who had to settle for silver and bronze respectively.
Weber kept up the pressure on Exell with a double clear round and was just 2.77 penalty points behind. However Exell’s brilliant clear round was more than enough to see him seal victory once more.
“It was a huge relief. We had a good show throughout the weekend but not a perfect show.
“It is great to be the world champion again and I would like to thank my entire team for their great support,’’ said Boyd, who will be moving to the Netherlands shortly.
Glory in the team event went to the Dutch who won the nations competition for the fourth consecutive time followed by Germany and Hungary.
Course designer Richard Nicoll’s track at La Prairie racecourse in Caen resulted in nine clears from 46 four-in-hand drivers.
Excitement grew as the competition reached the Top Ten and while the German drivers all had one knockdown, it didn’t jeopardize their silver team medal.
Final individual
results:
1. Boyd Exell (AUS) 125,83
2. Chester Weber (USA) 128,60
3. Theo Timmerman (NED) 133,88
4. IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 134,38
5. Christoph Sandmann (GER) 139,70
Final team results:
1. The Netherlands 263,19
2. Germany 283,56
3. Hungary 287,29
FEI/ALLTECH VAULTING
Thrilling finish to glitzy vaulting contest
VAULTERS from France, Britain, Austria and Germany topped the podium following a thrilling conclusion to the vaulting championships in Caen.
The crowds loved the glitz and glamour combined with showmanship as vaulters battled for medals in Pas de Deux; male and female individual and squad events.
The roof almost lifted when France’s Jacques Ferrari won the first gold medal of the Games for France when winning the male individual title with fellow countryman Nicolas Andreani in silver and Germany’s Erik Oese in third.
In the Pas de Deux, there was little doubt that Austria’s Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacher had sealed the win with a final tally of 9.039 to leave them 0.454 ahead of the silver-medal winning German duo of Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs while British sisters, Joanne and Hannah Eccles, claimed the bronze.
Scoring a rare 10, Linder (18) said: “We are really proud of this because we’ve trained towards this goal for many years and now we have reached the gold medal.”
Dentist Joanne Eccles won the female individual title for the second time, posting a combined score of 8.718 to secure the gold medal. Italy’s Anna Cavallaro took silver with an overall score of 8.452 while Switzerland’s Simone Jaiser claimed bronze with 8.433.
“It’s been an incredible week,’’ said Eccles who took the world champion crown at Lexington 2010 with her 20-year-old horse WH Bentley and is coached by her father John.
The noisy French supporters had more to cheer about when the host nation took the bronze in the squad event in which Germany claimed gold and Switzerland took silver.
In a thrilling finish, the German team of Paulina Riedel, Mona Pavetic, Janika Derks, Milena Hiernan, Julia Dammer and Johannes Kay, completed on a total tally of 8.724 when third-last to go following a mesmerising French performance that triggered a standing ovation. The French squad ended on 8.315 for bronze while the Swiss squad finished on 8.503 for silver.
FEI VAULTING FINALS
Squad Final: GOLD - Germany; Silver – Switzerland; Bronze – France.
Female Individual Final: GOLD - Joanne Eccles GBR 8.718; SILVER - Anna Cavallaro ITA 8.452; BRONZE - Simone Jaiser SUI 8.433.
Male Individual Final: GOLD - Jacques Ferrari FRA 8.629; SILVER - Nicolas Andreani FRA 8.498; BRONZE - Erik Oese GER 8.483.
Pas de Deux Final: GOLD - Jasmin Lindner/Lukas Wacha AUT 9.059; SILVER - Pia Engelberty/Torben Jacobs GER 8.605; BRONZE - Joanne Eccles/Hannah Eccles GBR 8.575.