THE success of the French eventing team at the Olympic Games spurred a huge crowd into attending last week’s World breeding championships for young event horses in Le Lion d’Angers where three of the squad were in action.

Disappointingly for the enthusiastic and often very vocal home supporters, the best result from the trio came in the CCI** for seven-year-olds where Nicolas Astier, individual silver medallist in Rio de Janeiro, finished fifth with Vinci de la Vigne.