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SWEDEN, the newly crowned Olympic champions, have taken an early lead at the FEI European Jumping Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany, where the Irish team are in seventh place after the first competition.
The beautiful grass arena at Ludger Beerbaum’s international centre looked spectacular, despite the short time frame to organise the championships, and course designer Frank Rothenberger built a good course for the opening day with faults spread across the course.
From 65 starters – eight of those individuals –the fastest of the lot was Germany’s David Will who now has a narrow lead in the individual stakes. Second last into the arena, he posted a foot-perfect clear in 71.66 seconds with C Vier, to push Tokyo gold and silver medallist Peder Fredricson and Catch Me Not S into second place.
A win on day one was the perfect way to start his first championship appearance on home soil. “I am delighted, couldn’t be a better start to my championship life and this tournament,” Will commented.
“I thought the draw was really good for me. It is a course where you need a lot of the planning. The more you can see, the better plan you can have and I think that is where it paid off for me.”
Asked about his plan for the rest of the week, Will added: “Clear rounds, lots of clear rounds! My horse is jumping fantastic, he is in great shape, so it is up to me to ride well enough.”
The German team lie in second place behind Sweden who were the only team to have all four riders jump clear rounds. Fredricson is the only member of that gold medal-winning Olympic team to ride in Riesenbeck, joined by Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli (Kalinka van de Nachtegaele), Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (Ermindo W) and Douglas Lindelow (Casquo Blue), who is third individually.
Defending champion from 2019, Martin Fuchs also got off to a flying start with the nine-year-old gelding Leone Jei to lie in fifth place individually, while the Swiss team are third.
Solid Irish performances
All four of Michael Blake’s Irish team were making their debut at a senior championship and all put in solid performances.
Daniel Coyle got the team off to a good start when he was first to go with Ariel Grange’s 11-year-old mare Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami). They produced a lovely clear round in a time of 80.43 which sees them in 31st place individually after the opening round.
Michael Duffy was next with HMF Equestrian and Katherine Duffy’s Zilton SL Z (Zirocco Blue VDL x Indoctro). The 10-year-old gelding stepped up to the level with ease and was clear in 78.39 seconds, fastest of the Irish to lie in 20th place.
On home soil at Riesenbeck, where he is based with Ludger Beerbaum, Eoin McMahon had to add eight seconds to his time of 77.06 when picking up eight faults with Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s 15-year-old gelding Chacon 2. They knocked the third fence and the penultimate oxer coming out of the second double. He lies in 47th place.
Last to go was the experienced Mark McAuley who, despite making his debut at this level, was reserve when Ireland won team gold in 2017. He rode Scea la Tuiliere’s 12-year-old gelding Jasco vd Bisschop (Dulf van den Bisschop x Krunch de Breve) and was unlucky to have a foot in the water. That meant he had to add four seconds to his time and finished on 81.60 to slot into 33rd place individually after the first round.
Ireland lie in seventh of the 15 teams with two days of Nations Cup jumping to follow tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday, after which the team medals will be allocated. Britain have fielded a team of three young riders at their first championships – Georgia Tame, Emily Moffit and Joe Stockdale - alongside William Whitaker. They are in 12th place after the opening round.
The individual final for the top 25 riders takes place on Sunday.
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