 |
Federation
Equestre Internationale News
Samsung Super League News
|
Irish
eyes were smiling in St Gallen today as the boys in green stormed
to victory in the third leg of the Samsung Super League series
and moved ever-closer to the league leaders from France who, this
time around, had to settle for third place.
The
Swiss, competing on their home ground but unable to claim Super
League points as they failed to qualify for the series, were runners-up
after a third-round jump-off between Marcus Fuchs and Ireland’s
Robert Splaine while the British slotted into fourth spot behind
the French, and the Italians produced a much-improved performance
to finish fifth.
Legendary
course-designer, Paul Weier, who has been connected with the horse
show at St Gallen for more than 30 years, celebrated his retirement
with a track that was big, technical and difficult, and the line
from the water at fence five to the following oxer at fence six
proved the bogey of the day.
All
four German riders faulted here at their first attempt, but three
clears from the Irish gave them the advantage after round one
as last year’s Samsung Leading Horse and Rider combination
of Cian O’Connor and Waterford Crystal provided the discount
score when collecting five faults.
The
Swiss were lying second at this stage, obliged to carry the four
faults picked up by Steve Guerdat and Innovation when, despite
clears from Beat Maendli (LB Pozitano) and Willi Melliger (Gold
du Talus), Tinka’s Boy slammed on the brakes at the double,
fence four, for Markus Fuchs.
It
was a day full of surprises as the French could only produce one
clear, from Gilles Bertrand de Balanda (Crocus Graverie), first
time out while Michel Hecart’s Quilano de Kalvarie, so impressive
at La Baule, stopped at the Samsung oxer at fence eight leaving
his side to count the two four-fault performances from Eric Levallois
(Diamond de Semilly Ecolit) and Reynald Angot (Tlaloc M).
In
round two, a toe in the water for pathfinders Robert Splaine and
Coolcorran Cool Diamond left the Irish looking more vulnerable
and, as in all Nations Cup classes, the competition could have
swung in any direction at this stage. O’Connor however rallied
with a clear and that meant that only one of the eight-fault results
from both Kevin Babington (Carling King) and Billy Twomey (Luidam)
were counted, leaving Ireland on a total of 12 over the two rounds.
The
Swiss drew level when Maendli and Guerdat each made one mistake
while Willi Melliger recorded the only double-clear performance
of the whole competition but Marcus Fuchs found himself in trouble
again and retired with Tinka’s Boy.
By
now it was clear that only Ireland could claim the maximum Samsung
Super League points as France had to settle for a finishing total
of 16 ahead of the British with 19 faults on the board but the
biggest shock of the day was yet to come. The Swiss opted to send
Fuchs back into the ring to take on Ireland’s Robert Splaine
in a head-to-head to decide the final placings.
Tinka’s
Boy had clearly not been on form all day and returned home with
two fences on the floor in a fast time of 44.81 seconds and when
Splaine and his Irish-bred stallion Coolcorran Cool Diamond collected
just two time faults it was all over.
From
County Cork in the deep south of Ireland, Splaine has produced
this Irish Draught stallion to great effect this season and he
was absolutely delighted with the result.
"I
was not the selectors first choice going into La Baule but the
horse jumped a great double-clear there and now, today, he has
shown again just how good he is" he said of Coolcorran Cool
Diamond. The stallion is bred along traditional Irish lines, something
that has become somewhat unfashionable at top show jumping level
in recent years, but, along with Carling King, he has shown that
the Irish horses are as good as they come.
"I
put in my preparation for this season on the Spanish circuit and
the horse is fitter and better than ever. He really only got his
first chance to show what he could do at La Baule – I went
there to prove a point and I did it the best way possible –
I always knew he was a good one, I just had to show everyone else!"
Robert said and he is now a serious contender for the Irish squad
for the defence of the European team title later this summer.
The
Irish were inconsistent last season and looked short of horse-power
at the beginning of this year but the emergence of a new group
of horses and riders has strengthened their position and things
are now looking a lot more optimistic. However they are still
trailing the French on the Samsung Super League leaderboard going
into the next round in Aachen in just under three weeks time.
RESULTS:
1.
Ireland – 12 faults (Jump Off, 2 faults in 55.40 seconds):
Robert Splaine/Coolcorran Cool Diamond 0+4, Cian O’Connor/Waterford
Crystal 5+0, Billy Twomey/Luidam 0+8, Kevin Babington/Carling
King 0+8.
2.
Switzerland - 12 faults (Jump Off, 8 faults in 44.61 seconds):
Beat Maendli/LB Pozitano 0+4, Willi Melliger/Gold du Talus 0+0,
Steve Guerdat/Innovation 4+4, Markus Fuchs/Tinka’s Boy Elim+Ret.
3.
France - 16 faults: Eric Levallois/Diamant de Semilly Ecolit 4+4,
Raynald Angot/Tlaloc M 4+0, Michel Hecart/Quilano de Kalvarie
7+5, Gilles Bertrand de Balanda/Crocus Graverie 0+4.
4.
Great Britain - 19 faults: Di Lampard/Abbervail Dream 5+12, Nick
Skelton/Arko 8+1, Keith Shore/It’s Magic Max 0+5, Tim Stockdale/Fresh
Direct Parcival 4+4.
5.
Italy – 21 faults: Roberto Arioldi/Loro Piana Dime de la
Cour 4+4, Bruno Chimirri/Landknecht 4+4, Enrico Maria Frana/Dohitzun
Guernica 5+0, Vincenzo Chimirri/Askoll defi Platiere 8+4.
6.
Germany - 24 faults: Franke Sloothaak/Joli Coeur 4+4, Markus Merschformann/Camirez
B 4+4, Toni Hassmann/Goldika 8+4, Otto Becker/Dobel’s Cento
4+4.
7.
Belgium - 32 faults: Philippe Le Jeune/Nabab de Reve 12+8, Stanny
Van Paesschen/O de Pomme 4+0, Stefan Corten/Perhaps v. Berkenbroeck
16+20, Ludo Philippaerts/Parco 0+8.
7.
Sweden - 32 faults: Malin Baryard/H&M Butterfly Flip 8+0,
Helena Persson/Classic H 8+0, Royne Zetterman/Richmond Park 20+8,
Helena Lundback/Mynta 8+Ret.
9.
Holland - 72 faults: Gert Jan Bruggingk/Joel 8+9, Angelique Hoorn/Hascal
17+Ret, Marc Houtzager/HBC Jacomar 0+4, Jeroen Dubbeldam/de Sjiem
11+Ret.
SAMSUNG
SUPER LEAGUE LEADERBOARD – AFTER THIRD ROUND IN ST GALLEN
1.
France - 27
2. Ireland - 20.5
3. Great Britain- 15
4. Germany - 13.5
5. Sweden - 7
6. Belgium - 6
7. Italy - 5
8. Holland - 3.5.
You
will find the full results of the Samsung Super League competition
at St Gallen at website: www.csio.ch.
You
can access all the latest Samsung Super League news and information
on our new website www.samsungsuperleague.com and don’t forget
that Biographies on all Riders competing in the series are available
at http://bios.horsesport.org.
Want
to know more? You can check the full rules for the Samsung Super
League series on the FEI website, section reference - rules http://www.horsesport.org/fei/reference/reference_03/ref_03_02.html
The
Samsung Super League consists of the eight most prestigious horse
shows at which the world's eight best national teams compare their
merit. The Super League is connected to the Samsung Nations Cup
Series through a promotion/relegation system at the end of each
season.
Samsung
Electronics, one of the world's largest electronics companies,
is committed to supporting international sporting events thereby
returning corporate profits to the public and working towards
a more harmonious and equitable society.
For more information:
www.horsesport.org
.
