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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
Samsung Super League News
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The
French cemented their position at the top of the Samsung Super
League leaderboard when repeating their opening-leg success in
La Baule with another convincing victory in Rome yesterday, but
the result was only decided in the later stages of the second
round which saw a ferocious battle for the minor placings.
Course-designer
Giovanni Bussu’s challenging track took a heavy toll and
the winners finished with 16 faults on the board while the only
double-clear performance of the day secured runner-up spot for
Ireland. This was a real surprise as the Irish were fielding a
relatively untried squad and two of the horses were clearly struggling
at this level of competition but Babington produced two super-cool
rounds from the Irish-bred Carling King and when Cameron Hanley
followed an opening four-fault effort with a clear from Jerome
that proved good enough.
The
French did not have such a clear run this time and shared the
lead with Ireland, Germany and Great Britain at the end of the
first round with all four teams carrying 12 faults each.
The
Dutch and Italians were already in trouble at this stage. A good
result for Wout Jan Van der Schans was required if Holland was
to stay afloat but there were an unusually large number of falls,
refusals and eliminations and the Dutchman paid the price for
an inaccurate line to the second last, hitting the turf when Broere
VDL Atlantic missed his stride here.
It
was even tougher for the Italians who really wanted to put on
a good show in front of the home crowd and their President, Carlo
Azeglio Ciampi, who arrived to present the prizes on a beautifully
sunny afternoon in the Piazza di Siena.
Filippo
Moyersoen and Loro Piana Flyinge Garibaldi crashed through the
final fence first time out however and when Loro Piana Havinia
refused at the water trays at the double of uprights at fence
9 in the opening round and then came back to do the same at the
treble, fence 5, next time out things really fell apart for the
home side who, once more, finished last.
The
Swedes also enjoyed plenty of drama to finish well down the line,
but the four teams sharing 12 faults at the halfway stage battled
like tigers to stay in the game.
Elimination
in both rounds for Marco Kutscher and Controe seriously hampered
German chances and similar problems for Belgium’s Peter Postelman
and Oleander saw these two sides eventually divide fourth, the
Belgian’s promoted up the order thanks to improved performances
from the other three team-members in the second round.
The
British meanwhile were saved from disaster by a second-round clear
from Tim Stockdale and Fresh Direct Parcival which allowed Keith
Shore’s 24 faults, incurred mostly due to an unfortunate
fall when It’s Magic Max met the second-last on a bad distance,
to be discounted. This leg of the Samsung Super League saw the
welcome return of Nick Skelton to the British squad after a long
absence following the severe neck injury which very nearly ended
his career in 2000 and he looks set to return to the top of the
sport with the promising 8 year old stallion Arko.
And
good-quality horsepower was the deciding factor in this leg of
the Samsung Super League series. French Chef d’Equipe, Jean-Maurice
Bonneau, put it into perspective when he said "this was a
top-class competition with a large degree of technicality and
you needed a top-class horse to cope with the course. The track
was not too big but it was clever and hugely technical –
it was a competition for a Super League horse, a special horse
with a lot of ability, and the riders needed to be strong in their
mind about how to approach it" he said.
Bruno
Broucqsault (Dileme de Cephe), Edouard Couperie (For de la Hardiere)
and Michel Robert (Galet D’Auzay) each collected four faults
first time out and when Brouqsault returned clear at his second
attempt and Cristian Hermon, who had recorded an eight-fault result
with Ephebe For Ever in round one, put in a stunning second-round
then the five faults picked up by Couperie left the French with
a 17-fault finishing score.
The
Irish finished with 24 faults on the board, narrowly beating the
British who completed with 25 faults as Kevin Babington’s
rock-solid riding did the trick gave the Irish the advantage.
Babington,
who lives most of the year in Pennsylvania, USA but who commutes
to Europe for Nations Cup team duty has always been a gritty jockey,
and he knew his team really needed him to be at his very best.
"We are a strong team of riders but not all of the horses
were strong and this was a remarkably technical days work"
he said.
"The
course-builder did a fantastic job because everything was on a
related distance and if you didn’t have a plan, and if you
didn’t stick to it, then it turned into a disaster. Physically
and mentally you have to be in good shape at this level of the
sport – it’s a step above even normal Nations Cup jumping
and you have to be prepared in every way. Carling King was very
fresh but I did my homework before I went into the ring so it
worked out very well for us" he said.
It
certainly did improve the Irish position as they now move into
joint-second position on the Samsung Super League leaderboard
along with Germany as the French pull way out in front. The British
however are comfortably positioned just 0.5 points behind the
Irish and Germans going into next week’s round in St Gallen.
Can
the French do it for the third time at the Swiss fixture? It is
difficult to imagine any of the other nations seriously threatening
them as they are riding the crest of a wave at the moment but
today, at least, they faced a stiffer test and it’s a long
road to the final in Barcelona in September. By then, perhaps,
the tide will have turned.
RESULTS:
France
– 17 faults : Bruno Broucqsault/Dileme de Cephe 4+0, Cristian
Hermon/Ephebe For Ever 8+0, Edouard Couperie/For de la Hardiere
4+5, Michel Robert/Galet D’Auzay 4+DNS.
Ireland – 24 faults : Cameron Hanley/Jerome 4+0, Shane Carey/Lismakin
8+12, Conor Swail/Windgates King Koal 12+12, Kevin Babington/Carling
King 0+0.
Great Britain – 25 faults : Di Lampard/Abbervail Dream 4+9,
Nick Skelton/Arko 4+4, Keith Shore/It’s Magic Max 4+24, Tim
Stockdale/Fresh Direct Parcival Ret+0.
4. Belgium – 28 faults : Ludo Philippaerts/Verelst Raspoetin
8+4, Dirk Demeersman/Clinton 4+4, Peter Postelmans/Oleander Elim+Ret,
Jos Lansink/AK Caridor Z 4+4 and Germany – 28 faults : Helena
Weinberg/Kasting Horses Gavi 0+4, Marco Kutscher/Controe Elim+Elim,
Andreas Ripke/Holsatia 8+4, Franke Sloothaak/Joli Coeur 4+8.
6. Sweden – 37 faults : Ralf-Goran Bengtsson/MacKinley 8+4,
Henrik Ankarcrona/Audi’s Candle Light 13+23, Maria
Sundberg/Carlot 4+13, Maria Gretzer/Cinderella 8+0.
7. Holland – 50 faults : Gerco Schroder/Eurocommerce Geneve
4+12, Rob Eras/Coll Cesaro la Perla 17+12, Albert Zoer/Lowina
4+4, Wout Jan Van der Schans/Broere VDL Atlantic 18+9.
8. Italy – 53 faults : Massimo Grossato/Loro Piana Elkintot
4+4, Vincenzo Chimirri/Askoll Rosa 8+16, Filippo Moyersoen/Loro
Piana Flyinge Garibaldi 14+8, Gianni Govoni/Loro Piana Havinia
11+21.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE TABLE – AFTER SECOND LEG IN ROME
1.
France - 20 points
2. Ireland and
Germany - 10.5 points
4. Great Britain - 10 points
5. Sweden - 5.5 points
6. Belgium - 4.5 points
7. Holland - 3.5 points
8. Italy - 1 point.
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.
www.horsesport.org
.
