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Eugénie wins it for France ...

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18 June 2004 Author: webmaster
France takes the lead of the Samsung Super League after a thrilling jump-off in Rotterdam 
 
In a thrilling jump off against the clock, Eugenie Angot stole the show for France at the fourth leg of the Samsung Super League in Rotterdam today. "It was almost my first Nations Cup" the 33 year old Frenchwoman said afterwards. "I rode once before on a French team in Linz in Austria in 1996 and competed in pony and young rider teams but this is the first time I have been part of the main French team and I am delighted that things went so well today" she added. Leading from the start the French were always looking strong but, in a day full of surprises, it took a head-to-head between Eugenie and Ludo Philippaerts to decide the final placings as the Belgians continued to show a massive improvement in form while the Irish, complete underdogs and lying bottom of the leaderboard after very poor performances over the first three legs of the series, pulled together to finish third. It was an extremely disappointing day for the Dutch who, after two magnificent victories in recent weeks, struggled badly this time out. Under pressure to finish in the first six both at home in Rotterdam and again in Aachen next month in order to satisfy the requirements of their National Olympic Council ahead of Athens, they had to settle for seventh place. Things began badly for the host team when Jeroen Dubbeldam and De Sjiem completed round one with a score of 18 after pulling up in front of the double and then running into trouble at the tricky combination which was second-last on the 12-fence track. Eugenie commented afterwards that the distances in the final line of fences were very difficult – "the course was not huge but it was very tight from the oxer at fence 10 to the combination at 11 and then very, very short to the last oxer at 12 – horses needed to be very athletic" she pointed out. Laurent Goffinet (Flipper d’Elle), Eugenie (Cigale du Tallis) and Jean-Marc Nicolas (JPC Modesto Equifoam) all coped admirably first time out to stay clear so Hubert Bourdy’s eight faults with VDL Groep Eve des Etisses could be discounted and the British squad of Robert Smith (Mr Springfield), Michael Whitaker (Portofino), Robert Whitaker (Nicolette) and Nick Skelton (Russel) shared runner-up spot at the halfway stage with the Belgians on four faults. The Irish and Italians carried eight while America and Germany both collected twelve faults but The Netherlands was already bottom of the order with 20 when Jan Tops (VDL Groep Grande Dame) and Albert Zoer (Lowina) hit two fences each and Gert Jan Bruggink (Joel) lowered one. Elimination for Dubbeldam as the second round began did nothing to help the Dutch cause and the huge crowd of spectators, many dressed in orange in support of the home side, had little comfort when Tops collected 15 faults so, even though Zoer and Bruggink managed to go clear this time around it was all too late. Only the German squad of Pia-Luise Aufrecht (Hofgut Liederbach’s Abrisca), Markus Beerbaum (Le Mans), Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Check Mate) and Lars Nieberg (Lucie) fared worse when completing with a total of 36 faults as Linda Allen’s clever track took its toll. Markus Beerbaum was eliminated at the combination in the second round while Nieberg picked up a total of 28 faults and Germany has now slipped to third on the Samsung Super League leaderboard behind the Dutch in second and the French, back in that more familiar position at the top of the table. Despite a double-clear from Michael Whitaker, one of just four on the day, the British lost touch in round two but the French had to fight hard for their victory as, with clears from Marc Van Djick (Verelst Goliath), Jos Lansink (AK Cumano) and Ludo Philippaerts (Parco) the Belgians also completed on a four-fault total after the first two rounds and Ludo was chosen as the man to take on Eugenie in the deciding jump-off. "Jean-Maurice had decided the day before that I should be the one to go if there was a jump-off" Eugenie said, "and it did look like that was going to happen well before the second round was finished. I got on my horse when Jean-Marc, who was third to go in round two, was going in but then I came back to the ring to see Ludo and I saw he had four faults". First into the timed round Ludo stopped the clock in 31.44 seconds but had one fence down and with that much leeway Eugenie set off – "I began quite fast over the first five fences but I was careful at the combination and the last fence was a triple bar at which I knew Cigale would have no problem so I took it slower there because I just knew I was having a clear round" she said. Jean-Maurice had obviously made a good choice of rider and, following superb results in recent months with a World Cup victory in Vigo, fourth place at the FEI World Cup final in Milan and having taken pole position in the Grand Prix in Rome, Eugenie and Cigale have proven themselves a world-class partnership. So could she be on the French team for Athens? "I don’t know" Eugenie said today "there are four or five great riders before me and I think Jean-Maurice put me on the team to test me in a Nations Cup class to see what I could do. I have told him I will not jump the Grand Prix here in Rotterdam because instead I want to do well at the French National Championships in Fontainbleau next week. After that the decision will be made about who goes to the Olympics – we shall see" she added. The French however are now back where they belong, in the winners enclosure and heading the Samsung Super League which they took by storm last season. The Belgians look more dynamic than they have for quite some time and now hold fourth spot on the league table ahead of the British in fifth and the USA in sixth while the Irish have been rescued from the bottom of the table by today’s result and now lie seventh, just 0.5 faults ahead of the Italians. For the Irish today was very significant. In a week fraught with drama following Eddie Macken’s dismissal from the job of team trainer nine days ago Macken issued legal proceedings against the Show Jumping Association of Ireland and then the membership at the Association’s Annual General Meeting voted to replace Tommy Wade and the Irish selectors with Macken as both Chef d’Equipe and Trainer. However the legality of that move is under question and, despite all the tension, Wade, alone, produced the first good Irish result of the season. "I love days like this" Wade said today. "This sport is about giving it everything you’ve got when the chips are down and my team did just that today – I’m proud of them" he added. Whether he is still in command when the Irish turn up for the next leg of the 2004 Samsung Super League series in Aachen in four weeks time however remains to be seen. RESULT: 1. France – Team Total 4 faults/Jump Off 0: Laurent Goffinet/Flipper d’Elle 0/0, Eugenie Angot/Cigale du Tallis 0/4/0, Jean-Marc Nicolas/JPC Modesto Equifoam 0/0, Hubert Bourdy/VDL Groep des Etisses 8/8. 2. Belgium – Team Total 4 faults/ Jump Off 4 faults: Philippe Lejeune/Kashmire VD Schuttershof 0/4, Marc van Djick/Verelst Goliath 4/0, Jos Lansink/AK Cumano 4/0, Ludo Philippaerts/Parco 0/0/4. Ireland – 12 faults: Billy Twomey/Anastasia 8/0, Lt Shane Carey/Killossery 0/4, Marion Hughes/Heritage Fortunus 4/0, Kevin Babington/Carling 4/12. Great Britain – 16 faults: Robert Smith/Mr Springfield 4/4, Michael Whitaker/Portofino 0/0, Robert Whitaker/Nocolette 8/8, Nick Skelton/Russel 0/11. USA – 24 faults; Kimberly Frey/Marlou 4/4, Judy Garofalo/Oliver 4/0, Laura Kraut/Miss Independent 4/8, Peter Wylde/Lauriston 8/Ret. Italy – 28 faults: Gianni Govoni/Loro Piana Havinia 14/8, Juan Carlos Garcia/Albin 0/4, Arnaldo Bologni/Jagermeister Santa Monica 4/23, Roberto Arioldi/Loro Piana Le Mato 4/8. The Netherlands – 35 faults: Jeroen Dubbeldam/De Sjiem 18/Elim, Jan Tops/VDL Groep Grande Dame 8/15, Albert Zoer/Lowina 8/0, Gert Jan Bruggink/Joel 4/0. Germany – 36 faults: Pia-Luise Aufrecht/Hofgut Liederbach’s Abrisca 4/0, Markus Beerbaum/Le Mans 8/Elim, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum/Check Mate 0/8, Lars Nieberg/Lucie 12/16. For all information about the Samsung Super League in Rotterdam you should contact Press Officer Anita Lussenberg, Kralingseweg 120, PO Box 4266, 3006 AG Rotterdam, Netherlands – Telephone Office - ++ 3110 452 6729, Fax Office - ++ 3110 453 1555 or Mobile - ++ 31 621 585878, Email: info@chio.nl or Anita.lussenburg@tiscali.nl. Website address is www.chio.nl. Show Director is Jan-Willem Korner. The next leg of the series takes place in Aachen, Germany on Friday, 16 July and Press Officer is Niels Knippertz – contact niels.knippertz@aachen2006.de. You can also email info@chioaachen.de or consult the website www.chioaachen.de. SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE 2004 LEADERBOARD (AFTER ROUND 4 IN ROTTERDAM): France – 25.3 The Netherlands – 22.5 Germany 18.3 Belgium 17.8 Great Britain – 17 USA – 12 Ireland – 8.5 Italy – 8. MBPtv BROADCAST SCHEDULE FOR SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE AT ROTTERDAM: NOS – HOST (Netherlands) - Live/Delayed Live RAI (Italy) - Live/Delayed Live RTE (Ireland) - Delayed Live, 22 June TVE Teledeporte (Spain) - Live/Delayed LiveEquidia (France) - Delayed Live, 18 June 18.00 hrs, 20 June 21.30 hrs. VRT - Live/Delayed Live Eurosport (Pan Europe) – Highlights 28 June Finnish Sport TV (Finland) – Highlights 28 June Sport TV (Portugal) – Highlights (no date) XXP (Germany) – Highlights 27 June 19.00 hrs. CNBC Europe – Highlights 3 July 15.00 hrs. Fox World (Middle East) – Highlights 15 July 22.00 hrs. Horse TV (USA) – Highlights 11 July 17.00 hrs, 17 July 17.00 hrs. CNBC Asia – Highlights 4 July 15.00 hrs. ESPN Star Sports (Asia, Taiwan, India) – Highlights 1 July 03.00 & 10.00 & 17.00, 2 July 09.00 & 17.00 hrs, 3 July 07.00 hrs. M-Net (Pan Africa) – Highlights 9 July 21.00 hrs.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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