Campus
Disciplines
Your Role
About the FEI
Team Brazil will be first into the arena when the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Final gets underway in Barcelona, Spain tomorrow afternoon.
The draw conducted by Show Director Daniel Giro and and Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee Stephan Ellenbruch took place this evening, and the order-of-go for the 14 competing nations is:
1, Brazil; 2, Canada; 3, Ireland; 4, Spain; 5, Norway; 6, France; 7, Mexico; 8, Switzerland; 9, Great Britain; 10, Germany; 11, Belgium; 12, The Netherlands; 13, Sweden; 14, Argentina.
The Real Club de Polo has a long history dating all the way back to 1897, and this year it celebrates its 125th anniversary with the staging of the Longines Final for the ninth consecutive time.
The venue, located in the heart of the city which is the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region and which is known for its art and architecture including Antoni Gaudí’s fantastical Sagrada Família church, provides the perfect back-drop to the season-closer that gathers the best teams from around the globe for one thrilling final clash.
Going home with the coveted Longines trophy means everything to the athletes who represent their countries with fierce pride, and next Sunday afternoon new champions will be crowned.
What they had to say…
Here’s what some of the Chefs d’Equipe had to say this evening…..
Henk Nooren, France - “all the riders who are selected are always delighted to come here for the Final. We are bringing the same team as we had at the World Championship in Herning (DEN) but we need to see how the form of the horses is because most of them have only jumped one show since Herning so there’s a bit of a question mark but we will see!”
Di Lampard, Great Britain - “the Brits always look forward to coming to Barcelona for the Nations Cup final and we have a group of riders who are very excited to be here. We have Jodie Hall-McAteer, Lily Atwood, Ellen and William Whitaker and Joe Stockdale who is our only rider from the Herning team, so we have to make a choice this evening after they have jumped under lights.”
Otto Becker, Germany - “it’s good to be back here - in my opinion this is the right place for this important Final. In our team we have Jana Wargers, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann, Andre Thieme, Christian Kukuk and Mario Stevens.”
Michael Blake, Ireland - “we love Barcelona and we are reasonably lucky here normally so we hope we will be lucky, and good, this year! We have a slightly less experienced team, they have experience but have never been to this Final before. We start with Andrew Bourns who has been on a few winning teams this year, then Trevor Breen followed by Jack Ryan and Mark McAuley. We are looking forward to good sport and wish everyone else the best of luck, and thank you to the show organisers here in Barcelona for having us!”
Jos Lansink, The Netherlands - “we also are very happy to be here. We have three riders from the team who were second in Herning - Michael van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders and Jur Vrieling - and we have a new team member Johnny Pals. They are all in good shape so we will do our best and we wish everyone good luck!”
Mikael Kolind, Norway - “thank you for the invitation to come here. We have four riders, the first out is Maria Longem, then Marit Skollerud, Therese Henriksen and Cecilia Hatteland. Three of them were also in Herning so we look forward to the competition over the next few days”.
Michel Sorg, Switzerland - “thank you for welcoming us at this beautiful show again. We have four of our riders from the World Championship - Martin Fuchs, Steve Guerdat, Pius Schwizer and Edouard Schmitz and we also have Niklaus Rutschi with us.”
Henrik Ankarcrona, Sweden - “we are excited to be here and happy to be here because we were struggling a bit, but now we are here with a team of the future I hope - Irma Karlsson, Evelina Tovek, Stephanie Holmen, Wilma Hellstrom and Linda Heed. We will try out best.”
Mark Laskin, Mexico - “I want to thank Daniel (Giro) and the organising committee, the FEI and Longines for putting on the Final here in Barcelona which we are always very excited to attend. My team this year is starting with Nico Pizarro, Andres Azcarraga, Fernando Martinez, Manuel Gonzalez and Carlos Hank. Win lose or draw I promise that Mexico will bring positive energy and competitive spirit to the event!”
Eric Lamaze, Canada - “Team Canada is very happy to be here. We brought two not veteran riders but riders with a lot of experience and upcoming young riders who will have a big future. For me Barcelona has fantastic memories, it’s been so kind to Canadians over the years, and it’s a challenging place to come as a rider and now as a Chef. My team will be Beth Underhill, Alicia Gadban, Tim Walks and Rebecca McGoldrick.”
Qualifying round
The action gets underway tomorrow with the first qualifying round which is open to all 14 nations, beginning at 14.00 local time. The best eight teams from this round will go through to Sunday’s title-decider while the remaining six nations will battle it out in the Challenge Cup which will take place in an electric atmosphere under lights on Saturday night.
With Olympic course designer Santiago Varela setting the tracks throughout the week the competition is guaranteed to be challenging from the get-go, and the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gives the event an extra cutting edge.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 kicks off at the elegant Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain in two days’ time and the excitement is mounting. At the end of another truly exciting season of top team sport around the globe a total of 14 nations will compete for the trophy they all want to win.
It has a special meaning, because nothing compares with the pride and honour of flying your country’s flag alongside your compatriots. This is an event that every jumping athlete looks forward to each season in celebration of the best of what their sport has to offer, and victory is very, very sweet.
The Dutch arrive as defending champions and hold the record for most wins since the series Final was first staged at the fabulous Spanish venue that welcomed the world during the Olympic Games in 1992.
A year ago under the direction of popular Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens, Maikel van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders, Willem Greve and Sanne Thijssen clinched it with a resolute performance that saw them finish with the only zero score on the last day, making it a hat-trick in the series when adding it to the The Netherlands’ successes in 2014 and 2017.
Smolders has long been the rock on which many great Dutch teams have been built, and as he said that evening, “in Holland we work hard, stay patient and keep believing”. He lines out again this week alongside Marc Houtzager, Johnny Pals, Maikel van der Vleuten and Jur Vrieling, and with that steady sense of purpose they will be chasing down win number four, this time with new Chef D’Equipe and former world champion Jos Lansink at the helm.
Earned
Argentina and Brazil will represent South America while Canada and Mexico have earned the two places on offer to countries from North/Central America. Team USA will be noticeably absent this year having failed to qualify.
Norway and the reigning Olympic and World champions from Sweden filled the final two placings. Just seven spots were on offer in the hard-fought top-level European Division 1 series and they didn’t make the cut. However following confirmation that there will be no participating teams from the Middle East region they accepted the invitation to join the rest of the best.
As hosts, Team Spain will also line out when the action begins on Thursday, 29 September.
The full list of competing teams is as follows: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. And eight of the top-18 riders in the world rankings will be in action including Swiss superstar Martin Fuchs who is currently world number two.
Strongest nations
Although one of the strongest nations on the international circuit, the Swiss have never won the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series title, even going back to the very early years before the Longines Final was first established in Barcelona back in 2013.
They are coming out with all guns blazing again this year, with Fuchs - reigning Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion and 2021 European team gold and individual silver medallist - joined by 2012 Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Cup champion Steve Guerdat along with Niklaus Rutschi, Edouard Schmitz and Pius Schwizer.
And, like several other nations, the Swiss will have a double-goal when they canter into the ring in two days’ time. Not only to fight for the coveted Longines title but also for the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Qualified
Sweden, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and Germany claimed the five qualifying slots up for grabs at the ECCO FEI World Championship 2022 in Herning, Denmark last month and the host nation is automatically qualified. So the Swiss will be joined in that extra battle for the ticket to France by Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Norway. It’s guaranteed to be hotly contested.
The story of the 2022 edition of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series will begin to unfold tomorrow afternoon with the first Horse Inspection which will be followed by the draw of nations, and then the competition proper will begin on Thursday when all 14 nations will compete. The top eight will go through to Sunday’s €1,250,000 final round to decide the title while the remaining six countries will go for glory in Saturday night’s €300,000 Challenge Cup.
It’s going to be great, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….
The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth 2022 came to an end with the Final, held in Kronenberg (NED), where the local team claimed two gold medals (Children and Juniors), while Belgium and Great Britain got to the top of the podium in the Young Riders and Ponies categories.
FEI JUMPING NATIONS CUP FINAL YOUTH - PODIUMS
The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Young Riders
1° Belgium (Sacha Beghuin & Elcup Van Beek / Mathieu Bourdeaud'Hui & Oscar The Homage / Jules van Hoydonck & Minte Vd Bisschop / Roy van Beek & Chacco Me Biolley)
2° Germany (Johanna Beckmann & Emelie van de Mirania Stam / Thies Johannsen & I'M Special Laisa / Matthis Westendarp & Chillert Blue / Sönke Fallenberg & Vescovino)
3° Switzerland (Thibaut Keller & Badaboum One / Sira Accola & Koriano Van Klapscheut / Léon Pieyre & Verona V Z / Joana Schildknecht & Catrina J)
The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Juniors
1° Netherlands (Thijmen Vos & Ive Got The Key / Mila Everse & Orso Del Terriccio / Emma Bocken & Kadessa Z / Nick Nanning & Bandia)
2° Poland (Iga Biegalska & Doravella / Natalia Stefanska & Kapucijn V/D Donkhoeve / Daria Pietrzak & Monsun / Lena Oleszkiewicz & Esi China Girl)
3° Ireland (Coen Williams & Conthanja / Emily Moloney & Temple Alice / Timmy Brennan & Diadema Della Caccia / Rhys Williams & Cowboy Balou)
The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Children
1° Netherlands (Jesse Berkers & Aragon Happhira / Emma Heijligers & Sambucca / Faye Louise Vos & Monica LH / Yoni van Santvoort & Ilandra)
2° Italy (Lavinia Lo Bosco & Ocean/ Marianna Martinengo Marquet & Fine Edition / Paola Benigni & Edoctro / Giorgia Baldi & Valery Vanitosa)
3° Belgium (Louis Lambrecht & Ziggy Stardust Z / Marthe-Louize Dieu & Jazz Van T Kamerveld / Nikita van der Meerschen & Impressario Vd Heffinck / Brent de Schrijver & LIV Good Vd Kattevennen Z)
The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Ponies
1° Great Britain (Noora Von Bülow & Elando van de Roshoeve / Tilly Bamford & Lapislazuli / Harriet Hodge & Little Charlie / Tabitha Kyle & Atomic du Bary)
2° France (Emma Gay Le Breton & Bad Boy du Beau Mont / Lou Ann Beraud & Ungaro Of Qofanny / Arwen Le Saux & All Best du Rond Pre / Nohlan Vallat & Daenerys d'Hurl'Vent)
3° Ireland (Eoin Brennan & Glor Tire Cruise / Paddy Reape & Valma de Fougnard / James Brennan & Mhs Glow / James Derwin & Rincoola Babog)
Images & Content: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.
You can find the FEI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and FEI YouTube
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
Media contacts:
Didier Montes Kienle
Manager, Sport Communications & Media Relations
didier.montes@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 21
The FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses was held the past weekend in Lanaken, Belgium. The Irish athletes Gerard O’Neill and Ethen Ahearne claimed the gold medal in the 5 and 6-year-old categories, while the Swedish rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson triumphed in the 7-year-old category.
FEI WORLD JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG HORSES PODIUMS
FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 5-years of age
1° Gerard O’Neil & Bp Godfellas (IRL)
2° Olivier van der Vaart & Ristretto vd Heffinck (NED)
3° Jarno van Erp & Mindset Es (NED)
FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 6-years of age
1° Ethen Ahearne & ABC Saving Grace (IRL)
2° Valentin Pacaud & Garance de Vains (FRA)
3° Alex David Gill & Lacoste VDL (GBR)
FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 7-years of age
1° Rolf-Göran Bengtsson & Caillan (SWE)
2° Christian Ahlmann & Dourkhan Hero Z (GER)
3° Olivier Philippaerts & Precious Dwerse Hagen (BEL)
Images & Content: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.
You can find the FEI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and FEI YouTube
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
Media contacts:
Didier Montes Kienle
Manager, Sport Communications & Media Relations
didier.montes@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 21
Despite the best attempts of his closest rivals, Boyd Exell (AUS) kept a cool head during a soaking final Cones round in Pratoni to win a decisive 6th individual FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand, his unbroken reign intact after his first gold 12 years ago in Lexington (USA).
His greatest opponent, the four-time champion Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), pushed him every step of the way, nearly spoiling a fairytale ending for the man who has dominated the international stage for so long.
Having just watched his son Bram produce a lightning-fast clear round – the only double clear of the day over Josef Middendorf’s (GER) tricky course with a tight time – Ijsbrand left all the balls on top and with only 2.35 time penalties, put himself firmly in contention for his 5th individual gold. Ending 2nd in the phase, he also ensured that his national team stayed on top.
But Boyd wasn’t going to let his grip on the crown slip, and he drove a measured round, which tallied only 5.92 in time, comfortably within the margin he had over Ijsbrand, who had to settle for another silver, 3.76 behind Boyd’s final score of 156.09.
“I have the pressure of having fantastic horses and you mustn’t let them down. That’s one of the hardest things – they are 15 years old now and so experienced. The team of people around me, all the helpers, it’s about not letting them down too. Plus Koos, Bram and Ijsbrand – they add to the pressure too. So even when you have great horses, you also have to watch out for these guys.
When you look back in history, other drivers have had fantastic horses, and I’ve also had them over the years. Over time, everybody has great horses. It’s nice to remember them too.
The pressure was also about keeping the reins dry – I had a second pair of gloves which I hadn’t thought I’d need! Also, the horses and carriage were starting to slip in the corners. The course was a good testing course today, but only in good conditions. With all the many U-turns in the wet conditions, it made it much harder. I used the information my team fed back to me about the rounds before me and I didn’t expect my horses to spook at the wooden horse in the middle, which cost me a few seconds. But overall, I tried to stay calm and not knock any balls“, Boyd Exell explained.
Michael Brauchle (GER), who drove such an emphatic Marathon on Saturday with his razor-sharp horses, perhaps let the hope of toppling Boyd get to him. He rolled one ball and gathered a few time faults to slip a place into bronze (163.89). But as one of the talented next-generation drivers who performed so brilliantly all weekend, his is a name that we expect to see on many podiums in years to come.
Following Bram’s incredible Cones which gave in a win in the section and a 4th on the leaderboard (165.92), Koos de Ronde knew that he had to produce a safe round to keep his nation in gold contention. Although he struggled on the final section of the course, through a four-combination ‘wave’ at no. 19 and a narrow ‘oxer’ at 20, he upheld the Dutch grip despite three balls off and a few time penalties (12.99) which saw him finish in 7th overall. As the third last to go, Ijsbrand, who admitted later that he has been concentrating on Cones during his training regime, channelled his many years of doing the job to steer his team to success.
“Everyone had to wait a long time - including myself - for that performance this week! I knew when I made the change (of horse) before the vet-check that Dressage and Marathon was going to be hard but I still had my A-team for Cones. We are under pressure from Germany and still have two Dutch to go so this score will count for sure. This was the maximum I could do today, they felt amazing and I knew I had to put the pressure on the rest and we’ll see where it ends.
I’m the current Dutch, European and World Cup Champion but on the World Championship I had unusual mistakes, the same as Tryon. I needed revenge on the Sunday, I needed it today as well to show that I can do it", Bram Chardon said.
Germany had led the team event after Dressage, then fell into silver after the Marathon, and going into the last day there was a mere 3.27 between the two giants. However, as the Netherlands stretched ahead after Bram’s blistering round, their dreams of gold evaporated. Ending on 327.45 to the Netherland’s 313.93, they nevertheless received plaudits from the winners for their gutsy challenge.
Glen Geerts bore all the weight of Belgian expectations to maintain their bronze position (356.39) and with a characteristically well-judged Cones, kept himself near the leaders with a 6th place (173.74). It was enough to keep the French team in 4th (346.49), despite their lynchpin Benjamin Aillaud’s smooth round which tallied only 7.45 in time.
Relying on her ever-calm head in Cones, Mareike Harm (GER), who had posted the only other sub-40 Dressage mark alongside Boyd, knew that she would shine. Although the weather was becoming increasingly murky, she clocked only 4.89 in time to finish 3rd in the phase and secure silver for her team, together with Georg von Stein.
The weather Gods had kept themselves in check for most of Sunday afternoon, after event director Giuseppe della Chiesa decided to push back the start of the Cones to 12.30pm due to a foreboding forecast which had included thunder and lightning. As it was, the worst of the storms had passed overnight which rendered the swirling Pratoni dust a sticky black mud. But the blue skies were short lived as halfway through proceedings, the clouds dropped over Rocca di Pappa and for the climactic swathe of drivers, the rain lashed down, making vision and rein-handling difficult.
Despite being drenched, Boyd’s drove a classy round. Since his last gold in 2018 in Tryon (USA), we wondered if he could do it again. He did, and in commanding style.
And the Netherlands, the dominant national force for so long, showed the rest of the world that with 11 team golds, with squads that have always included Ijsbrand Chardon, they have no intention of relinquishing their position, either.
But perhaps the biggest winner of the weekend was Pratoni del Vivaro. Revived as a first-class event venue again, by a passionate and dedicated team, it hosted two iconic FEI World Championships, ensuring that it’s legacy lives on.
As he set out on the Marathon, his regal horses poised, their silky black coats gleaming silver under the Italian sun, Boyd’s quest to win a record-breaking sixth individual gold medal continued. He might have wished for a later place in the draw to watch what those before him made of the course, but fate played its hand and he found himself following one of the young pretenders to his crown, Germany’s Michael Brauchle.
Josef Middendorf’s (GER) eight new obstacles, with a total of 103 balls perched on their elements, raised enough questions for the 37 starters, who took it down to the wire and were still walking routes and examining the numerous options early on a misty Saturday morning.
Pitched halfway through the order, the dark and volcanic Pratoni dust swirling around him, Michael blazed a trail and smashed through all the earlier times, proving that with bold driving, whip-fast rein handling and post-hugging tight turns, his bid to change the old order and win the world title was a serious one. Ending on a winning penalty total of 107.00, which added to the 49.18 for Dressage, shot him up the overall placings into 2nd (156.14).
“This year I won the Marathon at Royal Windsor and Valkenswaard and that was good for me. I’m a young man and I have a lot of strength and my horses fight for me and with me. It’s a big plus for me in the Marathon when my horses have fun - big fun!”
My right leader is Djamilo (Jamie) and he’s a brilliant Marathon horse. He knows his job; he’s been doing this for four years. I bought him as a young horse, and we have worked together for a lot of years and make a good team together. I think we also put Germany in a good place now" Michael Brauchle explained.
Boyd and his crew knew that Michael was going to pile on the pressure, but that’s fuel for a man who has dominated the world stage for so long. His score of 116.01 placed him 6th, to give him a total of 150.14 and, for now, he has done enough to stay in front of Michael going into Sunday’s final phase - with two cones in hand.
But the mighty Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), who is as hungry as ever for his 5th world title, is another who can upset the best laid plans. Drawing on all his combat wisdom, he turned in a dominant performance, totalling 114.49 and was thrilled with a 4th placed round which raised him to 3rd overnight. His compatriot Koos de Ronde (NED), a marathon maestro who rounded off the day’s play with an incredible display of speed and bravery, blasting through the obstacles to produce some of the fastest times of the day, falling short of Michael’s total by a mere 0.86, and raising him from 14th to 5th (162.10).
“The horses were fantastic; the beginning was extremely strong, but I lost a little in the water. Michael Brauchle drove a fantastic Marathon. I tried to catch him but, in the end, I missed, I think by about 0.8 but I’m very happy. Michael is a very fast driver, his team is very fast, he has power, he’s technically good, he has a lot of guts, and like me he wants to go fast.
I have two new horses; this is my second show with them, and they did a fantastic job. In the end it’s a combined event so there’s always a bit of calculation if I can lose so much in Dressage and make so much up today. And you have to find the right balance with the right horses. I’m now in 5th place so I’m happy and the team is in top spot but it’s not over yet. Another important day to come but so far so good!", Koos De Ronde said.
Not only have two of the biggest names put themselves back in individual medal contention, but they have pushed Germany off the top spot in the team event, ending on 311.58. But there’s only 3.27 between them – a cone and a second of time.
Chester Weber (USA) did what was required and wasn’t far away on 118.36, with his 41.52 from Thursday, and slid him down to 4th by 2.41 behind Ijsbrand (159.88). Koos then sits just in front of 6th placed Mareike Harm (GER) by only 1.77 (165.75).
Always contenders in the Marathon, Belgium’s Glen Geerts and Dries Degrieck did enough to put their nation into bronze position with 335.2. In touch with some of the speedier rounds, Glen rose from 12th into 7th, on a total of 165.75 – and finished in the Marathon prizes in 5th. He sits just ahead of Bram Chardon (NED) who perhaps attacked this phase a little too hard and by his standards was off kilter, ending just 0.17 behind on 165.92.
Another standout round came from Daniel Schneiders (AUS) who impressed through all the obstacles to finish 3rd on 111.36 to take him from 17th to 9th (167.20). Aware that she would be unlikely to maintain her 4th place after Dressage, Anna Sandmann (GER) drove a confidence-building round at her first major championships with a four-in-hand and goes into the Cones in 17th.
In the teams, France now lies in 4th (346.49) ahead of Hungary (358.93) who had the only elimination of the day as József Dobrovitz Jr. came unstuck in the final obstacle, and Australia in 6th (359.45).
With wafer thin margins from top to bottom, only a few cones have to roll to change the order again. Overnight, the drivers will be realigning themselves as the battle lines are drawn and Sunday’s Cones will be nothing less than a Clash of the Titans.
Can Boyd do it again? Can The Netherland’s take a record 10th win?
We’ll have to wait and see…
FULL RESULTS
The atmosphere became electric as Australian Boyd Exell defiantly launched his campaign to win a record sixth FEI Driving World Championship. The buoyant crowd had waited all day to see a sub-40 score appear on the massive digital boards flanking the Dressage arena. Their patience was rewarded as moments after Boyd’s masterful black Warmbloods exited, the score of 34.13 was met with cheers. From the second they hit the centre line, the horses showed power and panache, and proceeded to flow through the movements in a class of their own.
“I love Driving, the score is only the icing on the cake. My right leader is Checkmate and today he was the showpiece. He was a wheeler in Normandy and Tryon and now he’s a leader. He’s always been a really special horse. Celviro is my left leader, he’s the solid one and every time he delivers. I have a new wheeler called Hero and he did well - he’s a marathon specialist.
I have a nice lead but it’s a three-day competition and a lot can go wrong. We had problems in Aachen in the cross-country and a five-point lead is not enough so it’s not over until Sunday afternoon" Boyd Exell explained.
In what was quickly turning into a fairy tale finale for fans, opened so imperiously by Boyd, next in was his greatest rival, the legendary Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), a four-time FEI Driving World Champion. Never one cowed by what has gone before, Ijsbrand harnessed all his experience and verve to produce a rewarding 42.98, not only putting himself into medal contention in 5th place individually, but ensuring that The Netherlands have every chance of winning a record 10th world gold medal.
Continuing the climactic parade of champions, next in was 2004 gold medallist, the flamboyant Zoltán Lázár (HUN), making a welcome return to top tier competition. Not missing a beat, he steered his handsome horses into contention, his 44.85 putting him in 6th place.
“I’m still recovering after a knee operation, so this is only the third event I’ve done this year. My team of horses is great, and I love them! One of them made a little mistake today but I think we can do better later in the event. The horse that made a mistake didn’t like the atmosphere and needs some time to get used to it. In the team I have two Dutch horses, one German-bred and one I bred on my own Lázár Farm near Budapest. I breed jumping horses, and this is the only one I have bred for carriage driving." Zoltán Lázár said.
As the late afternoon sun bathed all it touched in a golden hue, especially Driving’s leading lady Mareike Harm’s rippling bay horses, she maintained her consistency in this opening phase by also going below 40 and moving herself into 2nd place overnight with 38.85. Her fantastic mark also pushed the national team into first place, which added to Michael Brauchle’s morning score of 49.18, giving them a total of 88.03.
“I’m really happy! I had a little bit of pressure because I had to do the Dressage score for the team and we made it. It’s totally different than when you are driving just for yourself, a lot more pressure.
It’s a mixed team of horses, Dutch Warmblood, Oldenburger, Westphalian. They are aged between 11 and 16. I started riding, my mum also rode and had problems with her back, so she started driving and one day I took the reins and started driving pony singles and in 2010 I was here for the World Singles Championship and won the gold medal with the German team - so this is a good place for me. After that I had four single horses and we put them together in a team and in beginning everybody said you can’t do that as a woman, it’s too strong and too hard in the Marathon. And the Marathon is hard because the men are stronger for sure. But I can do a good Dressage and good Cones and try to lose not too many points in the Marathon.” Mareike Harm explained.
The Germans are only a slither ahead of the Dutch by 1.2, who were not only pre-event favourites for gold but are also aiming for a record-breaking 10th world title. Reigning European and FEI World Cup™ Champion, Bram Chardon (NED), posted a decent score of 46.25 in the opening session which may have been more than he had hoped for, but combined with his father’s mark to give 89.23, it’s enough to keep the team event tight at the top.
Potentially stalling the dominance of the European national teams, Boyd’s score plus Tor Van Den Berge’s earlier 57.37 has put Australia overnight into 3rd, comfortably in front of Belgium on 102.75, but only just ahead of Hungary on 103.29 and France on 103.61. These positions will chop and change during the Marathon on Saturday and the battle to take a podium place promises to be enthralling.
On a day when the drivers were having to really earn their marks from the five international judges, it seemed that Chester Weber’s (USA) 41.52 from day one, which initially had felt below expectations, grew in strength as the time progressed. Having done enough to go into the Marathon in 3rd, he has given himself a fighting chance of once again being in the medals individually. Tucked in 4th place behind Chester remains Anna Sandmann (GER), who impressed so much with 42.52 on day one, a remarkable opening gambit at what is her first Four-in-Hand World Championship.
With 37 drivers preparing to tackle Josef Middendorf’s (GER) eight new obstacles on the Marathon, it’s all to play for in Pratoni!
For more information on the FEI World Championships 2022 in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA), go to: https://pratoni2022.it/en
Having watched the early drivers navigate their tests on the first of two days of Dressage at Pratoni, Chester Weber (USA), who anchored his team to win gold as well as securing individual silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games TM in Tryon four years ago, entered the glorious grass arena during the mid-afternoon slot with intent. Clocking the day’s lowest score of 41.52 to top the leader board, he set out his stall to be in the medals at a World Championship.
With his team of well-matched and lithe bay KWPN geldings, he satisfied the five judges with a smooth and correct test. Despite that, he didn’t end with the sort of score that pleases him.
“I’m not happy, as only the first half of the test was really on point….I live in Ocala, Florida which is a beautiful area for driving horses and we can show at different venues in the area all winter, so it’s a good place to train. My horses are all Dutch Warmbloods and two of them were in my Tryon team, the left leader and right leader. Typically, I’m trying to score in mid 30s but that’s the score now and everyone else has to beat it.” Chester Weber said.
A performance that impressed from start to finish came from Anna Sandmann, making her horse fours debut for a strong German squad as an individual. More accustomed to competing at international level with a horse pair, having won individual bronze and team silver at last year’s Pairs World Championship in Kronenberg (NED), she ended only one point behind Chester on 42.52. From one of Germany’s leading driving families, she and her fine quality horses produced an even test which showed plenty of flair through the 22 movements. Aged 27, she is the youngest competitor alongside Belgium’s Dries Degrieck, and she firmly laid down her gauntlet as one to watch for the future in the horse fours.
“This is my first FEI World Championship with the team so I’m really happy with the score. This was the best test I’ve ever done with my horses; the extended trot and the rein back were really good. I’ve had this team two years now, they all have a lot of movement and I think that makes them special. The family is here, my father took the horses just now and my mother (Karin Sandmann) is a groom on the carriage. I’ve been training with Boyd Exell since 2016, I’m based in Lehden near the Dutch border. I drive also in Pairs competitions, and I have competed in five World Championships for Pairs, but this is my first Four-in-Hand Championship and it’s very exciting!” Anna Sandmann explained.
Anna’s German compatriot, the vastly experienced Georg Von Stein, who reopened proceedings after lunch, put his national team on track for a near certain medal finish as he was the first of the day to break the 50 mark, ending on 49.44 and opening the challenge to the dominance of the Dutch team. Going into day two lying third, Georg is a German national champion and regular member of the team since 2010.
“In the beginning we had a bit of a mistake with the left leader. I think he had flies on his head, and he went too fast, so I stopped a little bit. After that he was good, and my team was perfect and nice and easy to drive. It’s a young team; three horses are seven-year-olds and the other two have been together for two years at this big level. My best discipline is normally the Marathon. The course here is fast and technical but it’s similar to my home terrain near Frankfurt so we will see.” Georg Von Stein said.
The first starry name to enter the arena during the morning session was Koos de Ronde with his athletic team of KWPN geldings. Although ranked number two going into the competition, he has had a season of ups and downs and surely hoped for a lower score than 54.24, which placed him in sixth. However, Koos can always be counted on to lead the charge during the Marathon and no doubt he will be climbing up the places on Saturday. Another of the big names who won’t have ended where he hoped is Hungary’s József Dobrovitz. Closing the morning programme, his leaders were unsettled and did not produce a balanced test, which resulted in a score of 63.63.
One of the happiest drivers of the day was the sole representative of a traditional stronghold in the sport, Sweden’s Fredrik Persson, who finished fourth on 49.98.
“This is a completely new team and three of my five horses here are at their first international show! I bought them two years ago and stayed home training them. Three of them are American-Dutch harness horses. Today is a big relief; coming here was a very late decision but I’m so emotional now we are here. I had the goal to go under 50 and I got 49.98 so I’m delighted!” Fredrik Persson explained.
Showcasing the variety of horse breeds that can be harmoniously driven together, day one set the tone for what is already an exciting championship. It remains to be seen where the judges scale their marks tomorrow as day two promises to be even more captivating with reigning World Champion Boyd Exell (AUS) launching his bid for a record sixth world title. But amongst those determined to break the cycle will be the Dutch supremos, father and son Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon, who know all about what it takes to win championships.
It’s all to play for in Pratoni!
As the sun broke through the early morning mist hanging over the Rocca di Papa parkland, horses quietly made their way down the hill from the stabling area in single file. Ready to be presented for the first inspection, each one in a bridle being led by their drivers and handlers, their coats gleamed with good health. All the anticipation of an exhilarating FEI World Championship became a reality.
It was a slick operation as the squads came forward in their nations, and the 37 athletes presented their five match-fit horses to a Ground Jury member and vet. A total of 185 horses had to be inspected and passed as fit to compete. With two sand lanes in operation, lined with flowers, those watching as the horses stood then trotted up and down could appreciate the range of breeds and types which will compete in the three disciplines over the next four days.
The process for the vet and judge to make the assessment was a quick and efficient one, and the decision was relayed back to the announcer. With the drivers smartly dressed and the horses plaited and preened, they created a piece of theatre, a fitting prelude for the days ahead.
Only one of the Dutch squad horses didn’t pass with flying colours, so it was put into the holding area for a few moments before the decision was taken that it will be presented again tomorrow.
After the morning’s inspections, by lunchtime the national team members were confirmed as well as the running order for the two days of dressage on Thursday & Friday. With six definite entries each, Germany, The Netherlands and Hungary had to confirm their team and individual selections, as did France who came with a squad of four. A team can have two or three members, so Australia was already poised with two athletes - reigning World Champion Boyd Exell and his compatriot Tor Ven Den Berge, as were Belgium with three - Glen Geerts, Dries Degrieck and Tom Stokmans.
There were no surprises as the team selections were revealed. For The Netherlands, there are Dutch superstars, father and son Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon, and Koos de Ronde, who between them have such depth of experience at world level they will be the team to beat.
Challenging them will be the German team of long-term competitor Georg von Stein, plus the on-form Mareike Harm and Michael Brauchle. The Hungarian drivers are always in the mix, with their tremendous Driving heritage and former World Champion Zoltán Lázár is joined by the multi-medal winning father and son József Dobrovitz and József Dobrovitz Jr. France have confirmed that May’s Test Event winner Anthony Horde will be joined by Sebastien Vincent and Benjamin Aillaud.
The Dressage starts at 10.00 am Thursday 22 September with Dirk Gerkens, driving for Germany as an individual. FEI TV will be broadcasting all the action live so don’t miss a moment of this exciting event!
The competition schedule is:
Dressage on 22 & 23 September
Marathon on 24 September
Cones on 25 September
For more information on the FEI World Championships 2022 in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA), go to: https://pratoni2022.it/en
On the gripping final day of the FEI Eventing World Championship 2022 Team Germany reigned supreme while Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham produced another stunning performance from her 11-year-old gelding Banzai du Loir to take the individual title ahead of Germany’s Julia Krajewski in silver and New Zealand’s Tim Price in bronze.
A total of 68 horse-and-rider combinations started out over Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani’s 13-fence jumping track, and it would have a significant influence when only 12 returned without penalties. It seemed that individual gold was destined to land with Germany’s Michael Jung for the second time in this phenomenal athlete’s career. But having led through the first two phases he had to settle for fifth in the final analysis when leaving the first element of the bogey double at fence 11 on the floor along with the final planks.
His finishing score of 26.8 would still count towards the German winning total of 95.2 however when both reigning individual Olympic champion Julia Krajewski (Amande de B’Neville) and Christoph Wahler (Carjatan S) jumped clear, discarding the uncharacteristic 12 faults collected by 2014 world champion Sandra Auffarth (Viamant du Matz).
As the day began Team USA’s Tamra Smith (Mai Baum), Boyd Martin (Tsetserleg TSF), William Coleman (Off the Record) and Lauren Nicholson (Vermiculus) were already lying in silver medal spot after a great cross-country run yesterday while the dressage leaders from Great Britain were in bronze.
But British luck didn’t hold, and although the swings of fortunes saw them temporarily moving upward this afternoon they were overtaken by New Zealand at the end of the day and had to settle for fourth. Kiwi husband-and-wife Tim and Jonelle Price (Falco and McClaren) both put on spectacular showjumping performances and Monica Spencer (Artist) made the incredibly long trip from the southern hemisphere well worthwhile when joining Clarke Johnstone (Menlo Park) on the third step of the podium.
There were seven qualifying spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games up for grabs and Germany, USA, New Zealand and Britain now have those booked along with Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland who filled the next three places.
Third team title
This is Germany’s third team title in the 15 editions of the FEI Eventing World Championship. They first won on home ground in Aachen in 2006 and did it again at Caen in Normandy, France in 2014 with Auffarth and Jung also on that side.
For Jung this was a day of mixed emotions. “To lose and win at the same time is a strange feeling to be honest! But I’m very happy, it was a great day, my horse jumped amazing, he was in super form, all of us were in good form and I just want to thank all our team behind us who help us come here and have a good performance all week and to win the gold medal with the whole team is amazing!”, he said.
Auffarth said she found the closing stages really exciting. “It was cool for everyone to watch because it was so up and down for all the teams. I did not have the best round, I have a really good showjumper but today he was a bit not concentrated and impressed by the atmosphere so after that we were fighting, but we were very happy in the end that we made it!”, she pointed out.
Krajewski’s copybook clear with her lovely mare helped clinch it and it gave her enormous satisfaction. “She jumped her socks off! My goal was to finish on my dressage score and I did. I knew she could jump clear but you really had to get it together today because that was a tough course”, she said, knowing she also had individual silver in the bag.
The Americans haven’t been on the world championship team podium since posting their second victory in the history of the event in 2002 so today’s success was very significant.
As Boyd Martin said, “for us to have five clear rounds in the cross-country yesterday was awesome. I’ve been on many of these championship teams and it was so close over and over again today so it’s a massive sigh of relief!”.
Two fences down proved costly for Tamra Smith who dropped from individual bronze to ninth place but she was still happy with her result and with the USA’s finishing spot. “We came here to do our best and we all knew potentially we could medal but we are pleasantly surprised. Looking at the results and we are less than 0.4 from third, and it just shows the quality of the field - I’m honoured to be here”, she said.
The last time the Kiwis won a world team medal was bronze in Kentucky in 2010, so today’s medal-placing was a big moment for them too. And for Tim Price to also clinch individual bronze was a very big moment.
“This is not a position we’ve been used to in some time”, he said. “Andrew Nicholson came over and said you guys have waited long enough for that - well done! It’s amazing, we’ve had a great week, all very solid, and what a finish!” And he was very proud of his horse, Falco. “We’ve had faith in him from the start, he always been an out-and-out jumper but to get into Sunday and use that in the best way is just incredible. We worked so hard for this, we focused on it for years, this kind of major event with the team behind us and the nation behind us it means everything!”
Incredible achievement
Meanwhile individual gold medallist Yasmin Ingham reflected on her incredible achievement on her championship debut. “I’m so proud to win this for Great Britain but I’m also proud to do this for the Isle of Man!”, she said today. She was born and reared on the little island that lies between England and Ireland and which covers an area of just 572 square kilometres with a population of 85,000.
She enjoyed a hugely successful career at youth level and was crowned Sportswoman of the Year on the Isle of Man in 2013 after winning team and individual gold at the Pony European Championship in Arezzo, Italy and in 2018 she posted her first top-ten placing in a CCI4*L U25 at Bramham. She was awarded the Godman Cup that year for the most points gained by a British rider in eventing aged 21 and under. She won Blenheim last year and was second in Kentucky earlier this year with Banzai. She’s only 25 and the rider who is based with Sue Davies and Janette Chinn in Cheshire, England already has the world at her feet.
“It was amazing to be given the opportunity to compete here along with a British team who are seasoned pros so I’ve learned a lot. The support team have been fantastic and a huge thank you to them. Banzai is s the best horse I’ve ever sat on and I don’t think I’ll ever sit on a horse like him again. He is incredible in dressage, he has so much presence, he’s fast on the cross-country, he’s agile, he’s brave and then coming into the showjumping today he showed everyone that he was jumping a clear round and there was no two ways about it! I wouldn’t want to be sat on any other horse”, she said.
We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.
By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.