Germany dominated the FEI Eventing European Championships 2019 for Juniors and Young Riders at Maarsbergen in The Netherlands (10 to 14 July) when taking Junior team and individual gold along with the Young Riders Individual title. A total of 22 countries were represented, and Great Britain reigned supreme in the Young Rider team event.

Young Riders

Germany’s Jerome Robine and Guccimo R OLD led the Young Riders leaderboard after Dressage with a super score of 22.1 ahead of Morgane Euriat and Baccarat d’Argonne who posted 23.4 for France. But it would be Robine’s team-mate, Emma Brüssau (20), who would rise from third spot after the first phase to the top step of the medal podium when adding nothing to her mark of 25.3 at the end of the tough contest.

Robine disappeared from the reckoning on cross-country day when Guccimo fell at fence 15, and when Anais Neumann also took a tumble from Pumeckel E at the same fence then German team chances were dashed. In total 56 of the 66 starters ran into problems around the track, with 21 eliminations and two retirements on course. The combination water fence at seven proved particularly influential, and only four horse-and-rider partnerships made it home inside the time.

Euriat picked up just 0.4 time faults so was out in front on the final day, but 12 Jumping penalties saw her drop to sixth in the final analysis. Lying second overnight after a foot-perfect and on-time cross-country run, Brüssau stood firm once again to finish on her Dressage mark and claim the coveted Individual title.

“I’m a bit shocked and can’t believe it!”, said the phychology student afterwards. However success is nothing new to Brüssau who has an impressive CV that includes team gold and individual fourth at the Junior European Championships at Montelibretti (ITA) in 2016, Junior European team gold and individual bronze at Millstreet (IRL) in 2017 and individual silver in the European Young Riders Championship at Fontainebleau (FRA) last summer - on that occasion also with her 10-year-old Hannoverian mare Dark Desire GS. 

Britain’s Isabelle Upton and the 11-year-old gelding Cola claimed the silver. Lying fourth on 25.9 after Dressage they completed one of those rare cross-county clears to move into third going into the final day, and a foot-perfect run over the coloured poles saw them settle into silver medal spot, just 0.6 penalty points behind Brüssau’s gold-medal-winning score. This was a big boost to British team chances, and together with Felicity Collins (RSH Contend OR), Phoebe Locke (Union Fortunus) and Richard Coney (Kananaskis), Upton stood on the top step of the team podium. 

Britain also claimed individual bronze thanks to an extraordinary performance from Heidi Coy and the nine-year-old Royal Fury who rocketed up from 26th after Dressage to fifth with a superb cross-country round and then added nothing more on the final day to complete on a score of 32.6.

The British team score of 111.0 left them just over three penalty points ahead of France in silver, while The Netherlands claimed team bronze on a final tally of 171.1.

Juniors

It was a runaway win for Germany’s Anna Lena Schaaf and the aptly-named mare, Fairytale, in the Junior Individual Championship. The 17-year-old rider threw down the gauntlet with the leading Dressage score of 24.1 and stood firm to add nothing more. 

And backed up by an individual bronze-medal-winning performance from Ann-Catrin Bierlein with Auf Feht’s Fraeulein Hummel, a ninth-place finish for Calvin Bockmann and Altair de la Cense and 11th spot for Joelle Celina Selenkowitsch with Akeby’s Zum Glueck, Schaaf helped Germany to grasp the golden double in this division. The final German team tally was just 87.0 while Great Britain took team silver on a score of 97.2 and France claimed team bronze with 99.7.

It was British team-member, Saffron Osborne, who was Schaaf’s closest rival after the first phase having posted a mark of 24.8 with her nine-year-old gelding Lakantus. However a stop at fence seven proved costly, and the addition of 5.6 in the Jumping phase saw them eventually line up in 28th place. 

Of the 75 starters on cross-country day there were 15 eliminations and one retirement, and three more were eliminated in the final Jumping phase. A total of 54 completed and once again fence seven was highly influential. 

Britain’s Leilia Paske moved up from sixth after Dressage to fifth after cross-country, and when third-placed French rider Jeanne Cauvel (Iggy Pop) was eliminated in the Jumping arena and fourth-placed Irish contender Lilly Keogh (Master Tredstep) withdrew, then Paske’s clear round with Billy McFee took the silver.  

Like her Young Riders gold-medal-winning compatriot, Schaaf is also an inexperienced athlete having taken team and individual gold at the European Pony Championships in Aarhus (DEN) in 2016 and team bronze at Junior level in Fontainebleau last year. She was delighted with the performance of her home-bred Rheinlander mare who never put a foot wrong all week.

“She was so clever, and she did everything for me!” said the new Junior champion. 

Results here 

Germany dominated the FEI Eventing European Championships 2019 for Juniors and Young Riders at Maarsbergen in The Netherlands (10 to 14 July) when taking Junior team and individual gold along with the Young Riders Individual title. A total of 22 countries were represented, and Great Britain reigned supreme in the Young Rider team event.

Young Riders

Germany’s Jerome Robine and Guccimo R OLD led the Young Riders leaderboard after Dressage with a super score of 22.1 ahead of Morgane Euriat and Baccarat d’Argonne who posted 23.4 for France. But it would be Robine’s team-mate, Emma Brüssau (20), who would rise from third spot after the first phase to the top step of the medal podium when adding nothing to her mark of 25.3 at the end of the tough contest.

Robine disappeared from the reckoning on cross-country day when Guccimo fell at fence 15, and when Anais Neumann also took a tumble from Pumeckel E at the same fence then German team chances were dashed. In total 56 of the 66 starters ran into problems around the track, with 21 eliminations and two retirements on course. The combination water fence at seven proved particularly influential, and only four horse-and-rider partnerships made it home inside the time.

Euriat picked up just 0.4 time faults so was out in front on the final day, but 12 Jumping penalties saw her drop to sixth in the final analysis. Lying second overnight after a foot-perfect and on-time cross-country run, Brüssau stood firm once again to finish on her Dressage mark and claim the coveted Individual title.

“I’m a bit shocked and can’t believe it!”, said the phychology student afterwards. However success is nothing new to Brüssau who has an impressive CV that includes team gold and individual fourth at the Junior European Championships at Montelibretti (ITA) in 2016, Junior European team gold and individual bronze at Millstreet (IRL) in 2017 and individual silver in the European Young Riders Championship at Fontainebleau (FRA) last summer - on that occasion also with her 10-year-old Hannoverian mare Dark Desire GS. 

Britain’s Isabelle Upton and the 11-year-old gelding Cola claimed the silver. Lying fourth on 25.9 after Dressage they completed one of those rare cross-county clears to move into third going into the final day, and a foot-perfect run over the coloured poles saw them settle into silver medal spot, just 0.6 penalty points behind Brüssau’s gold-medal-winning score. This was a big boost to British team chances, and together with Felicity Collins (RSH Contend OR), Phoebe Locke (Union Fortunus) and Richard Coney (Kananaskis), Upton stood on the top step of the team podium. 

Britain also claimed individual bronze thanks to an extraordinary performance from Heidi Coy and the nine-year-old Royal Fury who rocketed up from 26th after Dressage to fifth with a superb cross-country round and then added nothing more on the final day to complete on a score of 32.6.

The British team score of 111.0 left them just over three penalty points ahead of France in silver, while The Netherlands claimed team bronze on a final tally of 171.1.

Juniors

It was a runaway win for Germany’s Anna Lena Schaaf and the aptly-named mare, Fairytale, in the Junior Individual Championship. The 17-year-old rider threw down the gauntlet with the leading Dressage score of 24.1 and stood firm to add nothing more. 

And backed up by an individual bronze-medal-winning performance from Ann-Catrin Bierlein with Auf Feht’s Fraeulein Hummel, a ninth-place finish for Calvin Bockmann and Altair de la Cense and 11th spot for Joelle Celina Selenkowitsch with Akeby’s Zum Glueck, Schaaf helped Germany to grasp the golden double in this division. The final German team tally was just 87.0 while Great Britain took team silver on a score of 97.2 and France claimed team bronze with 99.7.

It was British team-member, Saffron Osborne, who was Schaaf’s closest rival after the first phase having posted a mark of 24.8 with her nine-year-old gelding Lakantus. However a stop at fence seven proved costly, and the addition of 5.6 in the Jumping phase saw them eventually line up in 28th place. 

Of the 75 starters on cross-country day there were 15 eliminations and one retirement, and three more were eliminated in the final Jumping phase. A total of 54 completed and once again fence seven was highly influential. 

Britain’s Leilia Paske moved up from sixth after Dressage to fifth after cross-country, and when third-placed French rider Jeanne Cauvel (Iggy Pop) was eliminated in the Jumping arena and fourth-placed Irish contender Lilly Keogh (Master Tredstep) withdrew, then Paske’s clear round with Billy McFee took the silver.  

Like her Young Riders gold-medal-winning compatriot, Schaaf is also an inexperienced athlete having taken team and individual gold at the European Pony Championships in Aarhus (DEN) in 2016 and team bronze at Junior level in Fontainebleau last year. She was delighted with the performance of her home-bred Rheinlander mare who never put a foot wrong all week.

“She was so clever, and she did everything for me!” said the new Junior champion. 

Results here 

Spectacular performances from more than 300 promising young athletes from 33 countries.

The Netherlands and Germany claimed double-gold, while Spain and Ireland topped the podium in the remaining two Championships as talent, courage, determination and team-work were all tested during a superb week of top sport.

Children

In the battle for the Children’s Team title which attracted a massive 23 countries from all across the continent, the Dutch pipped Germany while Great Britain claimed the bronze. 

With the The Netherlands and Germany tied on a zero score after the second team competition it came down to a nail-biting jump-off between the two sides on Thursday. And although Thijmen Vos (Theo 149) faulted once, flawless performances from team-mates Emma Bocken (Dagma), Jorinde Dolfijn (Providence) and Finn Boerekamp (Gradini) clinched it for the host nation. 

Germany’s Tiara Bleicher made her only mistake of the week with Daniels Jack S in this jump-off, but, on her Championship debut, it didn’t hold her back from claiming the Individual title which was also decided by a race against the clock two days later. The 14-year-old from Munich steered her 10-year-old gelding through the finish in 36.20 seconds when first to go and couldn’t be caught, while The Netherlands’ Emma Bocken clinched silver in 37.17 seconds. 

Individual bronze went to Bulgaria’s Aya Miteva who finished fifth individually at the 2018 Balkan Children’s Championship in Zagreb (CRO). She was riding the 21-year-old stallion SIEC Caro Ass who previously served a number of top Turkish riders throughout his stellar career. Louise Ameeuw (Lover Boy Z), daughter of Christophe Ameeuw, the man behind the Longines Masters Series and Ecurie d’Ecaussines which is the European base for many of the world’s top riders, just missed out on the podium when finishing fourth.

Juniors

A total of 21 countries fielded teams in the Junior division, with Spain taking the gold ahead of Germany in silver and Ireland in bronze. Maya De La Joya Fernandez-Longoria (Un Lord du Rozel) jumped double-clear in the two-round team competition, and although her compatriots Mario Villapalos Rodriguez (Iroko vd Brouwershoeve), Theo Chulia Leduc (Farao vd Eglantierheuvel) and Diego Ramos Maneiro (Texas De Trebompe) all faulted, Spain’s final tally of 14.24 left them more than a single penalty point ahead of Germany on 15.79.

It was their slower times in the opening individual Speed event that hampered German chances, as this side added only two time faults to their tally on Nations Cup day. Matthis Westendarp (Stalido) jumped double-clear and the German side also included Hannes Ahlmann (Nerrado) whose uncle, Christian Ahlmann, has long been a German Jumping legend.

It was sweet revenge for Kate Derwin in yesterday’s Junior Individual final however when this time around it all came right for the 17-year-old daughter of one of Ireland’s best-known horse dealers, Jim Derwin. She finished an agonising fourth at the 2018 Junior Championships in Fontainebleau (FRA), but that only strengthened her resolve and, holding the narrowest lead going into the deciding round, she kept a cool head to claim the top step of the podium with her fifth clear performance of the week from AHG Whiterock Cruise Down. 

“This year my trainer Denis Flannelly and my father put together a plan. They said last year it was left behind, but this year I was going to win a medal and not just any medal but it was going to be gold!” said the 17-year-old who proudly sang the Irish national anthem during the prizegiving with that precious medal around her neck. Spain’s De La Joya Fernandez-Longoria claimed the silver and bronze went to Belgium’s Thibeau Spits (Bellissimo Z).

Young Riders

Bas Moerings (Fosther), Veronique Morsink (Entrepeneur), Lars Kersten (H-Cassino) and Rowen van de Mheen (Q Verdi) joined forces to claim the Young Riders team title for The Netherlands. The Belgian side of Dieter Vermeiren (Kingston Town lll Z), Simon Morssinkhof (Vivolta de Gree), Zoe Conter (Univers du Vinnebus) and Gilles Thomas (Konak) had the advantage with the lowest combined scores after Wednesday’s opening Speed class, and looked set to stroll to victory when adding nothing to their scoreline with three clears in the first round of Friday’s team competition in which the Dutch added five to their tally.

However when Vermeiren racked up a 12 second time out then Morssinkhof’s eight had to be included, bringing the Belgian total to 12.11 which left them just over a penalty point behind the Dutch who this time kept a clean sheet.

Once again the Individual champion came from the bronze-medal winning side, 20-year-old Philipp Schulze Topphoff from Germany pinning Spain’s Paloma Barcelo (Ines) into silver medal spot while Dutch team gold medallist, Lars Kersten, took the bronze.  

Schulze Topphoff is no stranger to success, winning team gold at the European Pony Championships in Arezzo (ITA) in 2013, and team bronze at the Pony EC in Millstreet (IRL) the following year. Last summer he took team gold again at the Young Riders EC in Fontainebleau (FRA) and, just a few weeks ago, this young man and his talented nine-year-old grey mare, Concordess NRW, were members of the German side at the Official Test of Equestrian Formats for Tokyo 2020 staged in Hagen (GER). 

In a new innovation this year, the fifth member of each team that made it onto the podium also received a medal. All five riders competed on the opening day, before the four-member teams were named for the remainder of the week. 

Results here 

Team Sweden soared to victory at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Sweden 2019 in Falsterbo (SWE) this afternoon, but it took a nail-biting last-to-go run from home heroes Peder Fredricson (47) and H&M All In to clinch it. Leading on a zero score at the halfway stage, the hosts looked set to stroll into pole position, but some second-round errors allowed Switzerland to chase them right to the line.

In the end just a single time-fault separated the two sides, the winners posting a final score of four faults ahead of the Swiss with just five. The hugely popular annual fixture at Falsterbo always has a really fun atmosphere, with the knowledgeable crowd loudly supporting every horse-and-rider combination as they enter the arena. But they exploded with extra delight when the coveted trophy remained at home for the first time since 2012.

Fredricson had the maximum weight of expectancy on his shoulders as he set off in the second round with the result hanging precariously in the balance. A fence down would hand it to the Swiss, and even a single time fault would mean a jump-off against them. 

“It’s always much nicer afterwards than before - there’s a lot of pressure because you want to do well at home because you know the feeling is very nice and you don’t want to miss it!” said the reigning individual European champion. 

He had anchored his country on a zero score at the end of round one which began with a copybook clear from team-mate Malin Baryard-Johnsson (43) and H&M Indiana who were first to take on Frank Rothenberger’s 12-fence track. Asked if she had any concerns about being competition pathfinder, the four-time Olympian said “the good thing about going first is that you walk the course, you make a plan, and you can’t watch anyone else doing different things because you don’t have time!”.

Fredrik Jonsson (46) and Cold Play were next of the host contingent, faulting only at the penultimate oxer. But when Stephanie Holmen (28) and Flip’s Little Sparrow were clear, and Fredricson then followed suit, the Swedes strode into the second round at the head of the leaderboard chased by France and Switzerland carrying five faults apiece, Italy with seven, and USA with eight on the board.

The French faltered with nine to add second time out, but Baryard-Johnsson was clear again so things were still looking good for the Swedes before Jonsson hit the vertical at fence four on the turn to the open water and Holmen racked up 12 faults to change the situation dramatically. Because super-smooth clears from Beat Mandli (Dsarie), Niklaus Rutschi (Cardano CH) and Paul Estermann (Lord Pepsi) ensured the Swiss would have nothing to add, leaving anchorman and World No. 1 Steve Guerdat sitting idle on the sidelines in the closing stages. It all came down to Fredricson’s final effort if the honours were to stay on home soil. 

However when you’ve been to four Olympic Games, taking team silver in 2004 and individual silver in 2016 before scooping individual gold and team silver at the European championships in 2017, team silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 and third place on the podium at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2019 then you’ve clearly got what it takes. Fredricson stayed completely focused, and the brilliant H&M All In took it all in his stride to gallop through the finish and bring the home crowd to their feet.

“I wasn’t nervous before Malin went, but when she was double-clear then I knew we had a very good chance and I really wanted to do well. You could feel the tension in the team before the second round, I think that’s the same for every team riding at home because you really want to perform well, and today we did it, and it’s brilliant!” Fredricson said this evening.

Having recovered from the early bath he was given when thrown into the water-jump during some wild Swedish celebrations, Chef d’Equipe, Henrik Ankarcrona, expressed his sheer delight at today’s fantastic result. “I’ve had three unbelievable years as Chef - silver at Europeans and WEG, but this beats it all! To win at home, it’s a bucket-list thing for any team, to stand on the podium hearing the crowd cheer like you are rockstars! It will leave me with goose-pimples for a very long time …. I have the best job in the world!” he said.

His team still has work to do however as, with just two rounds remaining at Hickstead (GBR) in two weeks’ time and Dublin (IRL) in early August, they are lying joint-eighth alongside Ireland on the Europe Division 1 leaderboard from which only the top seven will qualify for the €2m Longines Final in Barcelona (ESP) in October. 

Result: 1, Sweden 4 faults - H&M Indiana (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 0/0, Cold Play (Frederik Jonsson) 4/4, Flip’s Little Sparrow (Stephanie Holmen) 0/12, H&M All In (Peder Fredricson) 0/0; 2, Switzerland 5 faults - Dsarie (Beat Mandli) 4/0, Cardano CH (Niklaus Rutschi) 1/0, Lord Pepsi (Paul Estermann) 0/0; Albfuehren’s Bianca (Steve Guerdat) 4/DNS; 3, Italy 9 faults - Tokyo du Soleil (Luca Marziani) 9/0, Elzas (Giulia Martinengo Marquet) 1/5, Ottava Meraviglia Di CA’ San G (Paolo Paini) 1/1, Tower Mouche (Bruno Chimirri) 5/1.

Full result here 

Standings after Round 5 of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2019 Europe Division 1 series:

1. France - 320

2. Switzerland - 270

3. Belgium - 245

4. Netherlands - 200

5. Germany - 195

6. Austria - 190

7. Italy - 170

8. Ireland - 160

8. Sweden - 160

10. Great Britain - 120

Full standings here 

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in one case of a breach of the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMR) and three horse abuse cases.

The breach of the EADCMRs occurred at the CEI1* 80 in Doha, Mesaieed (QAT) on 3 March 2018, where the athlete Ahmed Mubarak Ahmed Al Kuwari (FEI ID 10113516/QAT) and the trainer Mohammed Misfer M D Al Hababi (FEI ID: 10113220/QAT) refused to submit to sample collection from the horse Gavotte Des Pins (FEI ID:105PJ94/QAT).

The horse and athlete were disqualified from the event. As the Person Responsible, the athlete was suspended for two years, until 4 March 2020, and the trainer for 30 months, until 4 September 2020. The provisional suspensions, which were imposed on both the athlete and trainer on 5 March 2018, were credited against the period of ineligibility in the Final Decision. In addition, they were each fined CHF 3,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,500 towards the legal costs of the judicial procedure.

The FEI also opened three other cases involving horse abuse, following protests filed by Pauline van Drumpt from Clean Endurance. Two of these incidents took place at the CEI1* 100 in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 8 December 2018.

In the first case, involving the horse Castlebar Nato (FEI ID: 104OC45/UAE), the FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete, Khalid Jumaa Salem Al Khatri (FEI ID:10103378/UAE), had committed horse abuse. He has been suspended for 30 months from the date of the Final Decision on 26 June 2019.

The athlete was also fined CHF 9,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,000 towards the legal costs of the judicial procedure.

Following an incident at the same event involving the horse Songbird FF (FEI ID: 105VH23/UAE), the FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete, Mohammed Saeed Al Blooshi (FEI ID:10113165/UAE), had committed horse abuse. He has been suspended for 18 months from the date of the Final Decision on 26 June 2019. He was also fined CHF 6,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,000 towards the legal costs of the judicial procedure.  

The FEI Tribunal stated in its Final Decision that the athlete also had to take some responsibility for the actions of his Support Personnel, including the registered trainer, Suhail Mugheer Salem Alameemi (FEI ID:10137884/UAE).

The third abuse case occurred at the CEI3* 160 in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 9 February 2019 involving the horse Sarab (FEI ID:105DP50/UAE). The FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete, Abdul Rahman Saeed Saleh Al Ghailani (FEI ID: 10114704/UAE), had committed horse abuse.  The athlete has been suspended for 12 months from the date of the Final Decision on 26 June 2019. He was also fined CHF 4,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,000 towards the legal costs of the judicial procedure.  

The FEI Tribunal stated in its Final Decision that the athlete also had to take some responsibility for the actions of his Support Personnel, including the registered trainer, Majed Khalfan Al Jahouri (FEI ID: 10014774/UAE).

These Decisions can be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days from the date of notification, 26 June 2019.

The FEI Tribunal’s decisions can be found here.

In a cliff-hanger of a competition, Team Israel made history when snatching the single spot on offer at the Olympic Jumping Qualifier at Maxima Park in Moscow (RUS) today. This was the second of two special qualifiers for countries in Group C, the first staged in Budapest (HUN) two days ago where Ukraine came out on top.

“We were optimistic but there was a lot of pressure this afternoon. But these guys, they made it, all of them are magnificent, they’ve all done a great job and the second round was perfect! We are happy and this is historic - it’s first time we will have an Israel (Jumping team) at the Olympics!” said Amichai Alperovich, team sports manager.

However today’s victory was a very narrow one, just a single fault separating the winning foursome of Daniel Bluman (29), Ashlee Bond (34), Elad Yaniv (41) and Dani G. Waldman (34) from the Polish side that consisted of only three team-members. They put up a really gutsy performance and held the lead at the halfway stage, but a single second-round fence error meant the ticket to Tokyo 2020 would go Israel’s way.

In contrast to most of Europe which has been experiencing sweltering heat this week, it has been cold, and extremely wet, in Moscow with maximum temperatures of around 8 degrees. “Yes it’s raining, but it’s the same for everyone!” said Israeli team coach and former Olympic, World and European champion Jeroen Dubbeldam yesterday. 

A total of six nations lined out this afternoon and both Azerbaijan and Kyrgystan, who also sent out three-member sides, were eliminated in the first round leaving four countries to battle on in round two. However it was already a two-nation contest at this stage, with Poland out in front carrying 13 faults chased by Israel with 15 on the board as the action resumed. Russia was next in line with a 42-fault scoreline while Uzbekistan returned to the ring with 60 faults on their scoresheet.

The course designed by Olaf Petersen Jr. was no walk-in-the-park, and only four horse-and-rider partnerships managed to get home inside the 78-seconds time-allowed in the first round. The oxers at fences three and six fell on numerous occasions, and the triple combination at fence seven required caution to get the distances just right. Russian chances were shaken when Vladimir Tuganov’s Tulum took a dislike to the open water at fence nine in both rounds, while the final line that began with an intimidating wall followed by a double and then a sharp left-hand turn to a liverpool proved the undoing of many.

Israeli pathfinder, double-Olympian Daniel Bluman, made it all look pretty easy when registering just a single time fault first time out with Ladriano Z, but when Ashlee Bond and Chela LS added 12 and Elad Yaniv and Alvaro du Gue also ran into trouble on the run home to finish with nine, they began to look vulnerable. Not even the hugely experienced Dani Waldman and Lizziemary escaped unscathed as they racked up five faults for a pole off the middle of the triple combination and one for time.

Poland didn’t get off to the best start when Andrzej Oplatek and Stakkatan left two on the floor, but when Jan Bobik and Chacco Amicor produced the only complete clear of the first round and the only mistake made by the anchor partnership of Kryzsztof Ludwiczak and Nordwind was at the wall, with a time-fault also added, then their tally of 13 gave them a two-fault advantage over Israel as round two began.

And when Oplatek produced a brilliant clear second time out then that piled the pressure on Israel, because Bluman once again posted a single time fault while Bond added eight more to her tally. But Yaniv rode to the rescue with a zero score and then all the pressure was on Polish shoulders once again. So when Bobik faulted just once, at the tricky oxer at fence six in an otherwise foot-perfect second run, then the result would lie in Dani Waldman’s hands.

No matter what would happen Poland could finish with no less than 17 on the board while a clear from the Waldman would see Bond’s eight faults dropped from the Israeli scoresheet when the best three results were counted, leaving them with just Bluman’s single time fault to add for a total of 16. And that’s exactly what she did, the lady who changed her surname from Goldstein to Waldman when getting married just four weeks ago steering the great chestnut mare that has carried her to the top of the sport through a fabulous round to clinch it.

Poland’s Ludwiczak wrapped up the afternoon with only the fifth clear performance of the day, but his country would miss out on that Tokyo ticket by an agonising one-fault margin.
Result: 1, Israel 16 faults; 2, Poland 17 faults; 3, Russia 54 faults; 4, Uzbekistan 119; 5, Azerbaijan and Kyrgystan Elim.
Full result here

Team Ukraine claimed the single spot on offer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Group C Jumping qualifier staged in Budapest (HUN) today. In a line-up of six nations they pinned Czech Republic into runner-up spot while the hosts finished third, just a single fault ahead of Bulgaria in fourth place. Lithuania finished fifth while the team from Greece failed to complete when their first two riders were eliminated on course.

Aki Ylanne from Finland presented them with a strong 12-fence challenge that would ensure the cream came out on top. It was a big ask, but a tremendous experience, for  all the horse-and-rider combinations with questions to be answered throughout the entire track, and the time-allowed of 77 seconds proved all but impossible to get for the vast majority.

The opening wall was immediately followed by a triple-bar, then an oxer and some eye-catching brown planks before turning right-handed to the double of oxers at fence five with its long two-stride distance. The innocuous-looking vertical at six proved highly influential, perhaps because riders were already setting up for the right-hand bend to the open water which put paid to Czech chances and threatened to unhinge the Ukrainian effort too.

This was followed by another oxer, then a left-bend to a vertical with two circular water-trays, and then a big oxer had to be tackled before turning right-handed down the final line which consisted of a triple combination and then one last oxer to bring them home.

The Ukrainians were already out in front when carrying just 14 faults at the end of the first round despite elimination for third-line rider Ulrich Kirchhoff. The 51-year-old looked set to cruise around the course with the handsome 10-year-old gelding Al Pacino until it all went seriously wrong at the open water where the man who was a double-gold medallist when competing under the German flag at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA) was given the ejector seat and eliminated for his fall.

But team pathfinder, 35-year-old Ferenc Szentirmai, lowered only the second element of the double in the first round in which he also collected two time-faults, and when he led the way into the second round with only two more time faults to add then he bolstered Ukrainian chances.

It was a big-scoring afternoon, and only four of the six teams returned to do battle once again. The Greeks were already eliminated after Ioli Mytilineou’s gelding, Broadway, refused to take on the triple combination, just one fence from home, and then Anna-Maria Papageorgiou’s mare, Vania, registered refusals at the oxer at fence three and again at the vertical at six. Meanwhile having collected 79 faults first time out, Team Lithuania decided they would call it a day at the halfway stage.

Bulgaria carried 34 faults into round two, Hungary carried 29 and Czech Republic were the Ukrainians closest rivals, just nine points behind the leaders with 23 faults on the board as the action resumed. But when Zuzana Zelinkova’s opening nine faults with Caleri ll were followed by a second elimination, and this time a fall, for second-line rider Emma Augier de Moussac at the open water, then the Czech challenge was seriously undermined. Now the scores of both Ondrej Zvara with Cento Lano and Ales Opatrny and Forewer would have to be counted, and when Zvara racked up 17 faults it already seemed like the writing was on the wall.

However Ukraine’s Andre Schroder and Allegro picked up 18 faults on their second run, so all eyes were on Kirchhoff as he re-entered the ring. Another disaster at the water and the competition would be blown wide open, but Kirchhoff masterfully managed to get Al Pacino around this time, so when he crossed the line with just nine faults on the board then things were looking considerably more optimistic for the eventual winners whose tally now stood at 43 faults.

A clear from anchorman, Opatrny, would leave the Czech side on a final tally of 41, but mistakes at the second element of the double at five and again in the middle of the triple combination, along with a single time fault, rounded the Czech total up to 58 so the game was up. Team Ukraine could not now be beaten, and they looked set to win by a massive margin as Tebbel, who had collected only two time faults with Saxo de la Cour in the previous round, brought the competition to a close.

But it would be drama to the very end as the seven-time FEI World Cup finalist, who won team silver at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm (SWE) almost 30 years ago, collected 16 faults on his run that included a stop at the very last. In the end the winning margin was still a handsome one, their final total of 41 faults leaving them 17 faults ahead of Czech Republic in second place, but today’s competition proved once again just how unpredictable the sport of team Jumping can be, and how every single ride counts at the end of the day.

The second of the two Olympic qualifiers for countries in Group C will take place in Moscow (RUS) on Sunday, 30 June, where there will be one further slot at Tokyo 2020 up for grabs.
Result: 1, Ukraine 50 faults; 2, Czech Republic 58 faults; 3, Hungary 64; 4, Bulgaria 65; 5, Lithuania 79; 6, Greece Eliminated.

Full result here

Longines has extended its agreement as title partner of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League series. Through this long-term commitment, the Swiss watchmaker extends the opportunity for continued exposure of equestrian sport and particularly of Jumping to new and emerging markets in North America and the equestrian community worldwide. Longines became title partner of this prestigious series when it launched in 2015. The North American League, which hosts events across USA, Canada and Mexico, is now heading into its fifth season 2019-2020. It is one of 16 leagues that form the global FEI Jumping World Cup™ series, which has been in existence since 1978.

The North American League has continued to grow in stature and, as part of the world’s premiere individual Jumping series, boasts a minimum of US $2.4 million prize money, attracting the world’s top human and equine athletes.

With this new agreement and the evolution of the North American League comes the implementation of a new format and structure of the series. Among the planned innovations, the series will feature eight top-class events, all at a minimum 4* level, with live broadcast at each venue. The TV coverage of the series will be distributed internationally, showcasing equestrian sport at its best.

A new process has been opened for the allocation of qualifiers of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League series 2020/2021 - 2022/2023 which will be approved by the FEI Board, based on the recommendations of the FEI Jumping Committee.

“This new extended agreement with Longines reinforces our joint commitment to grow the North American League series and invest in the development of sport in the region, while continuing to raise the profile of Jumping around the world”, FEI President, Ingmar De Vos said.

“With Longines as the title partner, we have the perfect brand alignment to benefit this League and the global series over the coming years. We are delighted with the ongoing confidence Longines has put in our sport.”

“We are delighted to renew our association with the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League, of which we have been the title partner, Official Timekeeper and Watch since its inception in 2015” Matthieu Baumgartner, Longines Vice President Marketing said.

“We are committed to supporting the development and promotion of the jumping discipline across North America and are looking forward to taking part in the upcoming season comprising eight legs, each of them promising great sports performance”.

Longines is a strong supporter of equestrian sport around the world, and continues its role as FEI Top Partner, title partner of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ China League and the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™, and also remains Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FEI. In 2019 Longines will act as the title partner for the Longines FEI European Championships Rotterdam (NED) and the Longines FEI Eventing Championships Luhmühlen (GER).

Team Brazil cruised to victory in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of the Netherlands 2019 at Geesteren (NED) today. Taking command with just four faults after the first round, they sealed the result when adding just four more without calling up their final partnership on a day full of surprises and high scores.

The hosts line up second ahead of the Spanish, who pipped Germany for third place by a narrow one-fault margin. Sweden, Belgium and Japan were next in line, separated only by time when all completed with 32 faults on the board, and Austria lined up eighth and last.

This was the perfect boost for Brazil in the lead-up to next month’s Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru. The Europe Division 1 league has provided the perfect preparation for that important Olympic qualifier, and last week they finished sixth in Sopot (POL), while at St Gallen (SUI) in early June and La Baule (FRA) in May they lined up in fifth place each time. Today they had it in the palm of their hands after establishing the early lead and staying rock-solid while those around them struggled to hold on.  

The team members all knew that a good result would do their selection chances no harm, and Brazilian Chef d’Equipe Pedro Paulo Lacarda confirmed that this evening. 

“They were all amazing today! For the Pan-American Games I still wait one week to confirm my team - but this team have a good chance!” he said.

A fascinating track designed by Dutchman Henk Jan Drabbe asked plenty of unusual questions. Sweeping turns, long runs between fences and distances that required absolute accuracy were the undoing of many top horse-and-rider combinations and there was only one double-clear on the day. That came from the second-line Brazilian duo of Felipe Amaral (28) and his 12-year-old stallion Germanico T. 

All eyes were on German pathfinders, the 2018 world champions Simone Blum and DSP Alice, but their round came adrift when the stride from the open water at six to the flimsy vertical that followed got muddled, and the mare put down again on take-off. They were perfection second time out, but the German side that looked super-strong on paper completed with 29 faults on the board, while Spain, whose last-line partnership of Alberto Marquez Galobardes and Ucello Massuere were real eye-catchers, finished one fault ahead of them with 28.

As the second round began it looked set for a three-way tussle between Sweden, carrying 12 faults, The Netherlands with eight and the leading Brazilians on just four. But the Swedes slipped out of contention when adding 20 more and when Brazilian pathfinder Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (31) followed up his first-round four faults with a lovely clear and Amaral and Germanico T were foot-perfect for a second time then it already looked like the writing was on the wall.

It was agonising for the Dutch whose second round began with a lovely clear from Maikel van der Vleuten and Dana Blue, winners of Friday’s Longines Grand Prix, only for both Willem Greve with Zypria S and Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Calimero to leave one on the floor. Both looked like they had a fault-free run in the bag but Greve’s mare hit the penultimate oxer, a real bogey on the day, while the crowd groaned in horror when the front pole on the final oxer hit the dirt after Houtzager, certain he had left it in place, raised his fist in delight as he galloped through the finish.

When third-line Brazilian, Pedro Junqueira Muylaert (32), retuned to the arena with C’est Dorijke he knew he could afford a fence down to seal the win and he used that leeway when too strong down to the vertical after the water, but it didn’t matter. The brilliant anchor partnership of Pedro Veniss (36) and the stallion Quabri de L’Isle, who had made it all look very elementary when clear first time out, didn’t need to go again. The top step of the podium was already secured, and when the final Dutch partnership of Jur Vrieling and VDL Glasgow vh Merelsnest retired after lowering three fences then the hosts had to settle for a final tally of 16 faults, well behind the winning team’s eight-fault total.

“I was feeling very confident coming here because we have Marlon and Pedro with Quabri and Sirene on our team, and also I felt my horse was really good in the Grand Prix” said Amaral this evening.  This young man who been twice Brazilian champion and who competed in the Pan-American Games in Toronto (CAN) in 2015, is Belgian-based and has trained with both Rodrigo Pessoa and his legendary father, Nelson Pessoa.

As the Brazilian celebrations began, Pedro Veniss pointed out that team spirit played a major role in today’s success. “We are not just team-mates but also friends. We really support each other to make it happen and winning the biggest class in the world with your best friends is really special!” he said. 

Result: 1, Brazil 8 faults - Sirene de la Motte (Marlon Modolo Zanotelli) 4/0, Germanico T (Felipe Amaral) 0/0, C’est Dorijke (Pedro Junqueira Muylaert) 8/4, Quabri de L’Isle (Pedro Veniss) 0/DNS; 2, Netherlands 16 faults - Dana Blue (Maikel van der Vleuten) 4/0, Zypria S (Willem Greve) 8/4k Sterehof’s Calimero (Marc Houtzager) 0/4, VDL Glasgow vh Merelsnest (J Vrieling) 4/Ret; 3, Spain 28 faults - Kastar Hof Ten Zoetendaele (Alvaro Diaz) 12/24, Valentino de Hus Z (Santiago Nunez) 8/0, Sandi Puigroq (Laura Roquet) 12/4, Ucello Massuere (Alberto Marquez Galobardes) 0/4.

Full result here 

Standings after Round 4 of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2019 Europe Division 1 series:

1. France - 260

2. Belgium - 245

3. Germany - 195

4. Switzerland - 180

5. Ireland - 160

6. Netherlands - 150

7. Austria - 135

8. Great Britain - 120

9. Italy -   90

10. Sweden -   60

Watch highlights here 

Russia will be represented by a Dressage team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after claiming the single spot on offer at the Group C Dressage qualifier staged at Maxima Park in Moscow (RUS) today. Group C covers Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia, embracing a total of 29 National Federations from FEI Regional Groups l, ll and lll, and the hosts pinned Belarus into runner-up spot in an exciting contest.

“It was the first time I performed in my motherland, usually I perform in Europe where sometimes I am the only participant under the flag of Russia at the event. Here I feel great support and at the same time all of us feel a big responsibility in this tournament. I fully concentrated on my performance, and each of us did everything for the sake of this victory today!” said Russia’s Tatyana Kosterina.

And the talented team from Belarus were gracious in defeat. “We are not rivals, we are all friends here. Of course, the Russian team is very strong. I think that we also managed to perform our best. We have a very young team” said Hanna Karasiova.

The Russians were looking good from the outset as Chef d’Equipe Anatoly Isachkin said after Thursday’s team announcement. “Our riders are all fairly experienced, three of them constantly perform and live in Europe - Elena Sidneva, Tatyana Kosterina and Evgenija Davydova. They have all been showing good results and we are optimistic - we want to win and to finally get a team to the Olympic Games!” he pointed out that afternoon. Today they succeeded in doing just that when filling four of the top-five places.

Svetlana Evschik, Chef d’Equipe for Belarus said during the teams announcement press conference that “the absolute leader of our team is Anna Karasiova and her horse Zodiac. There was a short period when she did not perform but nevertheless she showed good results in Nizhny Novgorod World Cup leg and we hope that the same will happen now. The second strong rider of our team is Olga Safronova - a rather young rider, last year she made her debut in the Grand Prix - she doesn’t have much experience in the Grand Prix, but her horse is very interesting and bright, and represented our country at the World Cup Final in Paris. Volha Ihumentsava competed at the European Championship but her horse was injured a year ago and in April 2019 it just took its first start after recovering. The fourth rider is a young athlete who can still compete in the U-25 category - Anastasiya Dudkova”, she pointed out.

It was Dudkova (22) and her easy-moving 11-year-old Trakehner gelding, Hofman, who were pathfinders for Belarus today, posting a score of 61.043 before Karasiova (35) and her gelding Zodiak lived up to their billing when putting the leading score of 69.804 on the board at the halfway stage. Ihumentsava (34) and the Hannoverian Ed Khardy earned a mark of 63.543 and then Safronova (27) and the impressive Sandro D’Amour rounded up the Belarus effort with 65.370.

Davydova (35), who along with Kosterina and Sidneva was a member of the Russian team that finished tenth at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon, USA, threw down the Russian challenge with a highly competitive score of 69.022 from her dark-bay KWPN mare, Awakening. And when Kosterina (41) backed that up with 69.087 from her mare Diavolessa VA, then the hosts were already looking very confident.

The Swedish spectators fell in love with Regina Isachkina’s (48) fabulous black stallion, Sun of May Life, at this year’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Gothenburg (SWE) where they finished 15th. And although the pair didn’t show the same level of harmony today, their score of 67.022 had already secured that treasured Tokyo qualifying slot even before Sidneva (54) entered the ring. 

Last to go, this lady whose career highlights include the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, three FEI World Equestrian Games, five FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals and six European Championships produced an effortless performance from the 10-year-old gelding Fuhur who, with the utmost composure, presented fabulous passage, piaffe and tempi changes to top the individual scoreboard with 72.022.  

The final team scoreline showed Russia on a total of 210.130 and Belarus with 198.717.

Result: 1, Russia 210.130; 2, Belarus 198.717.

Full result here (please scroll down)