FEI European Pony Championships: 24-27 July, Avenches (SUI)

A recurring dream as Great Britain takes Jumping gold, again…  

Their winning streak began in 1997 and apart from a Dutch defiance in 2005, Great Britain has had the European Ponies Jumping title firmly gripped to their mantelpiece. This year proved to be no exception!

The competition was an exciting one indeed. After the first round three nations Denmark, Belgium and Ireland had put themselves in first place with a result of four faults only. Another three teams followed with a result of eight faults, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Germany.

When it came to round 2, the British showed off their nerves of steel – jumping brilliantly with just a time penalty to add to their initial 8 faults in Round 1 to take the lead. Among the team, George Whitaker, member of the renowned Whitaker family, riding the great piebald pony The Colour of Money, excelled by being one of the four double clears from the nations competition.

After two clears and one rider with a refusal on the three double jump and some time penalties, The Netherlands found themselves in the silver medal position with 15 faults. Denmark and Germany each sharing 16 faults had to face a jump off for the bronze medal. For Germany three clears by Anne-Elisa Schäfer, Laura Klaphake and again Maurice Tebbel proved convincing enough, and they were rewarded with team bronze. Denmark, whose debut in Round 1 had been promising, were relegated to fourth place.

A recurring name – Whitaker, George takes individual Jumping gold…

Finishing the Nations competition with two double clears left Britain’s George Whitaker, Holland’s Shanice Roozeboom, Germany’s Maurice Tebbel and Denmark’s Jessica Vinter Jenssen in top spot for the final individual competition. Indeed, they started the individual final in pole position, although time would show that no rider would be able to be all clear for the rest of the day. To err is human, and to err only very so slightly - one bar down and a time penalty in the second round – was what it took to declare George Whitaker winner of the FEI European Pony Jumping Championships.

It was just last week that his elder brother William defended the national colours to take team bronze and individual fourth place in Prague (CZE) at the FEI European Jumping Championships for Juniors Young Riders. It was now in the hands of Ian Whitakers younger son, John and Michael’s nephew - Geroge - to step up to the podium, earning both team and individual gold, another family accolade.

The winner of the silver medal is from a show jumping family as well, son of three times German master Rene Tebbel, Maurice.

“The course building was brilliant”, team chef of the British Katrina Moore said. “The first round of the Nations Cup was not so big and the competition was nicely built up this way. The individual final was technical. Especially the last line from the triple bar to the double proved to be difficult, resulting in some mistakes in the second of the double.”

Not any great jumper is a championship pony, Katrina Moore added. “Championship ponies have to have the stamina for at least four days! And not all great pony riders have the mental skills for championships too.”

Denmark’s Jessica Vinter Jenssen began with two double clears in the nations competition and with no medals to reward her on that front, she fought even harder when it came to the individual final, beating Britain’s Pippa Allen in a jump off for bronze with another clear round. For Pippa Allen this came as a bit of a disappointment as she had finished on forth place last year – however, with one year to go –perhaps her podium successes lay ahead of her…

Results - TEAM
1 GREAT BRITAIN 9
(Smith James, Mr Nice Guy 4, 1;  Whitaker George, the colour of money, 0, 0; Stoker Emma, Peron III, 4 (12); Allen Pippa, Spot the Lady (4), 0)
2 NETHERLANDS 15
(Roozeboom Shanice, Sambo Lino, 0, 0; Van de Wetering Robin, Liberty’s Magic Ball, 8, 0; Roelofsen Fabienne, Fred (9), 7; Schuttert Frank, Golden Eye, 0, (8))
3 GERMANY 16, after jump off 0
7 Schäfer Anna-Elisa. Mic Dundee the Gun, 4, (8) jump off 0; Löhden Josch (8), 4, jump of 4; Klaphake Laura, Jerome, 4, 4, jump off 0; Tebbel Maurice, Giovanni 0, 0,
4 DENMARK 16, after jump off 8
( Meinert Ketterle Shannon, Anydale Ron, 0, 4 jump off 0; Sisseck Alexandra, Top Jezabel de l’Etape, 4, 8, jump off 8; Barker Rikke Belinda, Kilconell Sam, (12), (20) jump off 8;  Vinter Jensen Jessica, Nikolina, 0, 0)
5. BELGIUM 20
6 IRELAND 21
7 FRANCE 34
8 NORWAY 68
9 SWEDEN in first round 28
10. ITALY in first round 30
11. POLAND in first round 36
12. FINLAND in first round 43
13. SWITZERLAND in first round 104

Results - INDIVIDUAL
1. GOLD Whitaker George, The colour of money (GBR) 5
2. SILVER Tebbel Maurice, Giovanni (GER) 9
3. BRONZE Vinter Jensen Jessica Nikolina DEN  12 after jump off 0 (34)
4. Pippa Allen, Spot the Lady (GBR) 12 after jump off 4 (32,9)
5. Klaphake Laura, Jerome (GER) 12 after jump off 4 (34,2)
6. Connell Shane, Murphy’s Flight (IRL) 16
6. Meinert Ketterle Shannon Anydale Ron (DEN) 16
6. Schäfer, Anna-Elisa, Mic Dundee the Gun (GER) 16
9. Sisseck Alexandra E, Top Jezabel de l’Etape (DEN) 18
9. Roozenboom Shanice, Sambo Lino (NED) 18
11. Lecomte Baptiste, Jimmersdor de Florys (FRA) 19
12. Burke Jessica, Bean Alaining (IRL) 20
13. Smith James, Mr Nice Guy (GBR) 21
14. Turkington Emily, Future Interest (IRL) 23
15. Werne Josephine, Classic Ways (SWE) 28
15. Löhden Josch, Bubbles Lollipop (GER) 28
15. Stampaert Chloe, Kleber du Hardrais (BEL) 28
15. Wellens Jef, Mississippi (BEL) 28