Media updates

Longines FEI European Eventing Championships: Germany takes control after Dressage

Media updates
11 September 2015 Author: RGR

By Kate Green

Germany is on track to win a fifth successive team gold medal after their third and fourth team riders, world champion Sandra Auffarth and Ingrid Klimke, rode superb Dressage tests at the Longines FEI European Eventing Championship at Blair Castle (GBR) today.

However, their team manager Hans Melzer is taking nothing for granted. “These riders are professionals and pressure is a good thing,” he said. “We have learned a lot from Fontainebleau [the 2009 FEI European Championship] when, having just won the Olympics in Hong Kong, we had a team disaster. So we will be concentrating hard and watching other teams, and also the weather, in case we need to change our plans about certain fences. But our horses are all well and we’re excited.”

World champion Sandra Auffarth, now in the lead on Opgun Louvo with 31.4 penalties, just 0.3 ahead of British individual Holly Woodhead, added: “Tomorrow is another day and I am focussed on that now, but I must admit that I am hopeful of doing well. I think this course will suit my horse.”

Klimke is currently in eighth place individually on Horseware Hale Bob with a score of 37.8. “I was a bit worried because the wind was blowing and ‘Bobby’ might be thinking he was going across country, but he did a wonderful job and was supple and obedient,” Klimke said of her Badminton runner-up.

“He has a rather ‘thoroughbred’ canter, which isn’t so great for Dressage, but he was very ‘through’ in his transitions and let me show how responsive he is to my aids. The Cross Country will be perfect for him because he is well balanced and full of energy. Our trainer Chris Bartle always reminds us that it’s not a Dressage competition!”

Great Britain, whose last European team gold medal was in Fontainebleau (FRA), are currently in second place, 10 penalties behind Germany.

Unusually, William Fox-Pitt (GBR) is the team discard score after a Dressage test that will have left the world number two slightly disappointed. He scored 43.0 on Bay My Hero, but any hopes of breaking the 40-penalty barrier were dashed with average marks for trot work and paces.

Instead, it was former dual European champion Pippa Funnell (GBR) who produced the counting score, 41.0, on the inexperienced nine-year-old Sandman 7. “I think the horse was a little nervous with all the people and the atmosphere and I know he could have done better but, for this stage of his career, I am very pleased with him,” she said of the gelding by Sandro Boy that she bought from Germany as a six-year-old.

“It’s a huge honour to be in the team. I was a little surprised, but I’m thrilled to be with William [Fox-Pitt] and Nicola [Wilson] again, and Kitty [King] has been going so well. What is exciting is the strength and depth we’ve got. Every one of the 12 British riders here could get a medal.”

The cost of one Cross Country mistake covers the top four teams after Dressage. France and Sweden, the bronze and silver team medallists in Malmö (SWE), are now in third and fourth positions and looking good in their quest to secure qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio next year.

Niklas Lindbäck (SWE), a team silver medallist in 2013, is best of the Swedish team in 10th place with a score of 38.1 on the 12-year-old bay mare Cendrillon. “I tried to do my best to help the team,” he said. “My horse did some amazing trot work but was a little bit tense in the canter. We struggled to keep it together but she was doing her best for me.

“We still have a long way to go as a team but if we do our usual Cross Country performance we should get there [to Rio]. However, we’re not thinking about that too much; we’re competing for medals!”

The Cross Country starts at 11.00 tomorrow. Follow all the action with live results on www.blair2015.com and coverage on FEI TV www.feitv.org.

 

Audio content:

Sandra Auffarth (GER), first place after Dressage, English:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Auffarth_fri_eng.mp3

 

Sandra Auffarth (GER) German:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Auffarth_Fri_ger.mp3

 

Pippa Funnell (GBR), 19th place:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Funnell_fri.mp3

 

Ingrid Klimke (GER), equal eighth, English:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Klimke_fri_eng.mp3

 

Ingrid Klimke (GER) German:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Klimke_fri_Ger.mp3

 

Niklas Lindback (SWE), 10th, English:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Lindback_Fri_eng.mp3

 

Niklas Lindback (SWE) Swedish:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_lindback_fri_swe.mp3

 

Francis Whittington (GBR), 7th:

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Longines_Whittington_fri.mp3

 

Individual Results after Dressage

1 Sandra Auffarth/Opgun Louvo (GER)* 31.4 penalties

2 Holly Woodhead/DHI Lupison (GBR) 31.7

3 Michael Jung/fischerTakinou (GER)* 33.5

4 Nicola Wilson/One Two Many (GBR)* 34.6

5 Thibaut Vallette/Qing du Briot ENE HN (FRA)* 36.8

6 Kitty King/Persimmon (GBR)* 36.9

7 Francis Whittington/Easy Target (GBR) 37.5

8= Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER)* 37.8

8= Laura Collett/Grand Manoeuvre (GBR) 37.8

10 Niklas Lindbäck/Cendrillon (SWE)* 38.1

*denotes team rider

 

Team Results after Dressage

1 Germany 102.7; 2 Great Britain 112.5; 3 France 115.2; 4 Sweden 119.4; 5 Italy 140.9; 6 Netherlands 143.0; 7 Ireland 143.7; 8 Belgium 148.1; 9 Switzerland 150.9; 10 Spain 156.4; 11 Russia 179.8

 

Notes to Editors:

 

Blair 2015 on social media

Facebook www.facebook.com/blairhorsetrials

Twitter @BCIHT #Blair2015

Instagram @BCIHT #Blair2015

 

UK Sport

The Longines FEI European Eventing Championship 2015 at Blair Castle forms part of UK Sport’s major events programme, which is investing around £40million of National Lottery funding to bring up to 100 world-class events to Great Britain to help build a strong legacy from London 2012 and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Championship is also supported by EventScotland, who have a longstanding relationship with the team at Blair Castle.

  

About Longines

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. Longines has generations of experience as official timekeeper of world championships and as partner of international sports federation. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the World’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With the winged hourglass as its emblem, the brand has outlets in over 140 countries.

As Top Partner of the FEI, Longines is Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Watch of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European, Chinese and North American Leagues, as well as the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final. The Swiss watch brand also supports as Timekeeper and Official Watch the FEI Furusiyya Nations Cup™ Jumping.

 

Blair 2015 Media Contact:

Bridget Jennings

Blair@jbpromotions.co.uk

+44 7850 822820

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