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Samsung Super League with FEI Update: Final in Barcelona

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18 September 2006 Author: webmaster
Germany takes the title, Ireland takes a dive 
 
Germany won the final round of the Samsung Super League with FEI 2006 and secured the series title at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain today where the Irish were forced to accept relegation despite a joint-fifth placing alongside Switzerland.

The Netherlands slotted into second and the USA’s hopes of scoring a back-to-back double of title wins we’re spoiled when they finished third. The British were seventh ahead of the French in eighth and the home team from Spain, enjoying an invitational visit to the Super League for just one day, were ninth, going out of contention after 27 first-round faults.

The Germans were already out in front on a zero score at the end of the first round after clears from Christian Laman and Coster, Rene Tebbel and Team Harmony Coupe de Coeur and Marcus Ehning with Gitania. Marco Kutscher’s Montender had an uncharacteristic stop at the water at fence eight to return a surprise score of 10 faults for the reigning European individual champions.

Frank Rothenberger´s 12-fence track was big and technical, with the treble combination at fence five, the following oxer and the line from the vertical at seven to the water at eight and the following Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 vertical at nine causing plenty of problems. The triple bar at the first element of the treble encouraged horses to jump in too boldly which left many struggling for lift-off at the second-element oxer and wrong again at the final vertical. It tested horsemanship and horse agility, but the Germans made it all look rather easy first time out.

The Dutch, determined not to look foolish by falling out of the Samsung Super League with FEI series only two weeks after winning team gold at the WEG in Aachen, carried just eight faults as round one concluded. Four fault results from Piet Raymaker´s and Van Schijndel´s Curtis and Jeroen Dubbeldam and BMC Up and Down at the treble and a mistake at the water when Gerco Schroder and Eurocommerce Berlin misjudged take-off at this one were added to a clear from Albert Zoer and Okidoki and The Netherlands was lying second ahead of the USA, Ireland and Switzerland, all drawn on 12 faults, at the halfway stage.

Only McLain Ward and the brilliant mare Sapphire left all the fences up for the US team as Margie Engle and Hidden Creek´s Quervo Gold hit the oxer three fences from home, Miss Independent put a foot in the water for Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden´s hard-pulling WEG silver medal winning partner Authentic picked up 16 faults for the drop store.

The Irish were buoyed up by an inspired opening clear from Capt Shane Carey and Killossery, and when Cameron Hanley´s single error with SIEC Hippica Kerman at the penultimate double allowed one of the double-errors from Billy Twomey and Anastasia and Marie Burke with Chippison to be erased things were still looking pretty cheery. Niklaus Schurtenberger and Cantus made a really bad mistake at the water but managed to get away with it to stay clear, but Christina Liebherr’s LB No Mercy followed four faults at the final element of the treble with a foot in the water and Werner Muff´s Plot Blue also got his feet wet after catching both the oxer at fence two and the tricky oxer that followed the treble for a total of 12.

Sweden, fighting it out with the Irish in the relegation battle and lying only two points ahead going into this deciding final, were trailing as round one concluded after eight faults from Maria Gretzer and Spender and the same for Peder Fredricson and H&M Magic Bengtsson left them adding one double-error to the single mistakes made by Lotta Schultz and Calibra and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson with Ninja la Silla. The performances of the latter two partnerships were to be pivotal in the final analysis.

The Swedes were joined on a 15-fault score by the French who had an un-nerving start when Pierre Jarry brought Haxelle Dampierre home with 12 faults on the board but Julián Epaillard was a steadying influence when clear with Icare du Manet and both Stephan Lafouge with Gabelou des Ores and Roger-Yves Bost with Ideal de la Loge provided their 16-fault tally at the halfway stage. Spain, on 17 faults, were already out of the frame.

As round two progressed the tension between the Swedes and Irish was ever-increasing and when pathfinder Gretzer had three down at her second attempt it seemed wide open. But Fredricson pulled it back with just a four-fault result this time while Schultz and Bengtsson produced magnificent clears. The French added 20 more, and their day concluded with the award of the Samsung Super League with FEI Leading Rider trophy to Stephan Lafouge. Meanwhile the British were having a difficult day. Lying equal-sixth on 16 faults after Tim Gredley had a fall from Omelli when they met the third wrong so that Michael and John Whitaker´s single mistakes with Insul Tech Portofino and Peppermill and William Funnell´s eight with Cortaflex Mondriaan had to be taken into account, they fell apart further as round two progressed. Both of the Whitaker brothers jumped clear at their second attempt but Gredley collected 16 and Funnell picked up a colosal 21 to leave them vulnerable. The Swiss added another 12 but Ireland´s chances were gravely damaged when Carey´s little gelding left four on the ground and when, despite some masterful riding, Twomey could only squeeze an eight-fault effort from his mare it was all slipping away. Burke produced a much more confident second-round four-fault tour of the track but by the time Hanley entered the arena it was already all over. Sweden had done enough to stay in, and the Irish were out of the Samsung Super League
with FEI series.

At the top end little altered as the USA added just four more to their score to complete with 16 faults, the Dutch produced three superb clears to maintain their eight-fault running tally and, not for the first time this season, Marcus Ehning was left with nothing to do when clears from Ahlmann and Tebbel were backed up by a much-improved four-fault result for Kutscher. With a total of just four, victory was in German hands and there was an air of quiet relief in the German camp.

“Five times this season I did not have to ride in the second round¨ Ehning pointed out with some amusement afterwards. When asked if he was disappointed that, as a result, he could not be a contender for the 25,000 CHF special prize for the Leading Rider of the series he replied, “We all CAME here as a team, not as individuals, that was my job”. When asked what he thought of the course he said ¨the second round was really easy¨ because of course he did not have to jump it and Kutscher was also in flying form. When he was asked what went wrong as Montender stopped at the water in the first round he replied ¨it was in the wrong place when I got there and I was a bit scared after that!¨ but he was convinced that this mistake would not prevent his horse from jumping clear the next time around, and he was right.

If the Germans were happy and relieved, the Swedes were ecstatic. Maria Gretzer, who has been the back-bone of the Swedish effort as both rider and team manager throughout 2006 and was full of praise for the strength of charácter shown by her side. And she was particularly delighted for Lotta Schultz. “Lotta lost nearly all of her horses in a terrible fire earlier this year but she has been so good all this season and today was her day¨she pointed out. Gretzer did not feel that the pressure of riding and managing the team was a huge burden;actually it was very nice,” she pointed out. “I travel with the horses and grooms, I’m totally involved so I understand all the problems very well,” she explained.

For the Irish it was a very tough end to a very tough year. ¨We are all disappointed for the team because they really put their hearts into it and the team spirit was exceptional¨said Robert Splaine. “We’ll have to sit down and think about what we are going to do for next year when the dust has settled, but, although things did not work out for us today I know we will be back. We belong in the Super League,” he added. Belonging to the Samsung Super League with FEI series has become a measure of success and security in international show jumping.

The Irish understand, and truly apréciate, the significance of the motto “Samsung Super League, Nacional Pride, International Passion!” And it looks like Belgium will be the team to take their place in 2007 ...


SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE WITH FEI 2006 – LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 8 IN BARCELONA:

1. Germany - 65.125
2. USA - 46.0
3. The Netherlands - 35.125
4. France - 35.0
5. Switzerland - 32.125
6. Great Britain - 30.0
7. Sweden - 27.125
8. Ireland - 22.0

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE - NATIONAL PRIDE, INTERNATIONAL PASSION!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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