SPORTS PONY STUDBOOK SOCIETY A DEFRA approved Passport Issuing Organisation Studbook Office: The Last House, Keysoe Row West, Keysoe, Bedfordshire MK44 2JJ Tel: 07703 566066 Email: |
Note that the SPSS Office relocated in April 2014 and the contact details at the top of the page should now be used for all contact with the SPSS | ||||
Home | Information & FAQ | Membership | Passports | Registration |
Stallions | For Sale | Grading | Events |
2014 FEI EUROPEAN PONY CHAMPIONSHIPS |
|
Day 2 Report
Final Part of Dressage Team Competition
First (individual) round in the Jumping
First part of Eventing dressage
(Click on heading to jump to that report) |
The second and final group of riders competed today to decide the Team
Dressage medals. GB had finished in 3rd place overnight behind
Denmark and Germany but ahead of The Netherlands, so the
pressure was on the last two riders for all nations to gain the scores
to maintain or improve their team's position
GB supporters had to watch 5 other riders (including the 3rd for Denmark
who went into the lead) before Rebecca Bell & Valido's Sunshine (Valido
x Marieton's Jasper) entered the ring. As they scored a personal
best at last year's Pony Euros, hopes were high. However, although
the test seemed smooth and competent, with only a slight interruption in
the rhythm in one extended trot, and no mark was lower than 6.5, the
judges awarded few 8s for a final score of 71.077% which out her
slightly ahead of Isy & Langar.
So, after 3 riders for each team had gone, the leader board remained as
it had been from the start - Denmark, Germany then GB. Denmark's
fourth rider Sara Van Deurs Petersen & Farbenfroh (Farewell I x
Rakt's Rocky) was the first of these 3 nations to ride and there were
gasps when Farbenfroh broke into canter in the second extended trot.
However, with the rest of her trot and her canter work attacting lots of
8s, she finished on 74.123% and went into the lead individually as well
as reinforcing Denmark's position at the top of the team leader board.
GB supporters had to wait for just 2 more ponies to go before the last
of the British riders, Phoebe Peters and Danish-bred SL Lucci
(Lukas x Bazar). In 2013, Phoebe and Lucci were the highest
scoring British combinations achieving an impressive 77.795% in the team test
then last year they scored 76.590%.
This year, a score of over 79% was needed to go ahead of Germany and
Denmark and claim the Gold. GB supporters knew this could be
achieved as Phoebe and Lucci had scored 79.872 in Compiègne in June as
well as over 80% in 2014 (also in Compiègne).
Phoebe rode a super accurate test (including 3 lovely square halts) and
she was rewarded with 4 perfect tens - 2 from the judge at C for her
simple changes (always one of her strengths) and then 2 for her riding
(from the judges at C and M). This took Phoebe firmly into the
lead individually - and took the GB team just
ahead of Denmark & Germany into GOLD medal position. However, with
the final rider for Germany the last to go, nothing was certain as a
score of 76+% would be enough to take their team ahead of GB.
So, all spectators were agog as Nadine Krause & Cyrill WE
(FS Champion de Luxe x Power Man) rose to the challenge with a lovely
test, apart from a small hesitation in one walk pirouette and a tiny
loss of balance in the medium canter, that gained 75.769% and so Germany
went ahead of Denmark but stayed just behind GB and it was indeed the
first Pony Dressage Team Gold for GB.
For Phoebe Peters and Rebecca Bell this means they now have a full set
of Team Medal colours with Bronze in 2013 and Silver in 2014. Isy
and Clare however have gone straight to Gold as both were on their first
Pony Euros. Only Clare is young enough to be eligible for next
year, but what a super way for the other 3 to end their pony careers -
and of course there are still the 2 individual competitions left and the
first of these starts at 3.30 tomorrow evening before concluding on
Saturday morning, then the top 15 riders (no more than 3 from each
country) qualify for the Kur on Sunday afternoon.
The British team final average score of 74.256% is just ahead of the
2014 Silver medal winning average score of 74.085% exceeded the 73.222%
average of 2013 (which in itself had been way ahead of the previous best
final average of 70.333%).
All riders do go forward to the Individual round, which takes place on
Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Overall, for GB - Phoebe
finished 1st, Clare finished 11th, Rebecca 13th and Isy 14th - so, as in
2014, all 4 GB riders have finished in the
top 15 and once again shows both the
quality of ponies and riders in the team this year and how hard they've
worked to improve.
At the Press Conference
afterwards, the Judge at C, Mariette Sanders, congratulated the
organisation and good sport before saying how the standard of ponies had
increased with the top ones being of outstanding quality. Mariette
said all of the judges were very happy and congratulated Phoebe on her
unbelievable performance.
The Prize Giving was held
at 8pm after the first round of the Jumping competition had finished.
The Gold medals were there for the taking! |
Rebecca Bell & Valido's Sunshine
Phoebe Peters & SL Lucci
Waiting for the press conference
The GOLD medal wining British team and their Chef d'Equipe & Team Trainer on the podium
SPSS Elite graded stallion Rembrandt DDH stands patiently during the playing of the National Anthem and the raising of the flags |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From left, the German, British and Danish Teams listen while overa;; top scoring rider, GB's Phoebe Peters, is interviewed. |
The first session of the Eventing Dressage featured one of the GB individuals and the first two of the team riders. First to go in were team pathfinders, Phoebe Locke & British-bred part-bred Connemara Quay (Kuwait Beach x Haddon Conquest) and despite the mare being somewhat spooky about the judges hut before they started, they produced a nice test that scored 70.45% which equates to 44.3 penalties and they were 2nd after one rider had been for each country.
Individuals, Phoebe Nicholson & British-bred WPCS Sec D Llanstephan Brenin (Pennardd Annwfn x Synod Rascal) were next and they scored 67.2% (49.2 penalties) for 7th place at the time.
Last of the first day British combinations were Harriet Wright & Foxtown Cufflynx (Westside Mirah x Ashfield Hunters Jewel) who had a few problems with tension, with Cufflynx losing focus during the "stretchy" trot and then the walk being quite fragile. However, they still scored 64.77% (54.8 penalties)
Overall, at the end of the day, the Dutch team had established a lead of 9.9 penalties from GB in silver and Ireland just one mark behind in Bronze. However, as each team of 4 can drop their lowest score, so the results at the end of the first day often change.
Individually, with the first 31 riders having completed their tests, Phoebe Locke & Quay are in 5th, Phoebe Nicholson & Llanstephan Brenin are in 14th and Harriet Wright & Foxtown Cufflynx are in 18th.
Interestingly, SPSS Elite graded stallion and Team Gold medallist for GB (2015) as well as NED (2010), Rembrandt DDH has a baby sister on the German Pony Euros Eventing team! Pretty in Black and "Remy" are both by Renoir and out of Prinzess (by Viktoria's Chirac) and bred by Heinz Mueller. Pretty in Black is ridden by Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau and as she was born in 2007, she is 6 years younger than Remy. Currently in the lead after the first session of Eventing Dressage with a great score of 77.12% (34.3 penalties).
The remaining team and individual riders do their tests on Friday. |
Phoebe Locke & Quay
Phoebe Nicholson & Llanstephan Brenin
Harriet Wright & Foxtown Cufflynx
|
The first part of the Jumping European Championships is a single round,
up to 1.30m in height, against the clock that traditionally counts
towards the Individual Championships and also decides the ranking for
the Team Championships. The course, designed by Peter Lunstrom
from Sweden, didn't prove to be as challenging as in 2014 (when there were just 13 clear rounds and
3 ponies were eliminated) as there were 25 clear rounds in the time and
just one Elimination (for 2 refusals) in the 51 starters.
Three GB riders had good rounds with Jodie Hall Mcateer & Tixylix
and Charlotte Ash & Aughnashammer achieving a clear rounds within
the time to finish in 22nd & 23rd places respecitvely. Then
Jessica Hewitt & British-bred Ammanvalley Santino jumped clear
but got just one time fault to finish in 26th place
Unfortunately, Jack Whitaker & Zodianne van de Doevenbree
didn't have the best round as they had an early stop then fences down
and time faults left them on 18 faults and languishing in 51st place.
However, as he could be the drop score, GB finished on 1 penalty and
went forward to the Team Competition behind those teams that had
finished on zero.
|
Jodie Hall Mcateer & Tixylix
Charlotte Ash & Aughnashammer
|
Jessica Hewitt & Ammanvalley Santino |
Jack Whitaker & Zodianne van de Doevenbree |
The Sports Pony Studbook Society Studbook Office: The Last House, Keysoe Row West, Keysoe, Bedfordshire MK44 2JJ Tel: 07703 566066 Email: |