GB GIRLS STORM TO VICTORY AT SAUT HERMES, PARIS
Sunday 20 March 2016
The female duo of Millie Allen and Emma O’Dwyer wiped the floor with the opposition at the CSIO 5* Saut Hermes show at the Grand Palais, Paris today in the Les Talents Hermes Under 25 International Team competition.
Millie Allen aged 18 years from Cleveland with Balou Star, an 11 year old bay stallion owned by Udo Oppermann and Emma O’Dwyer aged 21 years from Gloucestershire with Echo de Laubry, a 12 year old chestnut stallion owned by Royne Zetterman, annihilated the opposition by finishing both rounds on zero penalties – the only team able to do so.
The competition format was one that saw just two riders for each team come forward to contest the 1.45m course. With both scores counting, riders were then asked to jump again over a shortened course with all scores counting in addition to time being taken into account in the second round.
Great Britain v Ireland
At the end of the first round it was only GB and Ireland that managed to jump clears across both rounds to sit on zero penalties. Behind them was the USA and The Netherland on 8 penalties each as a result of each team rider picking up 4 penalties on the course.
With tension mounting, excitement around the arena really started to heat up when both first riders in the form of Millie for GB and Eoin McMahon for Ireland jumped clear leaving it down each teams second riders to determine their nation’s fate.
Emma appeared to thrive under the pressure delivering yet another foot-perfect round to break the finish line clear. For Ireland it wasn’t quite the same story as they saw themselves slip from jostling for first place to an overall 4th place finish when Michael Duffy lowered two fences on the course to pick up 8 penalties. With both riders for the USA and The Netherlands jumping clear in the second round they remained on their initial 8 penalties picked up during the first round. Their cumulative times though were faster than Irelands which saw them move up into 2nd and 3rd place respectively behind GB.
Applauding their talent
Talking after the competition an elated Di Lampard, World Class Performance Manager for Showjumping, couldn’t praise Millie and Emma’s performances enough. Having talked through the competition she said “They are both such talented riders it has been inspiring to watch them. They have performed well here all week and have worked together as a team with the focus very much being on the team competition today and their desire to win it. They really are two seriously talented riders for the future. They have been totally focused and were exceptional in the way they rode and claimed the class as their own”.
Results
For full results please visit http://results.scgvisual.com/2016/hermes/r8.html
For more information on the show or to watch the competition footage please visit www.sauthermes.com
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