Team Cavalor Produce Some Brilliant Rounds in La Baule Despite a 6th Place Finish
Friday 13 May 2016
The CSIO 5* Furusiyya Nations Cup series really got underway for GB Team Cavalor today when they contested their first qualifying leg of the Top Level series in La Baule, France. To say it has kick-started an Olympic year with considerable enthusiasm would be an understatement and Di Lampard, World Class Performance Manager for Showjumping couldn’t have looked happier with the way each combination came out and performed.
First Round
The excitement that surrounded London 2012 Team Gold medallists Nick Skelton and Big Star returning to team duty was incredible. Big Star won a special place in everyone’s heart with his incredible performance and enthusiasm for the job ahead of him in London four years ago and today was no exception when he jumped with the same eagerness, scope and enthusiasm as he did back then. Taking the role of pathfinder he delivered a spectacular clear and the support he got when he came through the finish line clear came not only from the rest of the GB Team but from riders across all nations such is their respect for Beverley Widdowson’s incredible 13 year-old bay stallion.
Joe Clee with Ludwig Criel’s 12 year-old bay stallion Utamaro d’Ecaussines looked as brilliant as they have done in previous years. A superb performance saw them return clear , despite Utamaro looking a little too enthusiastic at one point on the course! Ben Maher and Diva II, an 11 year-old chestnut mare owned by Tatiana Korsakova, were incredibly unlucky when a touch in front on an up-to-height vertical saw it lower and 4 penalties accrued in what was otherwise a faultless round.
Michael Whitaker with Cassionato, the 11 year-old grey stallion also owned by Beverley Widdowson, looked incredible. The huge jumping and flamboyant Cassionato never looked better despite the ground beginning to get rather slippery in places to deliver yet another clear for GB.
At the end of the second round, where the top three scores count, GB finished on zero penalties joined by Switzerland, The Netherlands and the USA. France sat in 5th place on 4 penalties whilst Germany held onto 6th on 8 penalties. Belgium and Brazil were positioned in 7th and 8th place on 9 and 13 penalties respectively.
Second Round
Big Star and Nick looked like they had never been away from top level teams when they returned back into the arena and posted a second clear. Big Star, who was described by the commentator during his round as a ‘Wonder Horse’ looked ecstatic to be back in the ring and made the course look incredibly easy as he made his way around it.
For Joe Clee and Utamaro their round looked set to mirror their first with this great little stallion looking like he was jumping for fun. Smoothly through the combination, they turned back towards home, but jumping slightly on the angle saw the top pole topple on the vertical over the water tray to pick up 4 penalties. Ben Maher and the British Bred mare Diva picked up 8 penalties when the back pole of an early on oxer fell followed by the front pole of an oxer coming out of the double which was the penultimate fence on the course.
Michael Whitaker and Cassionato started out incredibly, however the final line towards home saw their fortunes change when the penultimate fence, the double, once again caused problems for GB. This time it was the first element which lowered. It was then an unsettled few strides to the last which saw it fall also to give them a finish score of 8 penalties.
Final Stages
It was an emotional roller-coaster of an afternoon which saw nations fortunes change by the minute during the closing stages of the competition. Hopes were brutally dashed when fences fell, no less so than when our final rider in Michael, who was also the last rider of the entire competition, incurred 8 undeserved penalties to see us drop into 6th place with an overall 12 penalty score. For France, their pain would have been even more hard felt when their final rider, Roger Yves Bost, picked up a time penalty which made the difference of them winning the competition to their 3rd place finish.
It was the Netherlands who took to the podium, winning with just 1 time penalty picked up during the second round. The USA, who had delivered four clears in the first round took 2nd on 4 penalties whilst Switzerland and Germany finished in joint 4th on 8 penalties.
Talking afterwards, Di Lampard commented “It has certainly been a competition of highs, lows and mixed emotions. A couple of horses were short of a show, for instance Utamaro had been planned for Lummen which was then rained off but I’m actually really pleased with them all. It’s great to see Big Star back and jumping like he is. Utamaro put in a great clear and was unlucky in the second round not to give another. Cassionato jumped really well and then just got a bit rattled by the crowds at the end. The ground wouldn’t have suited Diva as was very soft but on the whole they all went well and it was a great experience. We’ve learnt a lot from it today and looking forward there is a lot of positives that have come out of it here in La Baule. All in all I feel pretty optimistic for the season ahead. We are looking to peak in August with Rio in mind and this has been a great start to the season in terms of performance.”
Great Britain pick up 55 points at this, their first point scoring round of the CSIO 5* Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series for 2016. The other nations collecting points were the Netherlands with 100 points as winners of the competition, France with 80 points, Germany 65 points and Belgium 50 points. Points to the nations which were collecting points at Lummen which was rained off last week will be calculated and allocated at the end of the Western European Division 1 qualifying legs.
RESULTS:
1. Netherlands (1)
2. USA (4)
3. France (5)
4. Switzerland (8)
Germany (8)
6. Great Britain (12)
7. Belgium (18)
8. Brazil (22)
All eyes now turn to the Grand Prix in La Baule which takes place on Sunday 15 May 2016 at 14:00 local time.
British Showjumping would like to thank Cavalor, who are the title sponsors of their Senior Nations Cup Teams. More information on Cavalor and their products dedicated to the nutritional needs of high performance horses can be found at www.cavalor.com/uk-en.
The British Jumping teams are also supported by the Equestrian World Class Programme.
The programme, which encompasses both Podium and Podium Potential squads, focuses on identifying talent, developing potential and maximising medal winning performances on the world stage. The Programme has been funded by the National Lottery via UK Sport since 1998 and is a portfolio within the British Equestrian Federation.
Further information on the show, and full results can be found by visiting www.labaule-cheval.com. Full information in respect of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series can be found by visiting www.fei.org.
kjk7q3j4yode.jpg "British riders feature strongly in the Pony Grand Prix of Compiegne")
