Jodie Hall McAteer & Tixylix win Individual Silver at the 2015 Pony European Championships
Sunday 09 August 2015
Fantastic performances throughout the Pony European Championships in Malmo have seen 15 year-old Jodie Hall McAteer from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire win Individual Silver for Great Britain today.
Partnering Sarah Mendoza’s chestnut mare Tixylix they came forward on a zero penalty score for the Individual Final which saw the Top 30 competitors eligible to contest the three medal positions on offer. Having jumped clear across the three previous rounds of jumping, which had culminated with Great Britain winning Team Gold on Friday, she put in yet another brilliant performance in the first round today to deliver another clear.
At the end of the first round today it was six combinations who still carried forward zero to the second round, which all competitors were required to jump. Of the six it was only French rider, Justine Maerte with Shamrock du Gite, that managed to produce another clear with Jodie and the other all accruing 4 penalties each on the course.
With the Gold medal being awarded to France, the remaining five were then asked to come forward and jump off once again for the Silver and Bronze medal positions. With real grit and determination, Jodie tackled the task head on jumping clear in a time of 37.36 seconds which none of the others could even come close to meeting let alone beat! The Bronze position went to the only other rider that managed to finish clear and not add any additional penalties to their score; Belgium’s Thibault Philippaerts.
Talking afterwards about Jodie’s performance, Chef d’Equipe for the British Pony Teams said “Jodie has ridden with determination and a calm head all week. Tixylix is jumping out of her skin and they both thoroughly deserve the recognition that they have received here with being awarded Individual Silver. She has jumped six rounds throughout the Championships and to only have one fence down across them all is quite a feat. Her performance in the final jump off, under tremendous pressure, only serves to show the talent that she is and the great partnership she has built with Tixylix.
“It’s been a brilliant European Championships for us. We won Team Gold on Friday and all riders were fantastic. Then Individual Silver with Jodie today - we just couldn’t ask for more. For Great Britain, it’s been a Championships like no other in that we have won Team Gold in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, something none of us can ever recall happening before”.
For further information and full results please visit www.malmotown.com/malmocityhorseshow
The British Team are competing under the guidance of Youth Team Manager, Clare Whitaker and Pony Chef d’Equipe Matt Lanni and are supported by Animo UK, Champion Hats and NEXT.
The British Children, Pony, Junior and Young Rider teams are also supported by the UK Sport National Lottery funded World Class Programme. They are also kindly supported by official Equestrian Team GBR suppliers; Dodson & Horrell, Equi-Trek, Land Rover, NAF, Nuumed, Point Two Equine, Tagg Equestrian and Toggi.
