Veterans bring home Team Bronze and Individual Silver from the Veteran European Championships
Monday 02 August 2021
Great Britain brought home team bronze and individual silver from the Veteran European Championships in Le Mans, France, under the title sponsor banner of Team NAF.
The British team battled for team bronze in a three-round competition. The results of day one’s Table C speed (seconds added for a knockdown) were converted to penalty points to decide the team places – and ultimately individual scores – in the early stages. Britain stood in second of ten teams on 8.21 points, 5.09 behind the leaders France on 3.12 with Italy hot on our heels on 9.00 in third.
But 12 faults in the second leg dropped Britain to fourth, allowing Germany to move up while France held on to the top spot adding just four faults to their score. Britain fought back hard in the third leg to haul themselves back onto the podium.
Pathfinder Sharon Polding was Britain’s best initial score with a fast clear for third and a score of 0.92 with the 14-year-old mare Findon Firecracker. But the pair uncharacteristically lost form in the second and third legs to drop down the order.
Michaela Tomlinson, on a day one score of 5.21 penalty points, boosted chances with a double clear aboard her 11-year-old grey mare Birmena.
Julia Hardy and the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Mista Blue carried 4.10 points and returned 12 faults in the second leg but came back fighting with a clear in leg three to keep Britain in the hunt.
“Sharon did a great first round but tweaked an old knee injury and had to wear a knee brace which affected her Nations Cup rounds; she rode amazing to finish the course while Julia overcame nerves to jump a clear,” said Chef D’Equipe Anne Newbery. “It’s a super venue but the sand arena is a little dead and has quite a gradient to it. The course-designer used the arena very cleverly to set challenging courses and he got good results, but you needed consistent 1.30m horses at the top of their game.”
It was down to anchor Helen Rees and her Lord Z 15-year-old consistent 1.30m winner Bart VI. But it almost went wrong on day one when a misperception in communication resulted in a stop towards the end of the course.
“I was five sec up approaching a short-strided double of verticals, so I took a little pull to just pop in and I don’t know if Bart thought we’d finished but he pulled up,” explained Helen, who quickly turned around and jumped it – “A circle and the added seconds dropped us down, I’d have still won if we’d have had one down!”
They redeemed themselves. Clear in the second leg, a medal and podium place depended on Helen jumping another clear. The German team were breathing down Britain’s neck just 2.67 points behind. A rail down and Britain would drop to fourth, handing Germany the bronze. But no-one need have worried, Helen brushed aside any pressure to storm home clear for bronze.
France also posted a third leg zero score to take gold on 7.12 points with Italy in silver on 13. Team GBR totalled 20.21 to take bronze.
Fifth member Ellen Blackburn posted eight fault rounds but was pleased the seven-year-old Millfield Lyric’s performance – “I’m so proud of her considering her age and experience around a tough track.”
Helen was full of praise for Anne and British Showjumping’s support.
“Anne was a fantastic Chef d’Equipe and there was great team spirit,” said Helen. “British Showjumping excelled with the kit – fabulous rugs, Lemieux numnahs, ear veils, T-shirts, tops and a fantastic Animo jacket all with the NAF logo.”
Helen lifted the individual silver medal on the final day with Bart VI but the slight miscommunication on day one had cost her dear.
“That little misunderstanding cost us the gold,” she said on their day one ninth place.
Aided by their Nations Cup double clear, the pair started individual day in the bronze medal position and, as rules dictate, going in reverse order of merit piled the pressure on the final riders in the medal positions.
Nonetheless, there is great belief between Helen and Bart VI, and any pressure was dismissed as they came home with a clear in round A. Although, there was one anxious moment.
“I lost my reins down the six-stride distance between fences four and five, sat back and was fishing for my rein, managed to take a little pull, put in an extra stride and he popped it no trouble,” explained Helen.
They moved up to silver when Italy’s Susanna Violanti came home on four with Dijon but France’s Anne Sophie Vancrayelinghe made no mistake and remained in gold on Printemps Du Saussy.
It all hinged on the final round, and it was close at the top as less than three points separated the top four. A single mistake would drop any of them off the podium. But the results stayed the same as the top six all supplied clears.
Anne Sophie landed gold on 1.02 points with Helen in silver 2.17 points behind on 3.19. Bronze was awarded to Germany’s Udo Kloetzel with Sleeta just 0.14 points behind on 3.33.
“I would have loved to have been able to jump-off for the medals, but he climbed mountains, jumping clear every day and didn’t touch a pole all week – or felt like he would – to get me on the podium,” said Helen, who also won two 1.20m supporting classes and was second in another with Bianca Du Rouet.
British Showjumping would like to thank NAF, title sponsors of the Senior Nations Cup Teams along with the Pony, Children, Junior, Young Rider and Veteran teams.
NAF’s premium range of Five Star brands include Superflex, Superflex Senior, PROFEET, Optimum, Magic, Oestress and Respirator Boost with quality at the heart of everything they do. They are a UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme), GMP+ (International Feed Assurance Scheme) and BETA NOPS (Naturally Occuring Prohibited Substances) accredited company and this enables them to guarantee full traceability on all the natural ingredients they utilise in their formulations, which are also selected in compliance with the FEI guidelines for Clean Sport. For further information, visit www.naf-equine.eu/uk/index.jsp.
The GBR showjumping teams are supported by the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Programme, funded by UK Sport through the National Lottery. The Programme focuses on identifying talent, developing potential and maximising medal-winning performances on the world stage. The teams are further supported by LeMieux, who supply the teams with saddlepads and rugs.
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