France Takes FEI Eventing Nations Cup Honours on Residence Turf
Gwendolen Fer (FRA) driving Romantic Love – FEI/Libby Legislation Pictures.
The house facet dominated the French leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ from starting till finish. Their general rating of 101.5 put them nicely forward of Belgium, who accomplished on 142.8. Third place went to Nice Britain who completed on 149.9.
This was the fifth leg of this common collection which came about for the primary time at Haras de Jardy, Normandy and attracted 9 European nations in addition to Australia. The victorious French crew was made up of skilled crew members Maxime Livio and Gwendolyn Fer, along with up-and-coming expertise, Julie Simone and Camille Lejeune. All 4 riders carried out nicely sufficient to place them inside the highest ten with Livio profitable the CCIO4*-NC individually on the spectacular gray, Api Du Libaire, and Lejeune ending in second place aboard Dame Decoeur Tardonne.
Talking after the occasion, the triumphant Livio summed up the consequence for his crew and his personal efficiency along with his Selle Francais gelding. “It’s all the time an incredible feeling to have such a win, particularly after we are in France for the French crew. I’m more than happy particularly for this horse as a result of he has come again on the excessive stage simply this week and he concluded with a win and I’m so pleased. It was his first huge present of the season, so the strain was a bit increased. It’s all the time a pleasure to experience at Jardy as a result of it’s a pleasant place for the horses, and it was a pleasure to come back again with one in every of my high horses and I used to be happy. I actually appreciated his mentality as a result of he was actually related with me.”
With world-renowned course designer Pierre Michelet answerable for the cross-country, riders knew they might face a tricky take a look at. The French designer has designed various championship programs, together with the Rio Olympics, the 2014 FEI World Championships in Haras du Pin, and Pau CCI 5*. While France led all through, the cross-country course shook up the order beneath that. Germany, who was second behind France after the primary part, had just one rider full the competitors and subsequently completed in tenth, the underside of the desk.
Camille Lejeune commented on the severity of the cross-country course, which proved to be notably influential and noticed various eliminations, retirements, and each leaping and time faults all through the day. “That was the primary time for the Nations Cup in Jardy. It was a really powerful course, very twisty, a number of fences and numerous jumps. One thing like 40 jumps in six minutes 38, so it was a really fast race. Every part was nice with my horse.”
Livio was pleased to be driving a extra skilled horse on the cross-country. “The course was technical, with many combos and massive angles and totally different striding with many selections for the riders, however my horse may be very skilled, so I used to be fairly assured. The time right here is all the time troublesome, so I made a decision to go for the time at first of the course after which simply really feel my horse. From starting to finish, he was very motivated and centered on every fence, so he completed contained in the time and I feel he loved quite a bit, the course.”
The sixth leg of the Nations Cup performs out in Avenches (Switzerland), which takes place from 20-23 July. The Sequence will conclude at Boekelo (NED) from 4-8 October, the place the ultimate Paris Olympics crew place might be awarded to the best place nation not already certified. Belgium, who’s a type of nations searching for a spot in Paris, proceed to steer the collection on 440 factors. They’ve focused the Nations Cup for the aim of serving to their probability of qualification, and have despatched a crew to everybody to this point.
by Eleanore Kelly
