2015 FEI Americas Jumping Championships

Following a familiar pattern, Brazilian athletes claimed a huge haul of gold at the FEI Americas Jumping Championships for Young Riders, Juniors, Pre-Juniors and Children 2015 which drew to a close at Capilla del Señor in Buenos Aires (ARG) last Sunday. Organised by the National Federation of Argentina, and staged from 2 to 8 November at Haras El Capricho which celebrates its 17th annual equestrian extravaganza this year, the event attracted 86 talented young competitors to the busy week of action.

A total of 10 countries were represented – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela – and the host nation had plenty to celebrate when claiming team gold in the Children’s Championship as well as the Junior Individual title earned by 2014 team silver medallist Santiago Orifici. There was a recurring theme throughout this year’s fixture, with many of last year’s medallists featuring once again as they continue on an exciting upward curve in their equestrian careers.

Children
It took a two-way jump-off to decide the Children’s team title when Argentina’s Los Pumas and Brazil’s Amarillo were tied on 12 faults each after three rounds. Amarillo’s Helena Malucelli Egoroff (Indira Rec) was eliminated, so when Raphael Halaban (Dito van de Rispen) picked up four, Lys Katherine Park Kang (Capuava Jmen) collected eight and Carlos Eduardo Zaniboni de Asumpcao (Cantilio Jmen) added three to his tally, then the Brazilian team total of 15 faults was five too many.

Because Argentina’s Richard Kierkegaard (Du Noble) never touched a pole so all the home side had to count was the single error from Lautaro Pena Bruno (Tres Marias Dominique) and the six picked up by Stefano Urtubey (Remonta Fijativo), discarding the eight racked up by Joaquin Lopez Picard (VR Chaplin) for a total of 10.

Bronze went to Brazil’s Verde selection of Laura Bosquirolli Tigre (Cher Da Boavista), Henrique Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo (Valentino), Felipe Pereira Teixeira (Cophia Topocart) and Thales Gabriel De Lima Marino (Coudeur Jmen) who pinned Argentina’s Las Leonas into fourth place by just a single time fault.

Laura Bosquirolli Tigre claimed individual gold for Brazil in fine style, the 14-year-old absolutely faultless throughout the three days of tough competition with her nine-year-old Brazilian-bred chestnut mare Cher Da Boavista. But it was a two-way tussle for silver and bronze when Paraguay’s Alexia Martinez (Quindaro) and Argentina’s Richard Kierkegaard (Du Noble) each added nothing more to the four faults they collected in the first qualifier. And it was tantalisingly close to the very end, with 13-year-old Martinez squeezing her Argentinean rival down to bronze spot by a margin of just 0.08 seconds when both went clear in a jump-off against the clock.

Pre-Juniors
Brazil claimed both gold and silver in the Pre-Junior team championship while Argentina claimed the bronze.

The two Brazilian selections were neck-and-neck after the first round when finishing on a zero score, but the Amarillo squad of Felipe Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo (Attil van’t Steenputje), Paulo Roberto Brasileiro Miranda (Charleston Jmen), Gabrielle Fontoura Berger (Quite Capitano) and Laura Ramos Rait (MD Quastor Jmen) only added four faults in the second round while Brazil Verde added eight.

The silver medal side included last year’s individual silver medal winning partnership of Siew Chiang Cheng and Asterix TW along with Amanda Do Mascimento Teixeira Santos (Intoyka), Filipe Baratella Risi (Bancouver de la Vaux) and Pedro Malucelli Egoroff (Bo). And they finished with a significant seven-fault advantage over the bronze medallists from Argentina Celeste who pipped Chile’s Azul, also by a seven-fault margin. Celeste’s Candela Oyarzabal (Chiquita Z), Lautaro Martin Borsotti Lugo (BM Gem de Baugy), Alex Dircie (Remonta Jamaiquina) and Francisco Leonforte (Nurmi Rouge) were carrying just three faults after the first round, so were well in touch with the leaders at that stage. The addition of 12 faults second time out however saw them having to settle for third spot in the final analysis.

Team gold medallist Ramos Rait was Pre-Junior individual champion in Vitacura, Chile last year with the same horse, but this time around she finished 10th in the individual rankings, while team silver medallist, Filipe Baratella Risi, came out on top with Vancouver de la Vaux.

Brazil completely dominated the individual podium, 15-year-old Baratella Risi pipping team gold medallist Fontoura Berger who had to settle for individual silver and Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo who took individual bronze.

Juniors
Argentina Celeste lost out by just a single time fault in the battle for Junior team gold, but team silver medallist, Santiago Orifici, clinched the individual title for the host country.

Celeste led the way after Martina Campi (Resistire Piam), Lihuel Gonzalez (Checa Z), Santiago Brandolino (Clon Cooper) and Orifici with Voloma posted a zero score, discarding the single error from Brandolino. But Brazil Verde’s Maria Victoria David Ludwig (Gizelle van de Watering), Pedro Grandi Backheuser) (Q’Pleasure de Bacon), Lucas Teixeira Lima (Alpha Condor) and Victoria Junqueira Ribeiro de Mendonca (Una Bella) carried just four faults into the second round and when they all went clear second time out that proved the winning score.

Campi’s single second-round time fault proved expensive for Argentina’s Celeste as, obliged to add the four posted by Gonzalez when Brandolino collected 12 at his second attempt and despite another clear from Orifici, the five-fault total relegated them to silver spot.

Team bronze went to the Brazil Amarillo side of Isabela Piovesan Dall=Oglio (GTI3), Nicolle Pantoja Margeotto (Chap Lando Z), Fred Morais Menezes Abdul-Hak Antelo (Salto Sela Platina Z) and Iury Guimaraes Bores (August Utopia) who finished well adrift on a final tally of 28 faults.

Orifici was immensely impressive, the 18-year-old who showed such promise at these Championships 12 months ago racking up further experience earlier this year when campaigning the Florida (USA) circuit and sealing his individual victory this year with a faultless week partnering the Dutch-bred Voloma.

Brazil took silver and bronze, Victoria Junqueira Ribeiro de Mendonca pipping her fellow team gold medallist Maria Victoria David Ludwig for the higher place on the podium.

Young Riders
The Brazilians took gold and silver in both the team and individual Young Riders competitions, and, underlining the value of Championships of this calibre, the new individual champion was a graduate from last year’s Junior podium.

The Young Riders team competition was a high-scoring affair, but Brazil Verde’s Yasmim Almendros Marinho Santos (Piaf de Quintin), Andre Moraes Mohr (Noa Noa Da Lagoa), Andre Joao Bacchi (Eye Catcher) and Thiago Aquino de Arruda Martins (Anneline) were already out in front on a nine-fault scoreline at the halfway stage and despite adding 17 more more second time out they won through emphatically. It was like old times for Almendros Marinho Santos, Moraes Mohr and Aquino de Arruda Martins as they were also members of Brazil’s winning Young Riders side in Chile 12 months ago.

Last year’s Junior individual champions, Giulia del Canton Scampini and Keep on Fighting, joined Rafael Rodrigues Moderno (El Santo), Anna Victoria de Lorenzi Campelo (Fleur de Vauxelles) and 2014 Junior individual bronze medallists Alberto Bento Sinimbu and Sharapova MCJ racled up a final tally of 44 faults for silver. And, despite posting 85 faults at the end of the day, Argentina Celeste’s three-member side of Carola Di Mambro (Tatabra Texas), Damian Dominino (Winbishi Be Eme Delenda), and Pablo Milito (CW Chelsie) claimed the bronze when the only other contenders from Argentina Bianco were eliminated in the second round.

Bento Sinimbu and Sharapova won the first qualifier and then collected nine faults over the two rounds of the team event. It was another win on the final day that clinched the individual title for the 18-year-old rider and his 13-year-old Brazilian-bred chestnut mare.

Team gold medallists Thiago Aquino de Arruda Martins and Anneline took individual silver and Chile’s Alexander Imschentzky (Salto Por Salto Centina) earned individual Young Riders bronze.

FEI Americas Jumping Championships 2015
Children’s Team: GOLD – Argentina Los Pumas, 10 faults in third-round jump-off: Du Noble (Richard Kierkkegaard), Tres Marias Dominique (Lautaro Pena Bruno), Remonta Fijativo (Stefano Urtubey), VR Chaplin (Joaquin Lopez Picard); SILVER – Brazil Amarillo, 15 faults in third-round jump-off: Dito van de Rispen (Raphael Halaban), Capuava Jmen (Lys Katherine Park Kang), Cantilio Jmen (Carlos Eduardo Zaniboni de Assumpcao, Indira Rec (Helena Malucelli Egoroff); BRONZE – Brazil Verde 20 faults: Cher Da Boavista (Laura Bosquirolli Tigre), Valentino (Henrique Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo), Sophia Topocart (Felipe Pereira Teixeira), Coudeur Jmen (Thales Gabriel De Lima Marino).

Children’s Individual: GOLD – Cher Da Boavista (Laura Bosquirolli Tigre) BRA 0/0/0//0/0; SILVER – Quindaro (Alexia Martinez) PAR 4/0/0/0/04/-35.55; BRONZE – Du Noble (Richard Kierkegaard) ARG 4/0/0/0/04-35.63.

Pre-Junior Team: GOLD – Brazil Amarillo 4 faults: Attil Van’t Steenputje (Felipe Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo), Charleston Jmen (Paulo Roberto Brasileiro Miranda), Quite Capitano (Gabrielle Fontoura Berger), MD Quaster Jmen (Laura Ramos Rait); SILVER – Brazil Verde 8 faults: Intoyka (Amanda Do Nascimento Teixeira Santos), Vancouver de la Vaux (Felipe Baratella Risi), Bo (Pedro Malucelli Egoroff), Asterix TW (Siew Chiang Cheng); BRONZE – Argentina Celeste 15 faults: Chiquita Z (Candela Oyarzabal), BM Gem de Baugy (Lautaro Martin Borsotti Lugo), Remonta Jamaiquina (Alex Dircie), Nurmi Rouge (Francisco Leonforte).

Pre-Junior Individual: GOLD – Vancourver de la Vaux (Filipe Baratella Risi) BRA 4.84; SILVER – Quite Capitano (Gabrielle Fontoura Berger) BRA 6.75; BRONZE – Attil van’t Steenputje (Felipe Piza de Toledo de Lorenzo) 9.13.

Junior Team: GOLD – Brazil Verde 4 faults: Gizelle van de Watering (Maria Victoria David Ludwig), Q’Pleasure de Bacon (Pedro Grandi Backheuser), Alpha Condor (Lucas Teixeira Lima), Una Bella (Victoria Junqueira Ribeiro de Mendonca); SILVER – Argentina Celeste 5 faults: Resistire Piam (Martina Campi), Checa Z (Lihuel Gonzalez), Clon Cooper (Santiago Brandolino), Voloma (Santiago Orifici); BRONZE – Brazil Amarillo 28 faults: GTI 3 (Isabela Piovesan Dall’Oglio), Chap Lando Z (Nicolle Pantoja Margeotto), Salto Sela Platina Z (Frede Morais Menezes Abdul-Hak Antelo), August Utopia (Iury Guimaraes Borges).

Junior Individual: GOLD – Voloma (Santiago Orifici) ARG 0; SILVER – Una Bella (Victoria Junqueira Ribeiro de Mendonca) BRA 6.60; BRONZE – Gizelle van de Watering (Maria Victoria David Ludwig) BRA 8.15.

Young Riders Team: GOLD – Brazil Verde 26 faults: Piaf de Quintin (Yasmin Almendros Marinho Santos), Noa Noa da Lagoa (Andre Moraes Mohr), Eye Catcher (Andre Joao Bacchi), Anneline (Thiago Aquino de Arruda Martins); SILVER – Brazil Amarillo 44 faults: Keep on Fighting (Giulia Dal Canton Scampini), El Santo (Rafael Rodeigues Moderno), Fleur de Vauxelles (Anna Victoria de Lorenzi Campelo), Sharapova MCJ (Alberto Bento Sinimbu); BRONZE – Argentina Celeste 85 faults: Tatabra Texas (Carola Di Mambro), Winbishi de Eme Delenda (Damian Dominino), CW Chelsie (Pablo Milito).

Young Riders Individual: GOLD – Sharapova MCJ (Alberto Bento Sinimbu) BRA 14.00; SILVER – Anneline (Thiago Aquino de Arruda Martins) BRA 17.04; BRONZE – Salto Por Salto Centina (Alexander Imschentzky) CHI 19.01.