After a disappointing Olympic experience in Paris, Team Germany proved that they are still one of the best in the world with a decisive win at the sixth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ held at Arville, Belgium, August 15-18.
A number of Olympic medallists and athletes came to compete at the beautiful venue including Olympic champions Michael Jung (GER) which added to the excitement for riders and spectators. Despite Jung retiring on the cross-country, the German team’s finishing score of 109.2 was good enough for first. France finished in second place on 119.2 while Great Britain finished third on 121.0, with the home nation Belgium in fourth on 143.0.
The German team might have been spearheaded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung and the experienced four-star horse Kilandra Ocean Power, but German chef d’equipe Rodolphe Scherer chose to select three younger riders to make up the team. It proved to be the right decision to take, since the three younger riders’ scores were the ones to count after Michael Jung’s cross-country retirement.
Twenty-three-year-old Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom of the Opera finished second overall, 26-year-old Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice finished 11th individually, while 23-year-old Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia 34 picked up a few time penalties on the cross-country to finish in 22nd.
Speaking after their win, Scherer spoke on behalf of the German team about their performance in Arville. “I am happy for the result because of the result but also because three of our riders were our younger riders. I came here with a lot of ambition because Calvin and Jérôme were reserved for the Olympics so it was a good team to come here.
“They all competed well. I am happy for these young riders because it’s a new generation and it’s good to see them win together.”
The cross-country course caused its fair share of drama with very few jumping clear rounds inside the time. There were a number of athletes picking up jumping penalties as well as retirements and eliminations at some of the combinations.
“It was a nice course, but it was a tough course with lots in it,” summed up Scherer, who himself competed at two Olympics for Team France. “You need to ride and be clever. It was more difficult if you look at the time. If you compete quiet it’s okay but if you ride for the time, of course it’s a little bit more difficult. But it was really encouraging for horses and very fair. Arville is a nice competition.”
He also explained what happened to the team’s most experienced rider on course, Michael Jung. “Micky had one runout at the water. He jumped good into the eater then turned and you have a skinny on the way out and the horse was a little bit behind the leg on the turn and he had a little runout. After that, he jumped up to the coffin which he jumped well then stopped because he knew that he could relax for the team and that the team could win without him. Little mistakes happen, one minute you win a gold medal and the next you have a runout.
“I think the Nation’s Cup is a perfect test for trainers, riders and for the team spirit. It’s really important to understand that sometimes eventing is not only an individual sport, sometimes it’s a team sport. For me it’s very important for the spirit and for the experience.”
Ten teams came forward for this leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™, many of them fielding athletes who had competed in Paris. Second-placed France fielded a strong team, including two riders who helped team France to team silver, Nicolas Touzaint and Gireg Le Coz (reserve athlete). The lone Canadian in the 4*, Kyle Morton riding Shannondale Gambit, placed 60th of the 88 finishers.
The series now moves to Lignières (FRA) from September 26-29, the penultimate leg before the final, which takes place in Boekelo (NED) in October. This result puts France out in front of the team standings on a score of 290 points, with Germany in second place on 240 points.
FULL RESULTS here.
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