Germany Tops Aachen

By Staff Report June 30, 2013

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister were the top U.S. finishers at the 2013 CHIO Aachen, where the local German team once again picked up the gold.

Overall, the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team finished seventh and Coudray 10th at the World Cup meet, which drew top competitors from around the world. Results for the CICO3* were finalized on June 29 after the show jumping class. This Nation’s Cup in eventing was part of the 2013 World Equestrian Festival that ran June 21-30 in Aachen, Germany.

For the second consecutive year, Germany wore the team crown, with four clear rounds  over course designer Rüdiger Schwarz’s exuberant and startlingly imaginative 25-question track, with 35 jumping efforts. (A virtual tour is on offer courtesy sponsor DHL by clicking here).

Great Britain finished in second with 182.6, while Sweden was third with 219.0.

Australia’s Christopher Burton and Holstein Park Leilani notched the top individual score after the only double-clear show jumping round on day three. The 31-year-old Burton led his Australian team to fourth place. He was the only rider to achieve the optimum Cross Country time of seven minutes and the only rider to finish the three-day event on his Dressage score (35.6).

As is so often the case, it was day two, cross country, that seemed to be the deciding factor. Also known as XC, this portion of three-day eventing is typically held on day two. Physically the most demanding challenge of the contest, it is designed to simulate the rigors of the hunt field, and involves an endurance gallop over hilly, natural terrain, with obstacles that include 90 degree vertical drops, keyholes and combination jumps in water

Extreme bravery is required, and while U.S. team members gave it their all, they were plagued by a series of misfortunes on cross country.

The American team failed to finish after Marilyn Little was unseated from RF Smoke On The Water at 8b and Will Faudree had the misfortune to fall at the very last fence with Pawlow. Though a disappointing end, the horses and riders come away with valuable experience that will serve them well when they next contest an international competition on such a grand scale.

Coudray (Ojai, CA) and Ringwood Magister made light work of Schwarz’s challenging course, but nonetheless added 14.8 time penalties to their dressage score. She and the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Jatial Inc.’s finished on a score of 57.8.

Texas-born Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, U.K.) and Universe hit a rough patch at 10c, having two refusals at the skinny triple brush following the Normandy bank. However, he and the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (owned by Jessica Montgomery, Carole Montgomery, Janet Higgins and Elizabeth Smith)  finished strongly throughout the rest of the course. The pair collected 85.6 penalties to finish on a score of 152.2 in 35th place.

Will Faudree (Hoffman, NC) and Pawlow set out on course looking to have a top performance for the U.S. team, but after Jennifer Mosing’s 14-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding pulled both front shoes early on course, it wasn’t meant to be. The pair had refusals at 8b, the corner in the Rolex water complex, and 21a at the STAWAG double corners complex, and then had their unfortunate fall when the gelding lost his footing on the landing. Both horse and rider were not hurt in the fall.

Marilyn Little (Frederick, MD) and RF Smoke on the Water began the course on mission but lost her line to 8b, the corner in the Rolex water complex, resulting in a rider tumble for Little. Both she and Raylyn Farms Inc. and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ 8-year-old Wurttemburger gelding came away unharmed, though the unfortunate result marred the otherwise successful year for the pair.

Of the 41 starters, three horse-and-rider combinations retired on course and three were eliminated.

Germany’s team manager, Hans Melzer, described it as “an incredible performance,” calling Aachen “an absolute must for the eventers, which is why we brought our best team with us.”  In the end, he said the result was closer than he expected.

Burton said the wet weather and ground conditions played into his mount Holstein Park Leilani’s favor, and he announced that this would be the 17-year-old mare’s last competition as the she is to be put in foal.

Burton also noted that since Australia has no eventing championship this year “we take Aachen especially seriously. I’m thrilled to win as the Germans are so successful at the moment.”

Having won the opening leg of the FEI Nations Cup Eventing season, at Fontainebleau (FRA), and finished second behind Britain at Houghton Hall (GBR), Germany retains the lead at this midway stage of this series.

After the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships at Malmö, Sweden, Aug. 29-Sept.1, there is a break until the last three legs of the FEI Nations Cup Eventing series resume at Montelibretti, Italy, Sept. 20-22. (The Polish leg at Strzegom in May had to be cancelled due to wet weather.)

The next CHIO World Equestrian Festival takes place July 11-20, 2014.

Results

1) Germany, 134.6 penalties

Sandra Auffarth/Opgun Louvo, 31.8 + 0 + 4 = 35.8; Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Leon, 38.6 + 0 + 8.4 = 47.0; Dirk Schrade/Hop and Skip, 41.0 + 4 + 6.8 = 51.8; (Michael Jung/Halunke FBW, 39.0 + 4 + 8.8 = 51.8)

2) Great Britain, 182.6

Kristina Cook/Miners Frolic, 42.2 + 1 + 7.6 = 50.8; Gemma Tattersall/Chico Bella P, 41.2 + 4 + 14 = 59.2; Izzy Taylor/KBIS Briarlands Matilda, 44.2 + 0 + 28.4 = 72.6; (Tom McEwen/Dry Old Party, 61.4 + 0 + 68.8 = 130.2)

3)  Sweden, 219.0

Frida Andersen/Herta, 47.2 + 8 + 3.6 = 58.8; Niklas Lindback/Mister Pooh, 41.2 + 0 + 37.2 = 78.4; Sara Algotsson-Ostholt/Reality 37.4 + 6 + 38.4 = 81.8; (Niklas Jonsson/First Lady, 45.0 + 12, RET) 37.4 4

4) Australia, 226.0

Christopher Burton/Holstein Park Leilani, 35.6 + 0 + 0 = 35.6; Paul Tapner/Wickstead Didgeridoo, 56.0 + 5 + 20.8 = 81.8; Andrew Hoy/Cheeky Calimbo, 32.6 + 4 + 72.0 = 108.6; (Bill Levett/Silk Stone, 52.0 + 12 + ELIM)

5) New Zealand, 247.8

Jonelle Richards/The Deputy, 55.6 + 15 + 7.2 = 77.8; Jock Paget/Clifton Lush, 38.8 + 5 + 40.8 = 84.6; Andrew Nicholson/Quimbo, 40.2 + 4 + 41.2 = 85.4; (Clarke Johnstone/Incognito, 49.8 + 0 + 82.0 = 131.8)

6) Ireland, 261.8

Joseph Murphy/Electric Cruise, 53.8 + 0 + 4.8 = 58.6; Austin O’Connor/Ringwood Mississippi, 56.6 + 16 + 18.8 = 91.4; Aidan Keogh/Master Tredstep, 49.0 + 4 + 58.8 = 111.8; (Sarah Ennis/Sugar Brown Babe, 47.8 + 0 + 66.4 = 116.2)

7) USA, 1,210.0

(Tiana Coudray/Ringwood Magister, 43.0 + 0 + 14.8 = 57.8; Clark Montgomery/Universe, 50.6 + 16 + 85.6 = 152.2; Will Faudree/Pawlow, 40.6 + 4 + ELIM; Marilyn Little/RF Smoke on the Water, 49.8 + 4 + ELIM)

Full details on www.chioaachen.de

 

FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing Leaderboard (after 3 of 6 events)

1) Germany 31 points

2) Great Britain 26

3) New Zealand 18

4) France 15

4) Australia 15

5) Netherlands 12

6) Italy 8

6) Sweden 8

7) Ireland 5

8) Spain 4

8) USA 4

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