Good evening Eventing Nation! I apologize for not checking in sooner today although I would imagine that I have missed you considerably more than you have missed me. After an exciting day of traveling I have arrived home for exactly 12 hours before my travels resume tomorrow. Until then, Jacky Green was kind enough to send us her report from the Le Lion show jumping. Thank you very much for all of the wonderful reports throughout the weekend Jacky, as always!
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From Jacky:
Showjumping at Le Lion in the main arena has a truly international feel with a large crowd, flags, a big screen and a course for the six year olds that was wide and very square but unusually with two doubles and no treble. Yet again the sun shone and on Sunday the scoreboard started to change with clear rounds at a premium as some horses climbed up and some plummeted down. Paul Tapner (AUS) and Indian Mill rode in last to go but suffered a sharp drop down the order with 4 rails to end up in 13th. Just 5 horses finished on their dressage scores which justly included the winner, Michael Jung (GER) on Rocana who rose from 3rd, Rosalind Canter (GB) moved from 4th to 2nd and 3rd placed Italian Emiliano Portale who rose from 9th place overnight. Sarah Algotsson-Ostholt (SWE) wound up in 5th from 20th and finally Tanya Kyle (GB) who went from 24th to 8th with her clear round. It was a great end to the Championships as the jumping had a serious impact on the results and as future stars of the event world that is how it should be.
The 7 year olds had a different course but again the showjumping proved very influential although it did not affect Kitty King (GB) and Zidante who had a rail but since most of the top 10 also pulled a rail she held on to her position. Andreas Brandt benefited most from his rare clear moving up to 2nd from 7th overnight being one of just 3 combinations to finish on his dressage score along with Malin Peterson (SWE) who went from 31st after dressage to eventual 8th and Ingrid Klimke (GER) who went from 31st to 9th.
As always Le Lion produced the goods and both classes would have seen the participants heading home with so much experience under their belts. As the sun dipped and the trucks pulled out of the stables it was a great way to end the 2011 season and may give a few pointers to the rising stars of next year and the 2016 Olympics.
