We know that indoor cross country isn’t really actual cross country, but we love it anyway for what it is: an exciting, fast-paced showcase of the sport that can get spectators pumped up and maybe even pique their interest in eventing. While the regular eventing season slows down in Euorpe, the indoor showcase season heats up and one of the largest indoor cross country events took place toward the end of last week at CHI Geneva, presented by La Tribune de Genève.
We’ve got several videos for you today of various competitors’ round. Above, Switzerland’s Robel Godel rides Grandeur de Lully CH to the win in front of a roaring home crowd. After a tough year, this was surely a shining moment for the Olympian, who dedicated this round to his late partner, Jet Set. The home country clinched another podium spot in third place finisher Nadja Minder riding Aquila B.
We saw a number of Olympians, of both the human and horse variety, out competing at CHI Geneva. Tokyo team bronze medalist for France Karim Florent Laghouag came in second riding 18-year-old Anglo Arabian gelding Punch de l’Esques who, after finishing top ten in his CCI5* debut at Pau in 2016, has become something for an arena eventing specialist, either winning or coming close with a second place finish at eight out of 10 FEI-recognized arena events between 2017 and 2020.
A really neat pair to watch finished in fourth place: Frenchman Maxime Livio, who coached the Thailand’s first ever Olympic evening team, rode his student’s Olympic mount: Arinadtha “Mint” Chavatanont‘s Boleybawn Prince. Here they are:
In fifth place was Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier with her Tokyo Olympic partner Alpaga d’Arville. Just behind them in sixth place was the one and only Michael Jung with up-and-comer Kilcandra Ocean Power, who will certainly be one to keep an eye on.
And what would we be if we didn’t leave you with an Andrew Hoy helmet cam to round out our video collection? Andrew rode Creevagh Cooley, a clever 13-year-old mare and a former ride of Michael Jung’s, to an 11th place finish. Enjoy the ride!
Want to see all the action? A reply with English commentary is available to H&C+ members here.
