Michael Jung wind again but Mark Todd finishes in second position
The stands were full and the spectators had to wait until the 26th rider competed to finally see a clear round! The show jumping test played a determining role.
It was difficult to complete the course in the allowed time as was the case yesterday, especially for horses which were exhausted by the cross country test.
It was a hard fought final round and a very tight competition at the end. 8th in the provisional line-up, Karim-Florent Laghouag and Neros du Faubourg performed the most magnificent clear round of the competition and chose all the short options without knocking down a single pole. The rider and horse pair took advantage of the difficulties of their successors and achieved the best French performance by finishing 5th.
The top three riders were separated by less than four faults. Not one of them could afford to make the slightest mistake. Mark Todd & Regent Lad achieved a clear round and ensured their second place. Following them was the current World Champion, who had four faults with Weidezaunprofi's River of Joy and was clear with Leopin. The spectators had to wait for the Belgian rider, who did not have much leeway, to enter the arena and complete her round, before witnessing another victory for Michael Jung. One down in the triple relegated Karin Donckers to the 3rd step of the podium.
This was a wonderful final for this 20th edition and a 4th win in a row for Michael Jung...
The young French riders experienced more difficulties in this final test. Even so, Laurène Blin Delamare, Esteban Nedelec and Camille Geiger were present at the prize giving ceremony which rewarded 19 rider and horse pairs.
Pouchkine d'Arcy confirmed as the best horse in the 8 years-old category
Véronique Real and Pouchkine d'Arcy went up two places following their round where they notched up 4 faults. However Pouchkine d'Arcy was still in fine form. 8th in the final line-up, the rider and horse pair won the 1st prize reserved for 8-year-old horses and Véronique Real won the trophy for the best woman rider of the cross country test. Obélix (Jean Teulère) followed by Punch de l'Esques (Karim-Florent Laghouag) completed the podium for 8-year-old horses.
A very nice contest !
If the public was packed around the sides of the arena, it was also due to the show that had been announced. The Carrousel of the Lances performed by the Republican Guard delighted the spectators. This was perfect display was a reminder of what the French cavalry used to be.
An eco-responsible competition
For the 20th anniversary of the CCI, Compiègne Equestre has stopped using plastic disposable glasses. Like many other music festivals, the competition offered consumers returnable glasses in exchange for a deposit of €1.
This is an effective way of fighting against the increase in the amount of refuse and allows the equestrian stadium to be preserved. This was a noteworthy initiative and even more so as the glasses bore the logo of the 20th anniversary of the CCI**.
Practical Information
Sunday, on the grass ground:
8.30 am: 2nd vet inspection
10.30 am : MASS with the brassband of the Republican Guard
From 2.00 pm : SHOW JUMPING
After the prize giving ceremony : THE CARROUSEL OF THE LANCES performed by the Republican Guard
Hard to finish the course in the allowed time
Compiègne’s cross-country course, designed by Pierre Michelet, was able to take advantage of the bright sunny weather. The horses had to put up with almost summer temperatures during the cross country test which turned out to be demanding. The main difficulty the riders had to face was the allowed time: 8'11". Out of the 72 competitors who started the test, only 7 of them managed to be clear in the optimum time. After the test, 61 rider and horse pairs were still in the competition.
There were no major shake-ups apart from Bettina Hoy’s minor fall. Michael Jung played musical chairs and interchanged two of his places, putting Leopin before River of Joy. The New Zealand legend, Mark Todd, went into the lead in the provisional line-up for a short while, before Karin Donckers established her leadership despite accumulating 1.6 points for exceeding the allowed time. Rêve d'été de Mirland and Éric Vigeanel, went up to the 7th place, followed closely by Karim-Florent Laghouag.
Focus on… Véronique Réal & Pouchkine d'Arcy
The rider and horse pair from Aquitaine (South East France) is in the lead in the ranking reserved for 8-year-old horses. After the dressage test, the attractive bay coloured horse with lots of blood (by Volchebnik) and bred by Thierry Touzaint was 22nd with 53.6 points. Véronique Réal has been riding Pouchkine d'Arcy from the beginning. He finished 2nd in the competition for 7-year-old horses last September in Pompadour and won the CIC** in Rodez in Mid-March. The rider and horse pair finished the cross country test without any penalty points and have gone up to the 10th position in the provisional line-up. To be continued...
A great recovery by the young french riders!
At the ripe old age of 18-19 years old, the young French contingent performed very convincingly, starting with Aurélien Leroy who was one of the 7 riders to finish the course in the optimum time and achieve the best recovery going up from the 46th to the 16th place. He is 1.7 points behind his counterpart Esteban Nedelec, 14th in the overall line-up just behind his elder Jean Teulère.
Camille Geiger and Lilyth du Loup have gone up 26 places and are now 22nd.
Practical Information
Saturday, from 12 noon
CROSS COUNTRY EVENT THROUGH THE FOREST
Start at the Allée des Bordures
Finish in the equestrian stadium.
The whole course is waymarked, allowing spectators to follow the entire event. It is possible to follow the competition on the giant screen in the equestrian stadium.
Treasure hunt for children from 6 to 13 years old.
Information on the stand of the town of Compiègne.
Sunday, on the grass ground
8.30 am : 2nd vet inspection
10.30 am : MASS with the brassband of the Republican Guard
From 1.00 pm : SHOW JUMPING
After the prize giving ceremony : THE CARROUSEL OF THE LANCES performed by the Republican Guard
When Karine Donckers held her own against Michael Jung
The 10 best riders in the line-up reflect the start list well! By entering Lamicell Charizard (2nd at the CIC***-W in Le Pin and 3rd du CCI**** in Pau in 2010), Karin Donckers (Belgium) intended to be a spoilsport. And it’s a done deed. And even more so as she is placed 7th with her second horse Valentijn. Although Jung took control of the provisional line-up with Weidezaunprofi's River of Joy by finishing first yesterday morning, he had to give up his pole position this afternoon. But it is not over yet, since the three horses of the current World Champion are in 2nd, 3rd and 6th place. New Zealand’s Mark Todd is in 4th and 10th place. Lucinda Fredericks, Bettina Hoy and the French rider and World Champion, Jean Teulère, (with Obélix) are situated in between in the remaining foremost places.
The French pack is then made up of Éric Vigeanel, Mathieu Lemoine (the best French rider at the 2010 edition), Karim-Florent Laghouag, Bertrant Vuatoux and Christine Moulis Lebecq, who are all positioned between the 11th and the 20th place.
A renovated ground for the 20th anniversary
The competitors always appreciate the care that is taken of the different grounds used for the competition in Compiègne.
For this 20th edition, the ground of the main so-called “all-weather” arena has been completely renovated. This has involved major work as it represents a surface of almost 16, 000 m2 of graded, fibre sand, specially developed for Compiègne. Moreover, the mix is not done beforehand but entirely onsite.
For Tom Ryckerwaert, the international technical delegate, who officiated at the last World Equestrian Games, "this is a luxury and is something rare for a CCI **".
