The Irish team has been relegated from the Samsung Super League following a disappointing performance in the final leg in Barcelona this weekend. Germany won in style, winning the Barcelona leg as well as the Samsung Super League itself. The Dutch team finished second with Great Britain in sixth.
Germanys team, Marcus Ehning and Christian Ahlmann (both members of the bronze medal winning WEG team), Rene Tebbel and Marco Kutscher, looked determined to trump the reigning world champions, the formidable Dutch team, a feat it achieved with flair.
In the end, Germanys impressive score of just 4 penalties left the Dutch team gold medallists at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in second place. The result put the Germans nearly 20 points ahead of their nearest rival on the Samsung Super League scoreboard. John and Michael Whitaker, Tim Gredley and William Funnell, representing Great Britain, took seventh place on a score of 33 penalties, leaving them in sixth place on the Samsung Super League leader board.
The final stage of the worlds most prestigious show jumping series became a tense contest, as the Irish and Swedish teams struggled to avoid relegation. Ireland started off in good style with Captain Shane Carey producing the first clear of the competition. At the halfway stage Ireland was in equal third place four faults ahead of the Swedes.
But in the second round their luck came to an abrupt end. Although Cameron Hanley jumped clear, Billy Twomey, Marie Burke and Carey all clocked up penalties, pushing Ireland into equal fifth place with Sweden in fourth. The result left Ireland at the bottom of the Super League leaderboard, demoting them to the standard Nations Cup for 2007.
Samsung Super League with FEI 2006
Germany 65.125
USA 46
Netherlands 35.125
France 35
Switzerland 32.125
Great Britain 30
Sweden 27
Ireland 22
