Think you know everything there is to know about last week’s eventing World Championships? How about Yasmin Ingham winning a motorbike? What David O’Connor said to Ariel Grald? What words of encouragement Susie Berry took onto the cross-country?
Read on…
1. As if a gold medal and €49,000 wasn’t enough, world champion Yasmin Inham also won an electric motorbike.
“You won’t make it back to the Isle of Man on this – it has a range of 87 kilometres and a maximum speed of 67 kilometres so easy does it,” joked press conference administrator Louise Parkes as she handed it over.
Yasmin has nicknamed the bike “Goldie” and reports it’s “possibly one of the best prizes ever”, with footage on her Instagram stories of her riding it down her lorry ramp back at home.
History does not relate whether Germany’s Peter Thomsen was as pleased with the “unique, elegant and hand-made” trunk offered to the chef d’equipe of the winning team at the same time…
2. US squad debutante Ariel Grald, who finished 11th, related a nice interchange between her and the US’s 2000 Olympic champion David O’Connor as she signed off her press interviews after showjumping.
“David said, ‘You look nice in that, you should wear it a lot’,” she said, indicating her red US team jacket. “I said, ‘That’s the plan.’”
3. We overheard someone – presumably her Dad – call out to Irish team debutante Susie Berry, “We’re very proud of you” as she headed to the cross-country start. She grimly replied, “I hope you’re proud of me when I finish.”
Susie finished 27th on Monbeg By Design and helped the Irish to fifth place and a Paris 2024 ticket – we reckon everyone’s very proud of her.
4. The two Polish riders who started at the event are a couple. Małgorzata Korycka finished 48th on Canvalencia, while her fiancé Jan Kamínski withdrew Yard before the second horse inspection.
“It’s really supportive to be here together because starting here is huge for us,” said Małgorzata. “If I was here by myself, I would be so much more stressed than when he is here with me and I know that he’s stressed too, so it’s better to ride together.”
Jan elaborated: “It’s not always easy, because we are so close and we spend time together all the time and if you’re a bit nervous and frustrated, you can take it out on the closest person, but we walk the course together and it’s really super and helpful for each other.”
5. Belgium’s Senne Vervaecke, 25, made his senior championship debut, finishing 36th on Google Van Alsingen. His father, Kris, rode at the 1998 World Championships in Pratoni and is still a regular Belgian team member. Maarten Boon, the Belgian individual in Pratoni, groomed for Kris at the 1998 worlds and his teenage son is now coached by Senne.
You might also be interested in:
Nine things you need to know about new eventing world champion Yasmin Ingham
Mark Phillips: mixed emotions and tight margins at the World Championships
‘The dream finish’: fairytale result as Britain celebrates new world champion in Pratoni
‘I felt it flapping and thought I’d better take it off’: number bib malfunction poses a problem at eventing World Championships
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