Britain wins final 2016 eventing Nations Cup at Boekelo; Oliver Townend third individually
Britain won the final eventing Nations Cup of the series at Boekelo, the Netherlands, this afternoon (Sunday, 9 October) and took second in the series behind Germany. Oliver Townend also achieved an individual podium finish with third place.
“I couldn’t be happier — it’s a long series and we’ve been all over the world; this is a great way to finish,” said British chef d’equipe Philip Surl.
Team GBR entered the final showjumping nearly 30 penalties ahead of their competitors and widened their lead in this phase.
Laura Collett was the first British team rider to jump and went clear on eight-year-old Mr Bass to move up four places to fifth individually. The eight-year-old, who surely has a bright future, belongs to his rider as well as Keith and Louise Scott and Nick and Lyn How.
Izzy Taylor was next in the ring and just had fence four down on Dr Patricia Turner’s Trevidden to slip one spot to individual seventh.
Oliver Townend finished up the British team effort with a fault-free performance on Angela Hislop’s Cooley SRS. This confirmed Britain’s team victory and earnt the pair an individual podium finish in third.
Oliver, who also had just one down today on Ballaghmor Class (40th), said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with both of them — they’ve gone up two leagues.”
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The Netherlands went into today’s showjumping in second, but one fence down for Tim Lips (Keyflow) and 14 faults for Elaine Pen with Dostowjeski dropped the home side to third. Alice Naber-Lozeman went clear with Coral Estate Harry Belafonte to provide the best team score in eighth and win the Dutch national championship.
Jocelyn’s near miss
New Zealand moved up to second with a clear from Blyth Tait and Xanthus III, plus four faults apiece for Dan Jocelyn (Beaucatcher) and Mark Todd (Kiltubrid Rhapsody, sixth). Dan was nearly thrown from the saddle at the last fence and crossed the line hanging on and leaning down his horse’s shoulder, although he did manage to get back in the plate rather than falling off.
Young German rider Stephanie Böhe kept a clean sheet today to confirm her individual victory with Insa Kristina Weddige’s Haytom.
“I felt confident but I wasn’t sure how he’d jump today as yesterday was a long course and it was his first CCI this year,” she said. “But he wasn’t tired — he wanted to go round the cross-country again!”
Continued below…
Related articles:
One horse spun at final trot-up at Boekelo, plus outcome of British team appeal
Team GBR heads Boekelo Nations Cup after cross-country, but young British leader drops out of top 10
Young Brit leads dressage at Boekelo: ‘I feel like I’m in a dream and have to wake up soon’
Her compatriot Andreas Dibowski also recorded a clear to take second on his experienced campaigner FRH Butts Avedon.
The USA’s Lauren Kieffer was second overnight with Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, but the upright at fence nine came down and this dropped the pair to fourth.
Britain had a fourth top-10 individual finisher in Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne, who moved up one place to ninth when they just had fence eight down today.
Full report from Boekelo in H&H next week, out Thursday, 13 October.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.