Messi winning in the World Cup, some top results for Britain’s Harry Charles and cherry crumble cake – we round up some of the top showjumping action of the past week.
There was more than one Messi soaring to a World Cup win this weekend.
As Lionel helped the Argentinian football team to victory over Australia in the round of 16 in Qatar, Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann and Messi Van’t Ruytershof made up for her country’s exit from one World Cup by winning another.
The combination won the seventh leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup western European league in La Coruña, in a two-way face-off with Britain’s Harry Charles and Casquo Blue.
There were five retirements, two eliminations and 14 four-fault rounds from the 40 starters but Janne said it was the tight time that kept the jump-off so small.
“The course-building was good but it was a tough course, and because of the time changing [from 85 to 83 seconds] you had to hurry a lot and usually that brings more faults,” she said.
“In the end I was lucky there were not so many clears! It was more about the time because you had to take risks, and when you take risks you have more faults.”
Janne and the 10-year-old Plot Blue gelding just pipped Harry and Ecurie Zet’s Casquo Blue, finishing 0.32sec ahead.
Harry is now in third place in the western European league, the next leg of which runs on the Sunday of the London International Horse Show (18 December).
It was a super weekend in La Coruña for Harry as he won the CSI5* Caixabank Trophy on Billabong Du Roumois, who he is also due to bring to the London International Horse Show, beating world champion Henrik von Eckermann and Glamour Girl into second place by more than two seconds.
“The London International means a lot, not just to me, but to every rider in Great Britain, being our sole indoor five-star show and at Christmas – it’s the perfect way to finish the year,” says Harry, who brings his world championship and Olympic partner Romeo 88, as well as Billabong Du Roumois, who he thinks “could be quite deadly there this year – he’s pretty fast”, plus his grand prix winner from last year, Borsato, “to hopefully avenge his title”.
US rider Adrienne Sternlicht and Bennys Legacy won the CSI4* $216,000 Holidays & Horses grand prix presented by ArthramidVet at Wellington International, Florida, on 3 December.
The combination finished just 0.3sec ahead of Ireland’s Andrew Bourns on Seatop Blue, out of 41 starters.
“I’ve had Benny now for over three years, and he has exceeded all of my expectations, as well as everyone else’s,” said Adrienne. “He’s so reliable and we know each other so well. I’m really grateful to have him in my life; he’s such a character, and everyone on my team completely adores him. Moving forward, I’ll pick and choose and be very selective with him, so you won’t see him out for at least two months.”
See more results from Wellington
Riesenbeck International course-designer Olaf Herrmann and his team created a festive atmosphere for the one- and two-star show this weekend.
Riders in the grand prix passed two big Christmas trees in the decorated main event hall for the 1.45m class, in which 14 of 58 starters jumped off to “beautiful Christmas music”.
The title went to Germany’s Jens Baackmann and Caja, ahead of Dutch rider Willem Greve on Highway.
A spokesman for the show added that German national showjumping coach Otto Becker celebrated his 64th birthday on 3 December, and Mia Charlotte Becker, who is trained by Riesenbeck’s Ludger Beerbaum and came 11th in the grand prix, made him cherry crumble cake and cream.
Read more from Riesenbeck International
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