Belgium - The Netherlands - Switzerland
: the winning tiercé !
Till saturday, France was dominating the competition by winning
5 classes among the 6 of the programme. Our european neighbors caught
up with themself on Sunday, despite rain and wind. Belgium, The
Netherlands and finally Switzerland were definitively the best.
It
had started so well
Five victories among six possible, the
score was great for the French team trained by Marcel Delestre,
the national Chef d'équipe, who preferred not to be too trustful
in the potential of his team faced to the best European riders.
During all the day, rain and wind came and swept the Grand Parquet.
Despite it, all the riders played the game, and tried to outdo each
other in skill with a delicate ground.
Juliette
Boullé for the first CSIO Grand Prix
On
saturday, the 18 best riders of the show competed in the very first
CSIO Grand Prix of Fontainebleau. Even if the weather was better
than on sunday, the Grand Parquet ground remained difficult to ride.
The course appeared very technical, with lines following the gradient
(the Grand Parquet is reknowned all over the world for that specificity).
The river and the triple had been very faulty and only two female
riders qualified for the jump off. Finally, the French Juliette
Boullé looped a double clear round with her top european
pony Chavetta II and added a new line to her good season. Valentine
de Rham met with a refusal of her great Jasmin III and finished
2nd. She realised in sunday one of the two double clear rounds of
the Swiss team in the Nations Cup, and we can be sure to see her
at the top on next pony shows !
Deborah Lazzarotto
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Swiss
girls on top !
In
the major class, the Nations Cup, the stress was increasing.
Who, between Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France, would
left with this so coveted title ? The competition has never
been so opened and nobody took the risk to forecast the final
result. Riders of each started on the difficult course designed
by Jean-Paul Lepetit. At the end of the first round, France
was in the lead with 12 faults ex aequo with Switzerland.
A very young team, as Christian Sottas, Swiss Chef d'équipe
told us. France / Switzerland, a match which turned to the
helvetic team who finally realised two clear rounds (thanks
to Valentine de Rham and Deborah Lazzarotto, really brilliant
!) and pocketed the very first Fontainebleau Nations Cup.
Emotion for the winners, with many flowers and shiny cups.
" We are very pleased to come here, the ambiance is so
great, like the organization and people who host us",
said Christian Sottas. Greetings which touched André
Bonneau, show manager, and Michel Valache, president. Germany
finished 2nd, before Italy and France.
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Stephanie
Brugmann, Queen of the "Grand Parquet"
Earlier
in the day, eleven couples succeeded in qualifying for the
jump off of the CSIP Grand Prix. The course was quite difficult
with very technical series and lines, and an average height
around 1.30 m. 12 fences, 15 jumps, and 8 nations which managed
to do a clear round, a new record ! Only three riders managed
to loop without any penalties. Stephanie Brugmann (NED), awarded
as the Best Rider of the Show few hours later, was the faster
one and offered to her country a deserved victory after several
honourable ranks. The Irish rider David Simpson couldn't beat
her and had to admit defeat. The young Erika Chapuy realise
her first podium for France and finishes 3rd riding Gypsi
de Taurou.
Visit
our website : www.etrier-arbonne.com or www.csiop-france.com.
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