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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
Samsung Super League News : Roll On Rotterdam..............
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After
the agony and ecstasy of last weekend's European Championships,
show jumping minds have now firmly switched focus to the Samsung
Super League with next Friday’s crunch leg in Rotterdam likely
to prove pivotal to the end result.
Donaueschingen
however was fairly unforgettable.
The
agony on the face of Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts who could
afford to have a fence down and still take gold in the final round
of the European Individual title-decider when he realised that
he had lost everything due to a single time fault, and the ecstasy
for Germany when claiming team gold along with all the individual
medals were the two extremes of devastation and delight which
so often mark great sporting moments.<ep>
Germany’s
dominance proved one thing for sure. When they bring out their
big guns for a major occasion they are difficult to beat, but
that makes the French result in the team championship all the
more remarkable. They lost nothing in defeat as they slotted into
silver medal position because their best horses and riders have
campaigned long and hard in the Samsung Super League all season
and yet still presented a colossal challenge. For sheer brilliance
and consistency the reigning World Champions are in a league of
their own.
There
were a few other indicators too after Donaueschingen. The Swiss
are clearly Super League material having taken team bronze in
fine style ahead of the Belgians but the Irish were far from convincing
when finishing in fifth place. They achieved their main goal of
Olympic qualification along with the Swiss and the Italians, who
put in a remarkably improved performance to finish sixth, but
the defending European Champions from Ireland were heavily dependant
on the superb double-clear produced by Kevin Babington and Carling
King.
Having
jumped a further two rounds in last Sunday’s individual final
the American-based Irishman felt his courageous chestnut horse
needed a break and although scheduled to travel to Holland this
week he was permitted by the Irish selectors to head back to the
US, via Spruce Meadows, instead.
As
a result Cian O’Connor and Billy Twomey, who both competed
last weekend, will line out for Ireland again along with Peter
Charles while Rotterdam will provide Dermott Lennon with his first
Nations Cup outing of 2003. The reigning World Champion has been
missing for much of the season since breaking his shoulder in
a fall at Gothenberg in March and his mare, Liscalgot, has also
been hors de combat but Lennon has a new ride in the stallion,
Quality, and has been called up as the Irish are determined to
bridge that gap between themselves and the French at the top of
the Samsung Super League table. Robert Splaine’s stallion,
Coolcorron Cool Diamond, is also included in the squad but is
a doubtful starter having pulled a muscle.
The
French field a fresh squad including Bruno Broucqsault, Christian
Hermon, Edouard Couperie, Hubert Bourdy and Laurent Goffinet,
the man who made such a huge impression on his Nations Cup debut
in Dublin with the exciting stallion Flipper D’Elle. They
have just a six-point advantage over the Irish and it will be
interesting to see if they can keep them at bay.
The
British, bitterly disappointed by their failure to claim an Olympic
qualifying spot, send Andrew Davies, Mark Armstrong, Robert Whitaker,
Scott Smith and William Funnell. They appeared to be experiencing
somewhat of a renaissance in recent months but things did not
go according to plan in Donaueschingen where they finished in
ninth position, and that is likely to fill them with even more
determination to complete the Samsung Super League on a good note.
The
Germans have such depth to their pool of riders that even though
none of their European title-winning squad will be in action they
still look very strong with their choice of Helena Weinberg, Jorne
Sprehe, Lars Nieberg, Carsten-Otto Nagel and Rene Tebbel. Carrying
23 points, and lying fourth of the eight competing teams at this
late stage in the series, it seems unlikely however that Germany
can threaten the long-time leaders and that they are content to
finish the series in a mid-field position.
Ludo
Philippaerts will be wanting to leave the memory of last Sunday
behind him as he lines out for Belgium alongside Dirk Demeersman,
Jean-Claude and Samantha Vangeenbergh and Jos Lansink. In sixth
place with 16.5 points the Belgians are just 1.5 points ahead
of the Dutch who have combined moments of excellence with huge
inconsistency all year but who will be hoping to get it all together
on their home turf this Friday.
They
need to keep ahead of the Swedes who will pick their team from
Helena Persson, Henrik Ankarcrona, Linda Hallgren, Malin Baryard,
Maria Gretzer and Rolf Goran Bengtsson because Sweden lies just
2.5 points ahead of Italy at the bottom of the table and while
the leaders are fighting it out over these last remaining legs
of the series to decide the winner, the lowest-placed nations
have a different kind of battle as they struggle to ensure that
they do not face relegation in 2004.
Italian
Chef d’Equipe, Duccio Bartalucci, must have been well-pleased
with his side in Donaueschingen, particularly when taking into
account their poor results throughout the Super League series.
In Germany they competed with much greater conviction but Bruno
and Vincenzo Chimirri, Emanuele Fiorelli, Gianni Govoni and Roberto
Arioldi will be under no illusions about the consequences of a
weak performance at Rotterdam. Italian unpredictability may be
a real danger to the Swedes and Dutch in two day’s time.
So
the stage is set for a fascinating second-last leg of the Samsung
Super League series. There may be double-points available at the
final in Barcelona next month but starting positions there can
be improved by a good result this Friday so much is at stake.
Rotterdam should be a day of reckoning…..
Keep
up to date with all the news from Rotterdam at website www.chio.nl.
For further information you can contact Press Officer Christa
Van Duin at Email: info@chio.nl or Telephone: 00 31 10 4526729.
PLEASE
NOTE the website for the SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE FINAL IN BARCELONA
is www.csiobarcelona.com.
SAMSUNG
SUPER LEAGUE LEADERBOARD
1.
France - 47 points
2.
Ireland - 41 points
3.
Great Britain - 33 points
4.
Germany - 23 points
5.
Belgium – 16.5 points
6.
Holland - 15 points
7.
Sweden - 11 points
8.
Italy – 8.5 points.
SAMSUNG
SUPER LEAGUE –
NATIONAL
PRIDE, INTERNATIONAL PASSION!
You
can access all the latest Samsung Super League news and information
on website www.samsungsuperleague.com and don’t forget that
Biographies on all Riders competing in the series are available
at http://bios.horsesport.org.
Want
to know more? You can check the full rules for the Samsung Super
League Series on the FEI website, section reference – rules
http://www.horsesport.org/fei/reference_03/ref_03_02.html.
The
Samsung Super League consists of the eight most prestigious horse
shows at which the world’s eight best national teams compare
their merit. The Super League is connected to the Samsung Nations
Cup Series through a promotion/relegation system at the end of
each season.
Samsung
Electronics, one of the world’s largest electronics companies,
is committed to supporting international sporting events thereby
returning corporate profits to the public and working towards
a more harmonious and equitable society.
www.horsesport.org
.
