Germans on target to win European gold

Germany’s riders made Blair Castle’s cross-country course seem like a stroll in the park today at the FEI European Eventing Championships – while other riders found it anything but.

Dominant

The German team had moved into the lead after Thursday’s dressage competition, and they were feeling buoyant ahead of today’s cross-country.

Pathfinder Dirk Schrade got things off to a strong start, picking up just 5.2 time penalties with Hop And Skip. Now sitting in eighth place individually with 48.3pen, Dirk is currently the team’s discount score – which shows just how dominant the Germans are.

Reigning Olympic and European champion Michael Jung sauntered round with customary ease, taking all the direct routes and making the time convincingly, despite the relative inexperience of his eight-year-old gelding fischerTakinou. “It felt easy, though this was a tough course,” said Michael.

“I know that he is a very fast horse, strong in the cross-country phase and easy to handle, so I lost not too many seconds at each fence. He was running like a steeplechase horse like the end. He jumped every fence powerfully.”

Top

Michael moved ahead of his team-mate Sandra Auffarth. She produced a superb clear on Opgun Luovo, despite a hold on course when a frangible pin broke.

She was awarded 11.2 time penalties, which dropped her from the top spot to second, though she did question whether this time was accurate. “My opinion is that we were faster than the time is showing so they are checking this,” said Sandra afterwards. “The hold was no problem for my horse. I had enough time to warm him up and he was fresh and motivated afterwards.”

If Auffarth’s score remains unchanged, Michael Jung goes into the showjumping with more than two fences in hand,

In third place is British rider Izzy Taylor, who delivered a super clear within the time – a highlight in an otherwise mixed day for the home squad.

Highs and lows

There were only three clears within the time today – and rising British stars provided two of them.

Izzy’s bold round on the experienced KBIS Briarlands Matilda boosted her from 26th to 3rd. “I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did, but she’s a super cross-country horse and I set out very positive,” said Izzy. “I had a very good round – tripped at the second last fence and put two strides in at the double of corners, but that was the only blip we had.”

Fellow Brit Gemma Tattersall became the first rider of the day to go inside the time. She steered Arctic Soul round in confident fashion, which also boosted her placings all the way from 35th to seventh.

Laura Collett added just 10.8 time penalties to her dressage score to sit in ninth place, while team members Kitty King and Pippa Funnell both delivered clears with just a few time penalties, putting them in fifth and tenth place respectively.

But British hopes of retaining their record of always winning gold on home soil was all but dashed after Nicola Wilson picked up 20pen and William Fox-Pitt got eliminated.

Teams

German has now got a huge lead in the team competition, and look on target to win their third consecutive European gold medal with 122.7pen.

Great Britain is 46.6pen behind in the silver medal position, while France is currently in bronze with 179.7pen. The Netherlands are in fourth (209.3pen) ahead of Sweden (247.8pen) and Spain (253.8pen).

The other four countries in the competition failed to get three riders home today: Italy, Switzerland, Russia and Ireland.

So unless the unlikely event happens that two of Germany’s horses get spun at tomorrow’s vet inspection, or the team knocks down more than 11 showjumps while Britain jumps clear, it looks very likely that the Germans will be taking home the team gold.

And Michael Jung is looking forward to the phase in his typically relaxed fashion. “We will see! I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Read our full cross-country analysis here.

Individual

1 Michael Jung/fischerTakinou (GER)* 33.5 + 0 = 33.5

2 Sandra Auffarth/Opgun Louvo (GER)* 31.4 + 11.2 = 42.6

3 Izzy Taylor/KBIS Briarlands Matilda (GBR) 44.0 + 0 = 44.0

4 Thibaut Vallette/Qing du Briot ENE HN (FRA)* 36.8 + 8.4 = 45.2

5 Kitty King/Persimmon (GBR)* 36.9 + 8.4 = 45.3

6 Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER)* 37.8 + 8.8 = 46.6

7 Gemma Tattersall/Arctic Soul (GBR) 47.3 + 0 = 47.3

8 Dirk Schrade/Hop And Skip (GER)* 43.1 + 5.2 = 48.3

9 Laura Collett/Grand Manoeuvre (GBR) 37.8 + 10.8 = 48.6

10 Pippa Funnell/Sandman 7 (GBR)* 41.0 + 9.6 = 50.6

*denotes team rider

Team results after cross-country

1 Germany 122.7; 2 Great Britain 169.3; 3 France 179.7; 4 Netherlands 209.3; 5 Sweden 247.8; 6 Spain 253.8