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Germany is singing in the rain after Cross Country

Sep 13, 2015

The German team is ruling supreme with a massive nine-fence lead over Great Britain following Cross Country day at the Longines FEI European Eventing Championship at Blair Castle (GBR) where relentless rain made conditions testing but also produced some brilliant, brave riding.
The standout performance was that of defending individual champion Michael Jung (GER), who flew around inside the optimum time with consummate ease on the eight-year-old fischerTakinou, the youngest horse in the field, and now has two fences in hand to win a third consecutive European title.

His team mate Sandra Auffarth, the Dressage leader, is now in individual silver medal position after clocking up 11.2 time penalties on Opgun Louvo. Ingrid Klimke (GER) is sixth on Horseware Hale Bob with 8.8 time penalties, while team pathfinder Dirk Schrade (GER) is lying eighth with 5.2 penalties on Hop And Skip.
Britain, the host nation, has five riders in the top 10, but unfortunately only two of them are team members: team rookie Kitty King, lying fifth on Persimmon, and former dual European champion Pippa Funnell, who is in 10th place on the youngster Sandman 7. The stylish Izzy Taylor, competing as an individual for Britain, was one of only three riders to achieve the optimum time of 10 minutes 13 seconds and is now in individual bronze position on the good mare KBIS Briarlands Matilda. Gemma Tattersall (GBR) was the first to beat the clock with a dazzling round on Arctic Soul and is now seventh, two places ahead of Laura Collett on Grand Manoeuvre.

The French team’s quest for Olympic qualification is a step closer after three clear rounds and they are now in bronze position with Thibaut Vallette close to an individual medal in fourth place on Qing du Briot ENE HN.
The pressure was on when their second rider, Karim Florent Laghouag, fell with Entebbe de Hus at the influential downhill combination, the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (fences 21-22), where the middle element – the Haggis – was later removed due to the wet ground.
Team anchorman Thomas Carlile (FRA), currently 24th on Sirocco du Gers, said: “We really had to finish for the sake of our Olympic qualification. It was not for me to play an individual role, the team was the priority, and my horse has played a huge part in this, he was very generous.”
The Netherlands, who also lost their second rider, Alice Naber-Lozeman (ACSI Peter Parker), with a fall at fence 20, are in fourth place. Sweden is fifth but will need their three remaining riders to pass the horse inspection to gain their Olympic qualification, as their pathfinders Johan Lundin and Johnny Cash fell at fence 18.

Source FEI news