Brilliant Brits fight to take second place in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Sweden
Friday 14 July 2023
Great Britain claimed second place in the Longines FEI Nations Cup of Sweden in Falsterbo to gain valuable points on the leaderboard.
The team were languishing in fifth at the halfway stage. Drawn fourth of eight teams, first out for Britain, Sam Hutton came home on four as the Caramello Company’s 12-year-old Oak Grove’s Laith tapped out the oxer out of the combination in course-designer Frank Rothenberger’s 12-fence track but otherwise supplied a clean round.
Sienna Charles, 20, on her first 5* team, was also caught out by the final element of the problematic combination aboard Stall Zet’s 13-year-old mare Stardust to finish on four.
Robert Whitaker tipped the top plank on an early vertical and the final oxer to return on eight faults with the 10-year-old stallion Vermento.
It was down to anchor Harry Charles to keep Britain in the hunt and he did so in style, working hard to provide a much-needed clear round on Stall Zet’s 13-year-old Casquo Blue.
On eight faults after round one, two fences behind the leaders Switzerland on a zero score, the team stood in fifth place. There was much work to be done.
It made them all the more determined and Di Lampard’s team produced fantastic second-round performances to put pressure on the Swiss leaders. They were very impressive as they spectacularly pulled it out the bag as the four riders left every fence intact to add nothing to their round one eight faults. Harry, who was only jumping for the ranking points second time out because his teammates had done such a good job, underscored his talent to be one of five double clear rounds.
Switzerland claimed the win on four faults with Britain in second on eight with the USA also on eight but more than three sec in arrears.
Britain gained much-needed points in their second point scoring leg, adding 90 points with their second place to the 70 points picked up in St Gallen to currently stand in sixth on the European Division 1 Overall Standings. There are two legs left – Hickstead and Dublin – and both point scoring points for Team GBR.
Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Sweden – 14 July, 2023
1st Switzerland 4 225.46 seconds
2nd Great Britain 8 225.06 seconds
Sam Hutton & Oak Grove’s Laith – 4/0
Sienna Charles & Stardust – 4/0
Robert Whitaker & Vermento – 8/0
Harry Charles & casquo Blue – 0/0
3rd USA 8 228.87 seconds
