Great Britain claim Team Silver at the FEI Jumping Veteran European Championships in Hardelot, France.
Friday 08 September 2023
Great Britain claimed the Team Silver medal at the FEI Jumping Veteran European Championships in Hardelot, France.
The team maintained their second place from day one, excelling in Friday’ two rounds to add a zero score to their opening day penalty points.
In day one’s Table C Speed over a 1.25m track, pathfinder Nicola Frankland added four sec for a knockdown to her time on Kings Welcome with Sarah-Jane Brown jumping an easy clear on Dolmen Du Concorde. Faye Riddington-Smith cautiously returned a very steady clear on Heron and anchor James Loffet also lowered one pole with Gaudi. Turned into penalty points, Britain sat in second overnight on 11.56 points, more than two fences behind (8.48) the leader’s France with Switzerland just 0.90 points behind Team GBR in third.
On day two in the two rounds scheduled to decide the medals, the British team upped their game. Nicola, Sarah-Jane and James all came home with clear rounds and, although Faye made only one mistake for four faults to be the discard score in round one, she made up for it in the second round. All four riders posted clears second time out. Anchor James was not required to jump for the team as they were on a zero score, but he again jumped a clean round towards his individual score.
It was a magnificent effort to take Silver, but France went one better. On an impressive score of 3.08 after the opening day’s Table C Speed, the French quartet also returned a zero score in both rounds to deservedly take Gold. Switzerland added four faults to their initial score in Friday’s round two to maintain their third position for Bronze, 4.90 points behind Britain.
"There was such great team spirit and everyone was most supoortive of each other. It was 42 degrees in the stables and we were all hands on to keep the horses cool - everyone helped each other," said Chef d'Equipe Mandy Frost.
Sarah-Jane and Dolmen Du Concorde moved up the order to stand in fifth going into Sunday’s Individual, 3.64 penalty points behind the leader. James is only 0.19 points behind in sixth on Gaudi with Nicola in eighth aboard Kings Welcome. Individual rider Tamsin Conyers is in 13th on Westlife and Faye Riddington Smith stands in 20th position with Heron. Saturday is a day of rest and the Individual will take place on Sunday, 10th September.
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