Great Britain land Team Silver at the FEI European Championships for Veterans in a hot competition under the blistering Italian sun
Friday 12 July 2024
Great Britain claimed Team Silver at the FEI European Jumping Championships for Veterans in the glorious but hot Italian setting at San Giovanni in Marignano.
Temperatures sizzled at 39 degrees centigrade, but the riders and horses adjusted to jump into an early third place in the first competition, a Table C speed (seconds added for a knockdown). Three Brits finished in the top 10 individually at this very early stage, with the placings converted into penalty points and putting the team in third place overnight on 11.88 penalty points. Italy claimed an early lead on 7.58 points with Belgium in second at this stage on 11.62 points.
“The horses and riders were fantastic in the heat, it is a beautiful showground here, the facilities are top-class,” said Chef d’Equipe Mandy Frost.
Two full rounds of the Nations Cup competition on day two was again conducted under the blistering sunshine over a 1.25m course, but Britain excelled in round one to post a zero score and stay on 11.88 points while Italy added four faults to their score and Belgium added eight. Britain sat in second place 0.30 points behind Italy and while Belgium dropped down the order, France was the dark horse moving up.
The organisers watered the arena liberally before round two, and the heat was on!
Pathfinder Tamsin Conyers had already returned two clear rounds with the reliable 11-year-old Westlife and again supplied a solid, clean round to give the team a boost and keep them in the hunt.
Clear in round one, Nicky Hanbury unfortunately clipped two rails second time out with the seven-year-old Two To Tango. Third out Tina Canton – on four faults in round one – looked to be jumping cleanly around the track until the final line, the 12-year-old Bannagh Romeo tapping out the back bar on the penultimate double for four faults.
“The heat – unusually high, even for Italy at this time of year – was so intense and the horses were understandably a little jaded for round two. Tamsin had produced a great clear, but James [Loffet] was really under pressure as our final rider,” said Mandy.
A mainstay of the British Veterans team, James has been in the anchor position before and stayed cool under pressure to ease the Ukato 13-year-old Gaudi into a fantastic clear round to clinch the Silver medal.
The home country Italy provided the clears when it mattered most to finish round two on a zero score to take Gold on 11.58 points, 4.30 points in hand over Great Britain. France fought back hard to move from an original fifth place to take Bronze on 18.09 points.
“The team spirit in this heat was fantastic and they did an incredible job. All five of our riders are in the Top 25 to go into the Individual Final on Sunday, including Jo Carlin and Mighty Mouse D’Ilena – only a seven-year-old so we took the team pressure off for them to compete individually,” said Mandy.
FEI European Jumping Championships for Veterans – San Giovanni in Marignano – 12 July
1st Italy – 11.58 penalty points
2nd Great Britain – 15.88 penalty points
Tamsin Conyers & Westlife – 5.82/0/0
Nicky Hanbury & Two To Tango – 5.11/0/8
Tina Canton & Bannagh Romeo – 7.88/4/4
James Loffet & Gaudi – 2.89/0/0
3rd France 18.09 penalty points
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