TEAM CHAMPION BUILD BLOCKS FOR THE FUTURE IN COPENHAGEN
Friday 20 May 2011
Today saw four riders representing Great Britain's Team Champion in the Copenhagen 4* Nations Cup.
With only eight teams going through to the second round from the fifteen competing Team Champion fell just outside the cut having finished the first round on 12faults positioning them in 10th place.
Making his debut at Nations Cup level was Simon Crippen from Buckinghamshire riding Alo & Andrew Brake’s nine year old chestnut stallion on whom he has only recently started riding. Having only started competing as a combination recently they hit the ground running with a foot perfect clear round which meant he also secured his place in the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Next to go was Suffolk based Tim Page with Trevor Sturman’s thirteen year old gelding Quentin Tarantino who incurred an unfortunate eight faults across the testing course. With third team member Joe Clayton who is based at Michael Whitakers yard in Nottingam incurring four faults on his own twelve year old bay gelding Saveur the pressure was on Leading Young Rider, Daniel Neilson who was the backstop of the team.
However, an unfortunate eight faults for Essex based Daniel with Celia Masons nine year old Liver Chestnut gelding Chauvinist meant a finish score of 12 faults for the team once one of the 8fault scores had been discounted.
Talking after the 1st round had finished but whilst the 2nd rounds were taking place, World Class Showjumping Performance Manager, Rob Hoekstra commented “Of course we are dissapointed as a team not to have got through, however we must not lose sight of what we have achieved. We have come out today with a team that reflects youth and a team that it was our objective to give the experience of competing at senior team level.
“In Tim, Joe and Daniel we have three riders who have considerable experience at Young Rider team level but needed to be making the step up to senior Nations Cup competition. In Simon, we have a rider making a considerable step up in terms of competition with a horse he hasn’t partnered for long – for him to have gone clear is a great achievement.
“It is extremely important that we give our younger riders the opportunity to experience competing under team pressure where double clears are pivotal. It is the only way that we can build blocks for the future and I feel that is exactly what we’ve done here today”.
Sunday will see the Grand Prix take place in the main arena. For more information on the show and full results please visit www.sportsrideklubben-spr.dk
Champion’s sponsorship of the British Nations Cup Team is the result of the brand’s deep-seated belief in the importance of continual development, dedication and professionalism, together with a desire to offer British equestrian talent every possible opportunity to reach the very top of competitive showjumping.
The British Showjumping Teams are strongly supported by the UK Sport Lottery funded BEF World Class Programme.
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