Edited press release from EEF

 

 

Denmark were in imperious form in the opening CSIO3* 1.50m Longines EEF Series Region North Qualifier on home soil at Stutteri Ask in Martofte (DEN), leading the competition from start to finish to take victory ahead of Poland and Germany.
 
The time allowed proved tight so fault-free performances were few and far between around Gerard Lachat’s course. The hosts achieved a brace of them after their first two riders Zascha Nygaard Lill on the 12-year-old Primavera (Mylord Carthago x Cornet Obolensky) and Caroline Rehoff Pedersen aboard the 13-year-old Golden Eye (Goldfever x Stakkato Gold) recorded double clears and avoided time penalties.

Denmark’s third team rider Soren Moeller Rohde and the 11-year-old Grace Ask (Darco Derevel x Contender) amassed a score of four in the first round and then one time penalty in the second, to give the hosts an unassailable lead with their final rider still to jump. With victory assured, Denmark’s final rider, Andreas Schou and Darc De Lux (Darco x Contender), who were clear in the first round, decided not to jump in the second.

 “The horses and the riders really performed today and it is always something special to win, but to win on your home ground it means a lot to everybody and to the whole show,” said Denmark’s chef d’equipe Bo K Moller. 
  
Poland occupied the runner-up position after impressive performances from Krzysztof Ludwiczak riding Vestari (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Cassini I) and Wojciech Wojcianiec aboard Aliean Zin’Galeriani (Zinedine x Numero Uno), who picked up just one time penalty between them. Jan Vinckier’s quartet finished on a score of five, seven penalties clear of Germany, who are only eligible for points in Region Central qualifying competitions.

Finland, whose team members Niclas Aromaa and Cascalinus (Cascadello x Acolord) and Anna-Julia Kontio with Eight Mile (Emir R x Hors la Loi II) recorded two double clear jumping rounds but collected time penalties, occupied fourth place, while USA were fifth and Sweden finished sixth.
 
Just three other combinations achieved double clear rounds: Taizo Sugitani and Quincy 194’s (FRH Quaid x As Di Villagana) fault-free performance helped Japan to seventh position, Robin Muhr and Galaxy HM (Quality Time TN x Crawford) produced two clears to facilitate Israel, who are contesting the Longines EEF Series for the first time this season, to eighth, while zero penalties for Santiago Nunez Riva and Chakira Z (Crown Z x Quidam de Revel) aided Spain to ninth.