2 March 2023 - Flipbook - Page 61
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
61
Ireland’s Anna Merveldt and ‘Esporim’
move a step closer to FEI World Cup Finals
I
RISH
Dressage
rider
Anna Merveldt’s hopes
of qualifying for this
season’s FEI World Cup
Dressage Finals received
another huge boost on
Sunday, after she recorded
an impressive ninth place
nish in the FEI World Cup
Freestyle Grand Prix at
Salzburg in Austria.
Drawn second to go of
13 competitors, Anna and
‘Esporim’ scored an excellent
73.705% in the Grand Prix Kür
(Freestyle to Music), which
kept her in second place
until the midway point of
the competition, eventually
placing ninth at the second
leg
of
the
pandemicinterrupted 2020/2021 FEI
Dressage World Cup Western
European League in Salzburg,
Austria on Sunday, January
24.
Merveldt and the twelveyear-old Lusitano stallion
‘Esporim’, owned by Mario
Greco, Giovanna Mazza,
Merveldt’s
sister
Lorli
Higgins and her brotherin-law Michael, arrived in
Salzburg in seventh place
on the Western European
FEI World Cup league table,
with 24 points picked up last
year at World Cup xtures
held in Hungary. The Irish
combination are now in equal
IMPRESSIVE: Anna Merveldt and ‘Esporim’ placed an
impressive ninth in the FEI World Cup Freestyle Grand Prix at
Salzburg and are now in equal fifth place in the FEI Dressage
World Cup Western European League. (FW04-514NN)
fth place in the FEI Dressage
World Cup Western European
League on 26 points.
This is based on the revised
Covid-19 FEI Dressage World
Cup qualication criteria,
with the best two results
counting from the Western
European
League
and
Central European League.
The top nine from the
Western European League
automatically qualify for the
FEI Dressage World Cup nal.
Covid restrictions permitting,
there is just one more
Gordon wins Belgian
Grand Prix while
Swail third in Florida
IRELAND’S Jonathan Gordon and the
10-year-old mare ‘Dorotheental’s Classica’
stormed to victory in Sunday’s two-star
Grand Prix at Lier in Belgium. One of nine
combinations to make it through to the
jump-off, Mayo-born Gordon crossed the
line clear in 36.63 seconds in the second
round to take victory. He had almost a
second to spare over Dutch runner-up
Sanne Thijssen with ‘Con Quidam DB’, while
third place went to Italy’s Antonio Alfonso
and Charmie.
Meanwhile, at the Winter Equestrian
Festival in Florida, Co. Down’s Conor Swail
and ‘GK Coco Chanel’ finished third in the
three-star $137,000 Restylane Grand Prix.
British Olympic team gold medallist, Ben
Maher and the 18-year-old stallion ‘Tic Tac’
edged the competition by just one onehundredth of a second to take top honours,
ahead of Canadian runner-up Eric Lamaze
with ‘Fine Lady 5’.
PLACED: Conor Swail and ‘GK Coco
Chanel’ came third in the three-star
$137,000 Restylane Grand Prix in Florida.
(FW04-521NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of Sportfot
qualifying round remaining
- at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in The
Netherlands in March. The
nal is due to take place in
Gothenburg, Sweden from
March 31 to April 5, 2021.
“Esporim was very keen
in the freestyle today!” said
Anna. “We have not competed
since last October due to the
pandemic. I thought he might
be tired after yesterday’s
Grand Prix. Instead, he was
as fresh as a daisy and very
enthusiastic in the arena.
The absence of the audience
is very noticeable at the
end of the test, as you leave
the arena in silence. With
no spectators present, you
need to set your freestyle
music at a lower volume.
‘Esporim’ is the second
youngest horse competing
here and I was happy to
score 70% in the Grand Prix
yesterday. I believe we can
improve our score once we
achieve greater elevation in
the passage (trot movement).
It will all come with time. I
hope to compete in the nal
qualier in ‘s-Hertogenbosch,
The Netherlands in March.”
Germany’s Jessica von
Bredow-Werndl and ‘TSF
Dalera BB’ scored 87.690% for
the win. Reigning FEI Dressage
World Cup champion Isabell
Werth and ‘Weihegold’ OLD
placed second on 84.720%
total. Helen Langehanenberg
and ‘Annabelle’ completed
the German domination of
the podium placings scoring
81.340% for third.
Merveldt and ‘Esporim’
scored 70.239% for 11th place
in the FEI World Cup Grand
Prix on Saturday (January 23)
in Salzburg.
The top two podium places
in the class went to Germany.
Reigning FEI World Cup
champion
Isabell
Werth
(‘Weihegold’ OLD) scored
LEG TWO: Results of Leg two of the Western League at
Salzburg. (FW04-515NN)
LEAGUE STANDINGS: Western European League standings
going into the final. (FW04-516NN)
81.848% for the win, with
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
(‘TSF Dalera BB’) in second
on a 79.630% total. Patrik
Kittel (‘Delaunay’ Old) slotted
into third place for Sweden
on a score of 76.087%.
Great fun and super sponsors for Dalways Bawn online league
J
ANUARY
saw the
distribution
of prizes for the
winners of the
Winter Online
Dressage League run
by Dalways Bawn
Equestrian, near
Carrickfergus.
Jenny Caldwell,
owner of Dalways
Bawn, said: “I would
just like to take
this opportunity
to thank all of our
sponsors, all of the
competitors who
took part on all
the dates and to
our judge, Coreen
Abernethy. We had
great fun hosting
this online league
and are denitely
PRELIM: Robyn McMurray won the Preliminary
league at the Dalways Bawn Winter Online
Dressage League. (FW04-505NN)
planning more,
thanks to the
amazing feedback.”
The league ran
over three months,
with competitors
needing to compete
FREESTYLE: Sarah Ross and ‘Jet’, winners of
the Freestyle class at the Dalways Bawn Winter
Online Dressage League. (FW04-502NN)
each month to be
eligible for the
great league prizes.
These were very
kindly provided
by Glam Hair and
Beauty, Whitehead;
Millar’s Bar,
Ballycarry; Antrim
Bark; Pegasus
Dressage music and
The Irish Equine
Rehabilitation and
Fitness Centre, who
very generously
sponsored three of
the classes!
Well done to
absolutely everyone
who competed and
organisers look
forward to seeing
your tests arriving in
for the next league.
Keep an eye on
the Dalways Bawn
Facebook page for
details.
RESULTS
Winter Online
Dressage League
Class 1 - Assisted
Intro League, prize
from Glam Hair and
Beauty, Whitehead:
1) Maisie Parke,
Sweetwall Victor; 2)
Lizzie Taylor, Jonny;
3) Anabelle Manson,
Barney; 4) Savannah
Ogilvie, Bobilicious.
Class 2 - Intro
league, prizes
sponsored by
The Irish Equine
Rehabilitation and
Fitness Centre: 1)
Janine Austin, Little
Black Beauty; 2)
Katie McClelland,
Akela; 3) Katie
O’Mahony, Summer;
4) Anne Harrison,
Marella; 5) Katie
McClelland, Honey;
6) Shantel Crothers,
Bobbi.
Class 3 Veteran
league, prizes
from Millar’s Bar,
Ballycarry: 1) Holly
Reilly, Jake; 2)
Victoria McCandless,
Koolstyle; 3) Leanne
Montgomery, Monty.
Class 4 - Prelim
league, prizes
sponsored by
The Irish Equine
Rehabilitation and
Fitness Centre: 1)
Robyn McMurray,
Rosemount Roulette;
2) Katie Lowry,
Crosspoint Tobin; 3)
Tia Wharry, Dalways
Stormtrooper; 4)
Janine Austin, Little
Black Beauty; 5)
IN THE RIBBONS: Katie Lowry came second in
the Prelim class and third in the Novice class
at the Dalways Bawn Winter Online Dressage
League. (FW04-504NN)
Sarah Ross, Jet;
6) Grace Hedgley,
Summer Storm.
Class 5 Novice,
prizes sponsored
by The Irish Equine
Rehabilitation and
Fitness Centre:
1) Penny Murphy,
Kontiki; 2) Kerry
Creighton, Savannah;
3) Katie Lowry,
Crosspoint Tobin;
4) Julie Dauncey,
Summer.
Class 6 Elementary league,
sponsored by
Antrim Bark: 1)
Penny Murphy,
Ebony; 2) Julie
Dauncey, Mollie.
Class 7 - Freestyle,
sponsored by
Pegasus Dressage
Music: 1) Sarah
Ross, Jet; 2) Leanne
Montgomery, Monty;
3) Anne Harrison,
Marella.
INTRO: Janine Austin, winner of the Intro class
at the Dalways Bawn Winter Online Dressage
League. (FW04-503NN)