Aussie vaulters shine in Herning

By Equestrian Life

Round 1 of competition has concluded for the Individual Female Championship vaulters at the FEI World Championships in Denmark, with the Aussies producing terrific performances!

Australia has two vaulters in the Individual Female Championship, Ginger Kennett and Stephanie Dore.

For Stephanie Dore, Herning is her second World Championships and she opened with a score of 6.818 in her first Compulsory Test (where each athlete is required to perform the same routine) to land her in 31st place. In the Technical Test (where each athlete performs a set of five movements, but the choreography is also judged) Steph scored 7.228, giving her a combined total of 7.023 for 25th place after Round 1.

Stephanie was partnered with the 14-year-old bay mare Qiun af Oesterholm (aka ‘Hopsy’) who was lunged by Nanna Klinge.

“We are so happy. Nanna, I and probably Hopsy were all in tears after. I think we all worked so well together. Hopsy was so good, she just felt super underneath me,” said Stephanie via Equestrian Australia High Performance following her Technical Test.

Ginger Kennett on ‘Crozzie’.

© Michelle Terlato Photography

This is the first World Championships for Ginger Kennett; she placed 32nd with a score of 6.728 in the Compulsory Test, and then 6.544 in the Technical Test. This gave Ginger a combined total of 6.636 for 29th place after Round 1.

Ginger was partnered by the beautiful 19hh gelding Corazon Gran, who was lunged by Maurits de Vries.

“I had the same mindset today (for the Technical Test), but a different feeling as we were going in for a totally different thing. I was happy with how I went, I calmed my nerves again, but I think I rushed a little bit. I got all the tech moves though. I know I am going to come back tomorrow with the Freestyle, which is my favourite, I will come back fighting,” said Ginger via Equestrian Australia High Performance.

“Crozzie was amazing. He had one little surge when I was up there but other than that he was super chilled, he is such a chilled horse. I love him.”

Results for the Individual Female Round 1 (Compulsory + Technical Tests) can be found here.

Australia also has a Vaulting Squad competing at Herning, comprised of Arabella Read, Eloise Tate, Lydia George, Poppy Loveland, Sabine Osmotherly, Willow Vitu, and Zoe Caddis. They are being lunged by Germany’s Christine Enders with horse Gozer.

Following Round 1, the Compulsory Test, Team Australia is sitting in 14th place with a score of 4.963.

Squad Compulsory Test – Round 1 results.

The vaulting continues today (Monday 8) with the Freestyle tests:

Ginger Kennett: 9am CEST (5pm AEST)
Stephanie Dore: 9:40am CEST (5:40pm AEST)
Individual Female Freestyle draw.
Squad: 3:30pm CEST (11:30pm AEST)
Squad Freestyle draw.

Read more about the Aussie vaulting team in the August issue of Equestrian Life here.

A glimpse of gold for the Germans

By Joanne Eccles

It was full steam ahead at the Mustang FEI Vaulting World Championships today in Herning (DEN). French vaulters Manon Moutinho and Lambert Leclezio powered ahead in the individual competition while Pas de Deux Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven brought back hope of a gold medal for Germany.

Starting the day with the female technical program, Kimberly Palmer of the USA posted the first massive score of the competition, 8.329 for the Technical test, jumping up to sixth place in the overall standings. However, the nerve tingling performance from Canada’s Averill Saunders left everyone with their jaws on the floor. The eighteen-year-old showed the second-best test of the day and lies in fourth place ahead of tomorrow’s final (8.198). Meanwhile, strong performances from Julia Sophie Wagner and Kathrin Meyer of Germany have them spending the night in second and third position with 8.310 and 8.265 respectively after round one. As for the top spot, it remains firmly in the hands of France’s Manon Moutinho, posting the best score of the day at 8.815 and increasing her lead over the field with a stunning performance.

There was heartbreak for Eva Nagiller (AUT), with her horse Lavalino unable to settle in the Boxen arena despite her best efforts while Denmark’s favourite Sheena Bendixen, will have some work to do in tomorrow’s freestyle, after a fall in her dismount leaves her in fifth. And, with the Free test counting for 50% of the total score, any of the top six could make the podium…

In the men’s competition, Germany’s Jannik Heiland came back like a true professional after a disappointing start yesterday. His score, 8.713, was second-best in the Technical test and he now sits 5th after round one. Compatriot Thomas Brüsewitz lies just behind in 6th (8.549). With a slightly unsettled Rosenstolz beneath him, fourth place was the best Italian Lorenzo Lupacchini could manage today leaving him in seventh overall (8.533). Dutch vaulter Sam dos Santos continued to surprise the rest of the competition, holding on to his bronze medal position (8.585), as Julian Wilfling (GER) completed the round in 4th (8.577).

Red, white and blue finished the Male technical test. Quentin Jabet of France held on to the second place overall (8.642), and Lambert Leclezio impressed! A small loss of balance in the final exercise gave the judges at least something to deduct from him. Finishing the round on 9.231, Leclezio appears to be well on his way to stepping on to the top of the podium one more time, just the freestyle remains. . It will be a fight to the end for the rest of the men, just 0.109 separating second and seventh place.

There were no surprises at the top of the Pas de Deux class as Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven, Germany, put on a top-quality display for the audience winning the interim top spot with a score of 8.863. Diana Harwardt and Peter Kunne (GER) are just behind in second (8.625), their medal winning dreams well and truly alive. An intricate performance from Italian pairing Davide Zanella and Rebecca Greggio saw them complete the top three so far (8.198) but Austria’s Theresa Thiel and Dominik Eder lie very close in fourth (8.029).

Monday will see the first medals of the championship presented. It will be both a test of nerves and of mental strength for the individual vaulters and we will see if France can make it three for three in the individual and squad competitions.

As for the final performance of Lambert Leclezio in the individual class… he is here to put on a show and we can be sure he will do just that.

Source: FEI press release

You can watch all the action from the FEI World Championships in Herning via Clip My Horse TV.

READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE