There are sixteen sets of medals to be awarded during the triple European Championships in Herning this week. The official name is ECCO FEI European Championships where a string of equestrian sport stars, riders and horses have started the tight battle for the medals.
”It is impressing to see how the championships today have been transformed into one complete event. For the first time ever the European Championships in jumping, dressage and para-dressage have been staged simultaneously and I’m sure that this is a concept that will create a major focus on equestrian internationally and nationally,” says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark. Sport Event Denmark partners the event together with The Danish Equestrian Federation and the City of Herning.
Great Britain is in the lead after today’s first round of the team competition in the P.S.I. FEI European Championships in Show Jumping. Switzerland is close behind on the second place and France is placed third after today’s competition
19 nations were on today’s starting list with the French team in the lead. The nations placed in the top 10 after the first round is allowed to start in the second and final round of the team competition which is tomorrow.
In the individual championship British Ben Maher is still in the lead, followed by Steve Guerdat, Roger Yves Bost, Rolf Göran Bengtsson and Lucian Diniz.
British Chef d’Equipe, Rob Hoekstra, is very pleased with the European Championships so far:
“It is a fantastic staging, with an excellent set-up. The footing is a bit patchy – soft in places and harder in other places, and this makes it a bit difficult for the horses. But it is always a challenge when the footing is not permanent and is laid down so quickly. But we expect it to be better in the next couple of days when the footing sets. The rest of the organisation and the whole set-up is just fantastic,” Rob Hoekstra says.
Both dressage and para-dressage also took off today in two different arenas just a minute’s walk apart within the impressing venue. The first part of the para-dressage started with the combinations in grade IV and 1b riding their first tests in a competition. The first riders on the course were the least disabled riders in grade IV. Among a group of 15 riders the British favorite Sophie Wells turned out best.
First part of Blue Hors FEI European Dressage Championship for teams started today. Germany is in the lead in front of the hosts from Denmark and the Netherlands on third place. It is common practice that the best team riders go on the second day, which means that most of the top riders will be going on Thursday.
This event is organised in cooperation between European-Herning ApS, Sport Event Denmark, the municipality of Herning, and the Danish Equestrian Federation.
www.european-herning.dk
