Rodrigo Sampaio Peixoto and Nice Pearl du Courtils won the final for the 5-year-old horses. Photo (c) Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.
The second week of the Autumn MET 2017 saw the young horses conclude their first cycle of competitions with the finals for 5,6 and 7-year-old horses presented by Kingsland Equestrian. It was three highly competitive classes in Oliva Nova today, with Nice Pearl du Courtils, Cooley In Time and Celina IX finishing as the best three horses in their respective age categories.
Wednesday’s tracks were set by Christian Wiegand (GER) and Peter Schumacher (GER). The 5-year-old horses jumped over a 1.20m course that was built in the Valencia ring, counting 11 obstacles and 13 efforts with a time allowed set to 87 seconds. A total of ten horse-and-rider combinations out of the 19 pairs that jumped, cleared their way to the jump-off.
Rodrigo Sampaio Peixoto (Nobrega da Costa) (POR) on the 5-year-old mare Nice Pearl du Courtils (Rexito Z x Landetto) was the quickest of the day, taking home the win with a time of 34,04 seconds in the jump-off. Harold Megahey (IRL) on the mare Haranka (Captain Cooper x F.A.G. de Crom) placed second with a time of 34,78, while Megan Laseur (NED) on the gelding How Do You Do (Sam R x Nimmerdor) took the third spot with a time of 35,06 seconds. Ioli Mytilineou (GRE) on the stallion La Capitol (Lasino x Capitol I) took the fourth place, and John Popely (GBR) on the gelding Hunter Apple (Quality Time x Baloubet du Rouet) placed fifth.
Cameron Hanley and Cooley In Time en route to victory in the 6-year-old final. Photo (c) Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.
The 6-year-old horses jumped over a 1.30m course counting 11 obstacles and 13 efforts, with the time allowed set at 87 seconds. Out of the 32 pairs that lined up for the competition, a total of 16 cleared the first round and joined the jump-off.
Like earlier on at the Autumn MET 2017, Cameron Hanley (IRL) dominated the class with his youngsters – taking the win on his talented mare Cooley In Time (SIEC Livello x Coevers Diamond Boy) with a time of 31,22 seconds in the jump-off. Megan Laseur was again in the ribbons, this time on the mare G Laloma Tag (Vleut x Quidam de Revel) – taking the runner-up position after stopping the clock at 32,01 seconds. Hanley also took the third place with the gelding Esi Toulouse (SIEC Livello x Catina) after clocking a time of 32,50 seconds, while Ioli Mytilineou repeated her fourth place from the 5-year-old final – this time aboard the mare Glen Moray (Cassini II x Capitol I). The fifth spot went to Niklaus Schurtenberger (SUI) on the gelding Lireu (Legolas), while Hanley concluded a highly successful final by ending sixth with Conandro 2 (Connor 48 x Colandro).
With three horses in the top six, Hanley had a good day at the office and said: “I'm very lucky to have three really talented 6-year-olds. They have been beautifully produced this year by my rider Mattia Faccincani, and it was the perfect opportunity for me to get to know them better here in Oliva.”
“The fact that they all jumped double clear in the final was a bonus,” Hanley continued. “As for Cooley In Time, she's just amazing because she doesn't have any experience against the clock but she's just naturally incredibly fast!”
Faye Schoch and Celina IX won the 7-year-old final. Photo (c) Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.
In the final for the 7-year-old horses, it was one of the winners from the first week of the Autumn MET that again took the top honors: Faye Schoch (SUI) was the fastest of them all, this time on her mare Celina IX (Canstakko x Carthago) clocking the winning time of 38,32 seconds.
Jumping a course set at 1.40m counting 12 obstacles and 14 efforts, with a time allowed of 83 seconds – 14 of the 24 in the class cleared their way into the jump-off.
Pilar Lucrecia Cordon (ESP) on her gelding Seawillow (Sir Satchmo x Stakkato Gold) took the second spot with a time of 40,17, while Schoch also placed third on the gelding GK California (Cosido) with a time of 42,66. Constant van Paesschen (BEL) and the gelding Mjt Carnaval (Casall x Lorentin I) ended fourth with a time of 44,95 seconds, while the fifth spot went to Sven Otto (GER) on the gelding Class de Light HU (Calato x Stakkato).
The competitions for the for 5,6 and 7-year-old horses will resume for the second part of the Autumn MET 2017, running from October 24th-November 12th.
Click in here for full results.
Source: Press release from the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour // Pictures © Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com
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