Team Denmark – Zascha Nygaard, Laura Baaring Kjaergaard, Soren Moeller Rohde, Andreas Schou And Chef D’equipe Bo K Moeller – celebrate their back to back win on home soil at the Longines EEF Series CSIO3* Stutteri Ask. Photo © EEF.
Press release from Longines EEF Series, edited by World of Showjumping
Denmark successfully retained their title at the CSIO3* Longines EEF Series Region North Qualifier to the delight of the home crowd at Stutteri Ask in Martofte. Sweden was hot on their heels in second while Belgium occupied third.
“It was an exciting day of top-class sport with the outcome undecided until the very last rider, as everything came down to the final jump,” said Denmark’s chef d’equipe Bo K Moller. “We always aim to win but winning on home soil is always the greatest feeling and it has never happened before that Denmark has won two years in a row. I am very proud of my team.”
Andreas Schou riding Darc De Lux (Darco x Contender), Denmark’s final rider, withstood the pressure to produce a clear round – any faults would have cost the hosts the win – and secure victory for the Danes in a nail-biting conclusion to an exciting afternoon of showjumping.
“I was really proud of my horse, Darc de Lux, today. He felt in top shape and completely ready for the job, which made it easy for me to deliver two good rounds,” said Andreas. “We came here with a strong team and it’s always special to compete on home soil in front of such a passionate home crowd.”
Andreas Schou and Darc De Lux claimed the victory for Team Denmark in front of the home crowd. Photo © EEF.
The winning team of Zascha Nygaard on the nine-year-old stallion Cornets Esmeray PS (Cornet Obolensky x Chacco-Blue) and Andreas Schou riding the 15-year-old Holsteiner stallion Darc De Lux, who both produced double clears, Laura Baaring Kjaergaard with Guppie VDL (Arezzo VDL x Cardento), a 15-year-old KWPN gelding, and Soren Moeller Rohde aboard Evolution Ask DWB (VDL Zirocco Blue x Cheenook), a 10-year-old Danish Warmblood, added just one time penalty to that score in the second round.
“My horse jumped really well today and felt full of confidence throughout. I picked up a single time fault in the second round, but overall I’m incredibly pleased with the performance,” said Soren. “I would also like to thank all the volunteers and the entire team here at Stutteri Ask for making it possible to host an event like this on Danish soil.”
At the halfway stage it was Denmark who led the way on zero, one penalty clear of Belgium and four penalties ahead of Sweden and Norway. Gerard Lachat’s course caused many problems with faults spread around the course. The time also proved elusive meaning fault free rounds were few and far between - only four combinations finished the two-round competition on a score of zero.
Zascha Nygaard and Cornets Esmeray PS. Photo © EEF.
While many teams fared worse in the second round than the first, solid performances from Sweden meant they added nothing to their first-round score to climb the leaderboard to occupy the runner-up position.
Jonna Ekberg riding the nine-year-old bay gelding Bjurfors Chacco (Cornet Obolensky x Cantoblanco) recorded a double clear while teammates Jens Fredericson on Diarado’s Rose Elith (Diarado x Cardento), Carl-Walter Fox eith Eka First Navy Jack (Contendro x Baltimore) and Marcus Westergren aboard Airco De L’Esprit Z (Air Jordan Alpha Z x Quantum) each produced one fault free round and one four faulter.
Belgium rounded out the podium in third. Despite breathing down the necks of Denmark at the halfway stage, they couldn’t replicate those performances in the second, finishing on a score of nine. Roy van Beek and Johannes Heinrichs’ Charleston-H (Comme Il Faut x Zandor) were the stars of the team, marring their scorecard with just one time fault.
Norway occupied fourth just one penalty ahead of Finland, whose third team member, Niclas Aromaa with Stallion Stud Helasuo’s 12-year-old stallion Cascalinus (Cascadello x Acolord), was one of the four combinations to complete on a score of zero. Finland will also be pleased with the performance of 18-year-old Jone Illi who looked like a future star when he piloted Celtas Quillian (Uriko x Cancara) to a clear in the second round.
Sixth place was awarded to Great Britain, who had two exciting eight-year-olds among their quartet in Chloe Winchester’s Chancellor Z (Cicero Z x Casir Ask) and Holly Smith’s Nike Van Het Singraven (Andiamo Semilly x Haarlem), Netherlands was seventh while the trio from Germany finished eighth.
Japan was ninth ahead of Poland, who were eliminated, and Indonesia, who withdrew at the end of the first round.
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