 The
second day of Jumping was just as exciting and promising as anticipated. Some
114 riders – 25 teams along with 23 individual riders – took part in
the first round of the Nations Cup competition. With three clear rounds and a
score of 7.01 penalty points, The Netherlands (Piet Raymakers /
Van Schijndel’s Curtis; Jeroen Dubbeldam / BMC Up And Down; Albert
Zoer / Okidoki; Gerco
Schröder / Eurocommerce Berlin) are in the lead.
(jeroen
Dubbledam and BMC Up and Down are pictured at the right at the water jump.)
Team
Ukraine (Björn Nagel / Pilgrim; Jean Claude van Geenberghe
/ Osta Rugs Tresor; Gregory Wathelet / Loriot; Katharina Offel /
Atlanta) are second (13.17) closely followed by the USA
(Margie Engle / Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold; Laura Kraut / Miss
Independent; McLain Ward / Sapphire; Beezie Madden /Authentic) in
third position with a score of 14.85.
After yesterday’s exciting beginning,
Frank Rothenbrger’s course has developed into a full-scale championship
test. The 14-fence, 17-jumping effort track was long – 650 m – and difficult
but fair. It was cleverly built asking for concentration and testing the riders
through technical questions rather than sheer height. One of these challenges
consisted in an oxer placed within a short distance of the triple bar facing the
big screen. An attractive feature of the course are its varied and colourful shapes.
A Globe featuring the national flags of the participating nations and symbolising
the unifying spirit of sport was used today at the last fence. Another jump was
inspired by Aachen’s best known historical figure – Charlemagne, who
was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800. The main motif of the jump was
taken from a postcard issued in 1914 to honour the 1100th anniversary of the death
of Charlemagne. The Emperor’s official seal, which is one of the symbols
of the city, appears on the gate of the jump. Another fence shows the stairs of
the Aachen’s Gothic City Hall where flowers are nowadays sold on market days.
The city’s magnificent cathedral was also present in today’s triple
bar consisting of sketches and elements of the building. The rails of the jump
depict the floor pattern of the famous Octagon placed at the heart of the cathedral.
Today’s result is a great achievement for The Netherlands who,
although part of the Samsung Super League, have been struggling to keep their
spot and avoid relegation. Much interest has been shown in the Ukrainian
team consisting of former Belgian and German riders, who have acquired Ukrainian
nationality. It was put together by Ukranian businessman Alexander Onishchenko,
was completed only two months ago. Perspectives look more than bright for
the USA, who have Beezie Madden, the only
rider with 0 penalties, as a member of their team. The individual standings remain
unchanged from yesterday. Beezie is followed by Canada’s Eric Lamaze
on Hickstead in second place with a score of 0.39 and Gerco Schröder on
Eurocommerce Berlin (0.43), both of whom, just like Beezie, went clear
today. The second round of the Nations Cup will continue tomorrow evening.
Only the best ten teams – The Netherlands, Ukraine, USA, Germany, Switzerland,
Brazil, Spain, Great Britain, Belgium and Ireland – will continue in the
team competition. All the individual riders and the members of the teams placed
lower than tenth, who were not eliminated and who did not retire, may continue
as individual riders if they so wish. For the full results, please check
www.aachen2006.com.
30/08/2006 - Blood is thicker than water - Did
You Know?
That father and son Nelson and Rodrigo Pessoa
competed together for Brazil three times – in Stockholm where the team placed
8th, in The Hague where the team was 4th and in Rome when the team finished 5th
and where Rodrigo took the individual title? That brothers Michael and
John Whitaker were on the British squad in Stockholm where they took the
team bronze and again in The Hague where the team finished sixth? Other siblings
who have competed together at the Games are German brothers Markus and
Ludger Beerbaum who lined out in Rome in 1998 to take team gold, Switzerland's
Thomas and Markus Fuchs who were on the bronze medal winning team
at the Hague 1994 and brother and sister Evelyne and Michel Blaton who
jumped side-by-side for the Belgian team that slotted into 14th place in that
same year?
Jimmy
Woffard has e-mailed an additional suggestion: Raimondo
D'Inzeo won the Show Jumping Individual Gold
Medal and
his brother Piero D'Inzeo won the Show Jumping Individual
Silver Medal at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
Many
thanks Jimmy for a GREAT addition! Cora Cushny, Editor
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