France Wins Team Gold in Showjumping at WEG

France Wins Team Gold

France has won its third Jumping Team World Championship Gold medal in Chapin on Thursday. Team riders Eric LEVALLOIS, Reynald ANGOT, Gilles BERTRAN DE BALANDA and Eric NAVET added just four penalties to their previous two rounds to finish with a total of 9.22 penalties. The French have two riders ranked in the top ten individuals, NAVET in second and LEVALLOIS in fourth.

“I'm very proud to be chef to such good riders." said Jean-Maurice Bonneau, chef d’equipe of the French Team. "It is fantastic to win. I had two very experienced riders and two younger riders. This is really a team medal and is fantastic.”

For French team member Eric Navet, this is his second Gold Team Medal, the first being won in Stockholm 1990.
“Obviously team gold is a great thing." exclaimed a happy Navet. "Winning twice is even better. I am very pleased.”

Navet is currently sitting 2nd in the overall rankings going into the individual phase. “It is similar to Stockholm. I am on a relatively inexperienced horse. But he has showed strong progress in the last few shows.”

Eric Navet & Dollar Du Murier

Sweden has won the Silver medal, its first Team World Championship medal. Team riders Peter ERIKSSON, Royne FETTERMAN, Helena LUNDBACK and Malin BARYARD finished on 21.02 points. LUNDBACK is ranked third and BARYARD tenth individually.

Belgium also winning its first Team medal, taking the Bronze with a score of 22.68, team riders Stanny VAN PAESSCHEN and Jos LANSINK jumped two of only six double clean rounds in the competition.

This pulled Belgium from 12th to 2nd position.

“The horses were in very good shape in the warm up class and we were just unlucky in the speed class." explained Jos Lansik. "You do need luck in the Championship classes and today luck was on our side.”

The favourites missed out. Fourth went to Germany on 27.69. World number one rider Ludger BEERBAUM(GER) had two rails down in the second round to finish on 12.50 over the three rounds.

Markus Fuchs (SUI) & Tinka's Boy

The second round of the teams competition caused very few problems for the riders with fifteen clear rounds in total. Most penalties occurring in the last line including the water jump.

American Peter WYLDE leads the individual ranking Championship on only 1.55 faults, followed by Eric NAVET (FRA) on 3.29, and Helena LUNDBACK (SWE) on 3.62.

Team Canada finished the day in 10th position overall.
Eric Lamaze & Millcreek Raphael were unfortunately eliminated in Part B of Round 2. This meant that Canada had no drop score. Melissa Brown, the youngest rider on the team, accumulated 13 faults while Mac Cone had 9. The best ride was put in by Karen Cudmore with only 4 faults for a 2-day total of 66.21.

The top twenty five riders will contest the Grand Prix on Saturday, September 21 in Chapin when the four riders to ride off for the 2002 Individual World Jumping Championship will be decided.

Unfortunately, Canada won't have any riders in the individual competition. The highest placing Canadians are Mac Cone & Melissa Brown who both tied for 42nd.

RESULTS
1. France - 13.22
2. Sweden - 21.02
3. Belgium - 22.68
4. Germany - 27.69
5. The Netherlands - 29.39
6. USA - 29.75
7. Ireland - 30.94
8. Italy - 34.82
9. Brazil - 61.47
10. Canada - 66.21