Germany at the helm in Mannheim

The second of the 2007 FEI European Jumping Championship at Mannheim was certainly an exciting one. It was the day of the first round of the Nations Cup in which took part all riders and horses who had participated in yesterday’s speed competition. Eighteen teams fought all they could to secure a place in the top ten as only the ten best teams will continue tomorrow in the second round of the Nations Cup. As a result of today’s competition, Germany is firmly in the lead with a team score of 5.18 and clear rounds from three of its riders – Christian Ahlmann / Cöster (2.53 – after yesterday’s speed competition and today’s Nations Cup); Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum / Shutterfly (1.54); and Ludger Beerbaum / Goldfever (1.11). It was another black day for the fourth team rider Marcus Ehning. Noltes Küchengirl wasn’t in a patriotic spirit and categorically refused to jump the first element of the triple combination representing the German flag at 12 and after a second such refusal, the pair were eliminated. The Netherlands, whose all four riders went clear today, keep their yesterday’s score of 7.37 and move one place up to take the second position. Switzerland follows closely in third place on 8.13. The ten teams to proceed to tomorrow’s second round are: 1. Germany (5.18) 2. The Netherlands (3.37) 3. Switzerland (8.13) 4. Great Britain (10.43) 5. Belgium (12.45) 6. Sweden (14.65) 7. Norway (17.26) 8. Spain (17.69) 9. Ukraine (17.96) 10. Italy (18.53) Today concentration was at its highest as there was more at stake than ‘just’ the European medals. Indeed, the three slots for next year’s Olympic Games still available for European teams will be filled by the three best placed teams from the 2007 FEI European Jumping Championship. This excludes The Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine and Switzerland who qualified at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen. It was a sad day for prominent show jumping countries like France and Ireland who, being 12th and 13th respectively, do not continue the team competition. It will be something of an unwelcome novelty to France not to take part in the team Olympic competition. The individual placings remain unchanged from yesterday: Chritina Leibherr (SUI) on L.B. No Mercy is still in the lead with a crystal clear penalty-free score. Ludger Beerbaum on Goldfever (1.11) is second and Austrian Stefan Eder on Cartier PSG kept his nerve through a clear round and is third (1.12). The best 50 riders continue in the second round of the Nations Cup towards the individual final.