Denmark scores a double victory in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth at x-bionic® Summer Tour
ŠAMORÍN, SLOVAKIA—Sunday, August 5, 2018 saw three consecutive rounds of exciting, international FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth competition at the X-Bionic® Summer Tour. Among the winners of the day: Team Hungary, who triumphed in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Children’s division; and Denmark, which earned team gold in both the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Young Riders and FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Junior divisions.
Prize Respect 1.25m FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Children
Comprised of Balázs Tóth, Olívia Dóra Veilinger, Emma Zólyomi, and Csongor Töro, Hungary led the competition from start to finish on Sunday, defeating Germany in second place on a score of 8 and the Czech Republic in third on 16. Riding the 12-year-old stallion Chacco, anchor rider Töro jumped the only double-clear of the day, helping the Hungarian Team finish on their Round 1 score of 4 faults. In particular, Chef d’Équipe Attila Janik praised first-time Nations Cup™ competitor, Olívia Dóra Veilinger, who had just one rail down in Round 1. “This is Olivia’s first international show and she is a real newcomer and winning all the classes, which is amazing,” said Janik. Team members noted that they were taking a moment to celebrate this well-deserved win, though they are already eyeing the Hungarian Championships in two weeks’ time. This victory will also bring Hungary critical points in the provisional European standings, with only one event left in their qualifying season.
Prize Gordana Glass 1.45m FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Young Riders
Team Denmark rode away with the win in the 1.45m Prize Gordana Glass FEI Jumping Young Riders Nations Cup™ on a score of 20, edging out Germany on 21 and the United Arab Emirates, which faced an unfortunate team elimination in the second round. Anchor rider Clara Hallundbaek led teammates Benedikte Rie Truelsen, Konstantin Deeken Künnemann, and Christina Nielsen with a fault-free score on the 11-year-old Holsteiner mare, HH Best Buy. In the second round, Team Demark was able to secure the win ahead of Hallundbaek’s final turn. “We are really happy. It was a hot day, but the horses did a really good job in these conditions,” said Künnemann. “We are very happy to finish it like that.” Chef d’Équipe Bo Möller echoed the sentiment, highlighting this victory’s importance to the team’s overall position in the standings. “We have been trying to prepare to do our best and have focused on the Nations Cup™, since it is important for our country,” said Möller. “For a country of our size, it is very good—we are proud of this success. We have many riders who have been working hard the whole year.”
Prize Coca-Cola 1.40m FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth – Junior
The final class of the afternoon marked the second victory of the day for Denmark, which finished on a dominate 13 faults in the Prize Coca-Cola FEI Jumping Junior Nations Cup™, defeating Hungary with 31 in second place, and the United Arab Emirates with 35 in third. Last to go in the order, Laura Baaring Kjaergaard led the team—also consisting of Maria Barnewitz Schou, Camilla Mortensen, and Kamilla Ladefoged Rasmussen—jumping double-clear on the 8-year-old Holsteiner mare, Cloi. “We try to educate all the riders in the same way coming up through the system. We know that it is functioning, and eventually, is a guarantee of success at the shows,” said Chef d’Équipe Bo Möller, adding Denmark has nearly 20 different riders participating in both Junior and Young Riders Nations Cup™ classes this season. “The most important thing is that you ride as a team, and everybody fights for each other,” Möller continued. “If one is not good one day, the others have to really go for it and help that one, and the next time, it’s the opposite. You must have a true team spirit and then you can go far.”
You can view the full results from the day’s FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth competitions here.
