Marcus Fuchs and Tinkas Boy help Switzerland clinch their first Nations Cup win this season in Aachen
Marcus Fuchs kept his cool to produce a clear round with the stallion Tinkas Boy when it mattered most, to win the nations cup for Switzerland in Aachen.
It was the first nations cup win this season for Switzerland.
The patriotic German crowd in the 40,000 seat arena jumped to their feet in delight when their last combination, the European individual champions Ludger Beerbaum and the chesnut mare Gladdys went clear over Arno Gego’s tough course.
Although in the second round Germany had produced clear rounds from all four riders, they carried four faults forward from one fence down in the first, when three Swiss riders all went clear giving them the edge.
In the second round Beat Mandli (Gryfino), Paul Freimueller (Himmerdor) for Switzerland both went clear and when Dehlia Oeuvray with the Irish-bred King Cavalier collected 17 faults it was up to the 2001 world cup winners Marcus and Tinkas Boy to keep the Swiss in the frame.
Markus and Tinka’s Boy, who was originally produced by British rider Nick Skelton, produced a determined clear – much to the evident frustration of the large home crowd.
Afterwards he said, “I felt that 50,000 people were willing me to make a mistake but I was determined to disappoint them.”
British riders Scott Smith (Cabri D’Elle), Mark Armstrong (Elise), Richard Davenport (Grand Marnier) and Tim Stockdale (Parcival) finished in sixth place with 16 faults in the 10 team competition that surprisingly saw both Ireland and the Netherlands go out after the first round.
Scott Smith with the French-bred stallion Cabri d’Elle was he best of the squad producing two clear rounds.
Tim Stockdale and the grey Parcival collected four faults in the second round, faulting at the upright before the water.
The fence was the downfall of several combinations and both Mark Armstrong and Richard Davenport faulted here and at the following water jump.
Results
1, Switzerland (B Mandli-Gryfino, P Freimueller-Himmerdor, D Oeuvray-King Cavalier, M Fuchs-Tinkas Boy) 0;
2, Germany (M Ehning-For Pleasure, S von Roenne-Charlottenhofs Chandra, O Becker-Dobel’s Cento, L Beerbaum-Gladdys) 4;
3, Belgium (P Le Jeune-Nabab de Reve, M van Dijck-Verelst, J Lasink-AK Carido Z, L Phillippaerts-Parco) 8;
4, France (E Levallois-Diamant de Semilly Ecolit, L Leygue-Diablo du Parc, R Angot-Dollar de la Pierre, E Navet-Dollar du Murier Hauts de S) 12;
Read today’s dressage reports from Aachen:
