European Cup: Austria sensationally takes 3rd place in the team ranking, Lisa Held is 5th – Equestrian Worldwide | Equestrian sport worldwide
versatility – Bronze for the Austrian team! At the CCI3* European Cup from September 1st to 4th, 2022 in Lausanne (SUI), Switzerland, Antje Aigner, Lisa Held, Clemens Croy, Andreas Grafenhofer and Harald Herzgsell took a sensational third place behind the teams from Germany and Belgium. The best red-white-red individual result was achieved by the reigning state champion Lisa Held with Charis E in fifth.
Actually, as part of the CCI3* European Cup (= European Championship of rural riders), there are always six horse-rider pairs per team at the start, with two discarded results being possible for each sub-discipline. Unfortunately, Ontaria, the mare of Anna Bishop (ST), was not 100% fit after arriving in Lausanne and so it was decided, for the horse’s sake, to withdraw her before the condition test. For the detailed riders, a decimated team starts on Thursdays (September 1st) and Fridays (September 2nd) with the individual and group dressage.
The red-white-red team already laid the foundation for the later bronze medal in group dressage, which the judges rated with 33.30 minus points. Only the first and second-placed teams from Germany (24.9 minus points) and Belgium (26.8 minus points) achieved better grades.
The best individual rider from an Austrian point of view in individual dressage was Harald Herzgsell (B) with his Supreme, a 15-year-old Oldenburg show jumper gelding by Stalypso (29.6 fault points).
Source: Facebook/ Versatility Austria
The off-road test was initially under every good star: After heavy rain and repeated postponements, those responsible decided to start on a slightly shorter route. Nevertheless, our bush riders were highly motivated and Lisa Held (ST) pilots her DSP mare Charis E through the three-star terrain without any obstacles or time errors. Also Clemens Croy (Lower Austria) and the ten-year-old Hanoverian mare Sarah Bernhardt K, Antje Aigner (Lower Austria) and her Hungarian-bred mare Most Wanted Mimi, as well Andi Grafenhofer (ÖÖ) and the eleven-year-old Irish sport horse gelding Ballyshan Cooley were able to finish the cross-country section without making any mistakes and only accepting a few penalty points for exceeding the time limit.
Only for Harald Herzgsell did the cross-country test not go as he wished: Unfortunately, the Burgenlander had an annoying passer-by in the second narrow element (20b) of the last difficult combination before the finish line and thus added 20 points for refusing and several for exceeding the time limit to his excellent Dressage result added. After the second stage, the team slipped back to fourth place, behind Italy.
In the final competition it should be exciting again, but keeping your fingers crossed pays off: Austria finished the European Cup in sensational third place and secured the bronze medal with a total of 211.6 minus points. The Italian team, which was still on course for a medal after the terrain, was relegated to fourth place with a lead of just three points. With a start-finish victory and a total score of 165.00 penalty points, Germany secured the gold medal ahead of Belgium (198.6 points).
Our reigning state champion Lisa Held was able to make up four places with just one down in the show jumping and ended up on the magnificent fifth place in the individual ranking (35.8 points). Victory in the individual ranking goes to the German individual rider Nicholas Goldbeck (GER)in front of team rider Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau (GER) and local hero Christine Lang (SUI).
Source: Facebook/ Equisima Lausanne
Federal consultant Thomas Tesch was very satisfied with the successes in Lausanne and summed up:
“The riders and supervisors gave everything to successfully represent the Austrian colors and have been rewarded. It is the second team bronze medal after 2019 and clearly shows that eventing is going in the right direction. One should not underestimate the additional nervous strain it is for riders when it comes to an international team competition. It is all the more important that the team appears united and united, which our riders have done very well. In the individual ranking I feel sorry for Lisa (Editor’s note: hero), only a bar separated her from the individual bronze medal, which she more than deserved. I can watch her how hard Lisa trains every day next to work. However, fifth place in the individual classification in nine nations will only be the beginning of her international career in the top field.”
Related Links:
>> Result lists
>> Website Equissima Lausanne
>> Instagram Lisa Held
>> Instagram Antje Aigner
>> Instagram Anna Bishop
>> Instagram Andreas Grafenhofer
>> Facebook Clemens Croy
>> Facebook Harald Herzgsell
>> Facebook Versatility Austria
>> Facebook Equissima Lausanne
>> Cross-country app: CCI3* Lausanne
This Text was written by EQUESTRIAN WORLDWIDE – EQWO.net and is not a press release. Copying of the text and image material is not permitted.