At the FEI Jumping European Championship for Young Riders, Juniors and Children 2022 in Oliva Nova, Spain, the action kicked off on Tuesday with the first competitions for Juniors and Young Riders.
The Young Riders had 86 pairs at start in their first round of competition, judged as a Table C and jumped over a course set at 1.45m – and also in this age category it ended with an Irish win. With a clear round and a time of 71.58 seconds, Ireland’s Jason Foley and the only 9-year-old Cnoc Rua Chinook (Pacino x Ramiro B) were the fastest in this competition presented by Pedersen Sporthorses. Great Britain’s Lily Attwood and Cor-Leon vd Vlierbeek Z (Calvaro F.C. x Omar) placed second with a time of 73.07, while France’s Jules Orsolini and Charlotte 198 (Casall x Carry 22) took the third place when stopping the clock at 74.80 seconds. Orsolini’s compatriot Antoine Ermann and Beryl des Pres (Popstar Lozonais x Djalisco du Guet) finished fourth, while Belgium’s Thibeau Spits and Classic Touch DH (Casall x Corrado I) took the fifth place.
“Today was a very good day,” Ireland’s Jason Foley commented after his win. “My horse is a little bit on the green side, but he dealt very well with the course. He is a fighter; he loves to leave the jumps up and he is very fast. I had a good draw, being late to go, and the course suited me. My horse has a big stride, so I was able to do one less in most places. It has been just great today to get a good start for Team Ireland – hopefully we can finish out on a strong week.”
The competition for the Young Riders continues on Thursday, with the second individual qualifier which is also the first round of the team final. Jason Foley leads the way on a score of zero penalties, followed by Lily Attwood on 0.75 in second, Jules Orsolini on 1.61 in third, Antoine Ermann on 1.83 in fourth and Thibeau Spits on 1.9 in fifth.
For the Young Rider teams, the three best results from the five team members count. Ireland leads the way on a score of 5.96 penalties, followed by Great Britain on 6.84 in second and Belgium on 7.08 in third.
The FEI Jumping European Championship for Young Riders, Juniors and Children 2022 in Oliva Nova, Spain, continues on Wednesday with the first competition for the Children and the second competition for the Juniors, while the Young Riders will have a day off.