France Triumphs in Intense Nations Cup Competition
The Nations Cup at the CSIO4* in Morocco concluded with a nail-biting jump-off that determined the victor after Team Germany had initially appeared to be the clear frontrunner. French rider Jeanne Sadran, competing on Dexter de Kerglenn (sired by Mylord Carthago), delivered a stunning performance in the jump-off, clocking the fastest clear round at 33.24 seconds, which ultimately secured the win for France. This remarkable feat placed France ahead of Morocco and Germany, while Belgium, represented by Mike van Olst riding Comme Elle Faut Odth Z (sired by Comme il Faut), finished fourth after a rail down during the final round.
For Team Germany, Marie Ligges set a solid foundation as the first rider on Ballerina NRW (sired by Diamond), completing two clear rounds without any faults. Following her, Harm Lahde rode Oak’s Grobe Commander Bond (sired by Comme il Faut) and encountered a slight error at jump 10 in the first round, a challenge that also troubled several other competitors. However, he ensured a clear round in the second attempt. Tom Schewe also delivered a flawless performance in the first round with Congress Blue PS (sired by Chacco Blue), but unfortunately faced a rail down early in the second round. Maximilian Lill followed suit with a clear round on Kommandant 10 (sired by Comme il Faut) in the first round, positioning Team Germany to lead into the second, bolstered by two clear rounds from Ligges and Lahde, providing them with a chance to secure victory.
Despite their promising start, Team Germany faced misfortune; after Tom Schewe’s minor error, Lill, who had performed confidently, also knocked down the last rail in the second round. Throughout the competition, France and Belgium kept close tabs on their German counterparts, and by the end of the second rounds, Morocco had also emerged as a strong contender. With all four teams accumulating four penalty points, a jump-off was deemed necessary to declare the winner.
The jump-off commenced with Morocco’s Abdelkebir Ouddar on Festival d’Argouges (sired by Armitages Boy) achieving a clear round in 33.78 seconds. Sadran quickly surpassed this time, setting the bar high with her clear run. Although Tom Schewe also managed a clear round, his time of 34.93 seconds placed him in third position after Mike van Olst’s unfortunate rail down left Belgium in fourth.
Team captain Ralf Runge expressed his pride in the team's performance to spring-reiter.de. "I am extremely happy with the team. They all rode wonderfully, especially Marie with her double clear rounds. Maxi faced bad luck at the last jump, but his horse is still young and somewhat inexperienced at this level. Both Maxi and Tom's horses are only nine years old. Of course, we could have closed out the competition earlier, but we learn from these experiences and gain valuable insights."
