Story by Christopher Hector and Photos by Roslyn Neave and Eric Knoll
What I love about the Mondial du Lion – the world championships of young eventing horses – is that it is so totally unfashionable.
Here is a real horseman’s event, driven by an understanding of the nature of the horse, and the nature of the relationship between horse and rider. Imagine, two whole days of eventing dressage, no frills, no frumpery, not even a flying change to entertain the masses – this is certainly not the sort of thing that will attract the mythical audience of several billion Chinese that seems to be the guiding light of the FEI’s program to dumb everything down. It’s certainly not the sort of thing that will attract Mr Tops’ rentacrowd of wannabees, and the rich (soon to be less so) and would-be-famous.
Here the old codgers sip their Muscadet as they discuss the pedigrees of the day, they may be a bit old and wrinkled but they can dial up bloodline details on their smart phones well enough. This is a real horse event, for real horse people.
Which is not to say that the audience is limited to aged peasantry. As we sip our evening drinks back at the hotel, we catch up with a couple who have traveled all the way from England. The wife is a sometime eventer, the passion now passed to her little daughter who is into pony eventing, and tells us she is a Chris Burton fan, and tells us the names of all his horses she has seen. They love their first taste of the Mondial because despite what the FEI may believe, there are there are people who love eventing for what it is, and don’t see the necessity of dumbing it down to try and make it something it will never be….
It is also a very welcoming and friendly event, but a lot more security conscious, understandably because it’s France, and they won’t let us park in the press park because we haven’t got our car pass yet because we haven’t been to the press bureau.
Once through, take a deep breath and enjoy the wonderful colours of the autumn leaves, settle back and try and work out which stallion is working with which mares…
There are no standout sires this year, the only stallion with two representatives in the six-year-old class is Jaguar Mail (Hand in Glove xx / Laudanum xx). In the seven-year-old class, it is Diamant de Sémilly (Le Tot de Sémilly / Elf III) with two, while Jaguar Mail has one in this class too.
Still there are a few interestingly bred horses doing well.
Gemma Tattersall and Chilli’s Gem
The young British rider, Gemma Tattersall is riding Chilli’s Gem, by William Fox-Pitt’s four-star performer, Chilli Morning out of a mare by Rock King who is by the great Just A Monarch. On the bottom line we find the influential Anglo Arab, Inschallah – all of which adds up to 72.66% ‘blood’.
The chestnut mare looks a lot like her dad (dare I say, she even looks a bit scopier) and she is putting together a stylish test – not so you’d know it from the score board, the judges, Christian Steiner (Austria), Eric Lieby (France) and Anne Persson, seem determined to play it safe and are stuck on three scores – 6, 6.5, 7 – and they don’t get higher for the really good work, or much lower for the not so nice. Although it might be noted that there are very few not nice tests, the overwhelming majority of the riders are riding tactfully and quietly, there’s nary a lean-back-hunt-them-forward auction trot to be seen, and there are very few tense horses, even if they don’t really get hurt for being tense (see above).
The dark grey, Vanity Fair is another stunning mare, she is by Diarado (Diamant de Sémilly / Corrado) out of a Chacco Blue mare, just a wonderful mover and ridden sweetly by Frenchman, Christopher Six.
Vanity Fair and Christopher Six
At Rio we noted a couple of horses going round in the eventing of dressage breeding, and here at Le Lion we had Riga de Hus – straight dressage, by Rascalino out of a Diamond Hit mare. He’s only a little chap, but Olivier Chapus does not look under-mounted, and the horse has fine trot and a better canter.
Riga de Hus and Olivier Chapus
Christopher Burton, who seems to be starring pretty well everywhere these days, has a lovely test on the Dutch branded – but almost entirely Holsteiner bred, Fire Fly. The bay gelding is by Zavall VDL by Casall, out of a Corland / Indoctro mare. Looking at his papers, and percentage of blood, 45.31%, you might expect a heavier type, but he is leggy and lean.
Chris and Bek Burton
Christopher thinks the six-year-old test with its giving of the rein at strategic points is good to show the horse’s training: “Is it a hard test to ride with all the giving of the reins? I have a view that this ability to give the rein is very important for one-star horses, and it should be in all lower level tests, because if you are not able to ride with a forward giving hand, then it shows up. It amazes me how many top riders can’t ride with a forward hand. It’s a big issue, so this is why it is a great movement.”
Firefly and Chris Burton
And the horse you are riding, Fire Fly…
“He’s come to us this year. He’s got a lot of quality, as you can see. He’s not been the easiest as a young one but he has improved a lot, and today he gave me a really good ride in the ring.
read on
Fire Fly finishes in fourth place in the six-year-olds on a score of 44.2%. The leader in this class is the German entry, Painter’s Maxim ridden by Kai-Steffen Meier. The Trakehner stallion is by Phlox who is by the Russian Trakehner, Waitaki, and he is out of a mare by the Thoroughbred, Painter’s Row, who was banished from the Dutch studbook because his semen was not considered of sufficient quality.
Painter’s Maxim is another forward moving horse, open in the gullet rather than forced into a frame, and sweetly relaxed.
In amongst the horses, are lots of old friends. Ingrid Klimke is one of our all time favorite people.
She is here to compete in the seven-year-old class, and it is great to get her take on the event:
Is there a special art to preparing horses for this world young horse championship?
“For sure you must have them in good condition because for the young horses it is the first time they run around nine to ten minutes. For the first time this is real life compared to what they do when they are six when they do the young eventing classes which are a bit like a showjumping in a big field over cross country fences. Here they have to gallop through the bushes, through the trees, jump nice fences which are different to what they have seen before.”
Do you like to start them in a couple of two-star events before you bring them here?
“I think they definitely have to run two to four two-stars to make sure that they have enough mileage, have seen enough and not be all of a sudden surprised to see such pretty fences because they are very well decorated here.”
Is there are different way of preparing these young horses?
“I think it is pretty much the same as it is for the older horses. I canter every five days. I like to go on the hills – and plan it eight to twelve weeks before so they gradually increase, I build it up slowly not in a rush at the end.”
Ingrid Klimke and Weisse Duene
There are some lovely horses here…
“I saw them on the trot up, and there are some very nice horses, nice shapes, nice conformation, not so many over-built like we sometimes saw in the past. Especially in the seven-year-old class, there were many that I marked, nice conformation, nice type, nice hind leg. Now all the eventing riders know that the dressage and the jumping count for more so they take more interest in looking out for horses that have proper gaits so they can win the dressage and hopefully be good showjumpers, because the ones that are only good cross country, will not win a championship.”
I think the riding style has become nicer, the riders are quieter, more sympathetic…
“If you watch the French riders, or the Irish riders or the English riders, they have all improved their dressage a lot in the last years. They know that good dressage, good throughness, building up young horses in the classical way, will bring you further.”
They were not many tense horses in the ring today…
“Hopefully mine not either – we’ll see.”
Tell me a little about your horse – Weisse Duene by Clarimo out of a mare by Romino…
“She’s normally very nice in the ring, she is a little more uphill now and can carry herself a little bit longer. She’s very easy in the half pass, it’s fun to ride her in the dressage, she’s not spooky or over-whelmed, she has been very good in her tests the whole season.”
You’ve just come back from walking the course, what is your impression?
“It starts very inviting, with nice fences, not too difficult, nice turns and all of a sudden, at the second water, you see the first really narrow one. Then it starts, there’s the corner, and then down to the brush fence, and then the next narrow one. Then you have the house, with the angled brushes – that’s definitely a test because you never know how the young horses will balance, do you have them very quick on the hindlegs or choose the alternative if you feel they are too much on the forehand. But again, it is beautifully built and they learn a lot – there’s ditches and the first water, the fence in the water really means you have to canter through it in good balance and a little uphill. I think they will learn a lot, and it is beautiful.”
| Sometimes with young dressage horses they are stars in young horse classes but they don’t go on to the big sport – yet here, a lot of the horses that have gone well have gone on to great success at the highest levels… |
“That’s what they said in the first briefing, the horses you see here, many of them you will see in Tokyo. And we saw in Rio, many who have been here.”
“For me this is an event where I can bring a young horse and see how they are going to be in real life. How they cope with a real cross-country. You see if they have the gallop for three and four-star, I want to see how they cope with the difficulty of the variety of fences, then you know if they can take another step, or if they are a nice horse for a junior. Are they a young rider horse, or something for four-star.”
“For me it is one of the greatest events, it gives you the most information about the horses you have brought here. You learn about your horse.”
Did you bring Bobby (Horseware Hale Bob) here?
“Yes, he took off. When I got to the finish, I asked everybody – would you like to take him home? I didn’t want to take him home. It was horrible, I thought about jumping off in one corner because he was so fast and I had no influence at all. It was here that I thought, I don’t think he is a lady’s horse. Then I started to really think about selling him, but then with Chris Bartle’s advice, I changed him into a gag, and really made sure that he half halts after every fence and learns to listen. We found out that it was time for a big change, and it worked. He decided to stay with me and listen to the half halts…”
As we drove from St Lô to Lion de Angers, the fields were filled with black and white cows, how amazing, that the marshlands of Holstein, should have produced a breed of cow that has taken over the dairy world, and a breed of horse that has been seized upon by every major studbook in the world. Ingrid’s horse is essence of Holsteiner – her fourth line goes: Capitol, Caletto II, Ramiro, Sacramento Song xx, with a blood percentage of 51.37%.
Ingrid and Weisse Duene finish in the lead late on the second day, but right through the test it was a battle with Britain’s Pippa Funnell and her homebred, AES registered, Billy Walk On, with the lead swapping between Ingrid and Pippa every second movement.
Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On
Billy Walk On by Billy Mexico who is by Cevin Z (three crosses of Cor de la Bryère, two of Capitol, one of Sacramento Song xx and one of Ladykiller xx) out of Bidorette, by that great Selle Français export to Holland, Le Mexico, out of one of Jan Greve’s great mares, the Almé daughter, Twiggy. Billy Walk On is out of an Irish mare, Shannon Line by Golden Bash out of a Bossumpierre mare – that’s 85.75% blood.
Billy Walk On’s test was a delight, the bay gelding is just so perfectly balanced, everything was so relaxed and scopey, particularly the enormous walk, which dragged the panel into giving a 9. Perhaps, Ingrid’s mare was a little more forward, and she picked up her share of 8s and even 9s, but it was a very close run thing – going into the cross country, only 2.1 points separates the two.
The Billy Stud is run by Pippa, and her husband, showjumper, William Funnell and breeder, Donal Barnwell. I asked her if they set out to breed eventers or showjumpers?
“Showjumpers, but a lot of the mares have quite old fashioned Irish / Thoroughbred breeding. The modern showjumper has to have quite a lot of quality and blood, so even though we are breeding for showjumpers, some of them have enough quality to go eventing.”
How many stallions in the program?
“We’ve bred some of our own, and we’ve got some younger stallions. Billy Congo (by the Voltaire son, Vechta out of a mare by the Almé son, Animo, with Irish breeding on the bottom line) would be our main one. Cevin Z is another one we own and we use him quite a lot, but we are also using outside stallions as well.”
The one here is by Billy Mexico…
“Billy Mexico we bred by Cevin out of a Le Mexico mare.”
Is it easier to breed eventers than jumpers?
“No, it’s much the same. We’ve got a lot of horses traveling all over the world now, and this week we’ve got our first on-line auction, with ten three-year-olds up for sale.”
We seem to have some of our most significant discussions, sitting over a drink at the Brasserie at our hotel, and this time it is German coach/manager, Hans Melzer’s turn. Lion d’Angers is, in his opinion, THE most beautiful event in Europe. The most beautiful stables and the most beautiful course.
It is certainly the prettiest Pierre Michelet course I have seen, and as Ingrid pointed out the variety of fences combined with a HUGE crowd, is the real test of the youngsters.
I’ll let Roslyn’s photos tell the tale, cut the words so you can enjoy these wonderful fences in this exquisite setting…
The placings for the top nine in the six-year-olds stay virtually as they were after the dressage with only one horse, Flash (Dutch bred -Bustique / Haarlem) adding 0.8 time to Sanne de Jong’s dressage score. The rest were clear clear.
Kai-Steffen Meier’s wonderful Painter’s Maxim is still in the lead, closely followed by the Belgian duo of Ducatai d’Arville and Lara De Liedekerke- Meier. The gelding is another by Diarado out of a Perpignon mare. In third we find Britain’s Izzy Taylor riding Jockey Club Fleurelle – once again a dressage horse finds an honest job in the world of eventing. Fleurelle is by Vivaldi (Krack C / Jazz), his dam is by the jumping bred, Sydney (Goodtimes / Libero H) but there is more dressage blood on the bottom line with the Ferro son, Kennedy.
Christopher Burton’s Fire Fly is still holding on to 4th place, followed by Austria’s Felix Vogg and Mathurin v/d Vogelzan (no breeding available), the Swiss, Ronny Thijs and Consequent Pia Z (Contendro I /Quinar), Flash, Aktion de Belheme (Lauterback / Jerricho Pierreville) and Jean Lou Bigot and German, Sophie Leube and Jadore Moi (Conthargos / Asi).
Enough with the words, sit back and enjoy the pix…
Flash and the Dutch rider, Sanne de Jong over Michelet’s exquisite violin jump
Ducati D’Arville and Lara De Liedekerke for Belgium, clear and fast and to hold their dressage place
And there in the background is the master himself – Pierre Michelet…
Izzy Taylor makes it through the first water complex with Jockey Club Fleurelle
Another over the musical fence, Consequent Pia Z and the Belgian, Ronny Thus
What a wonderful horse – Painter’s Maxim runs down the course…
Christopher Burton had to ride to get Fire Fly focused for this one
Sophie Lube over the very cute Ducks’ fence on Jadore Moi
French veteran, Jean Lou Bigot comes out of the water complex on Aktion de Belheme
Swiss rider, Felix Vogg and Mathurin v/d Vogelzang – no sign of a duck out…
It is the same story in the seven-year-olds, the top ten all come home, clear, no time, they have learnt so much on Michelet’s course, positive learning, thanks to this master course designer…
Ingrid, wonderful Ingrid Klimke is still at the top to the table with Weisse Duene, and the equally wonderful Pippa Funnell is hot behind her on Billy Walk On. Maxime Livio is in third spot on Vroum d’Auzey (Nouma D’auzay / Allegreto) followed by Gemma Tattersall and Chilli’s Gem, followed by Maxime yet again, riding Vegas Des Boursons (by the Jalisco son, Allegretto out of a mare by the Thoroughbred, Tin Soldier). Jonelle Price is keeping the Dutch flag flying with Cooley Showtime (by Chin Chin out of a mare by the great Thoroughbred, Julio Mariner). French star, Thomas Carlile is in 7th on Vassily de Lassos, who is Thomas’ preferred mix – by Jaguar Mail, and out of an Anglo Arab mare, by Jalienny. They are followed by Astier Nicolas with the Selle Français, Vinci de la Vigne (Esterel des Bois / Duc du Hutrel). Then the oddly named Finnish representative, Bofey Click (Swedish bred, Chirlon / Distinctly) ridden by Sanna Siltakorpi.
Rounding out the top ten we have Jive About Wonderland (Elvis Terputte / Grannus) and the Belgian, Lara de Liedekerke-Meier.
What a great days sport it has been. This is pure equestrian sport and it shows that a well organized, smoothly run show in a great venue can attract massive crowds. The sooner a couple of the bureaucrats in the FEI head office learn to appreciate eventing like this, the longer our sport will survive…
Ingrid and Weisse Duene, start getting used to that name
Yet another beautiful fence, and a beautiful combination, Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On
Maxime Livio, off the drop, heading for the skinny on Vroum d’Auzay
Gemma Tattersall has a new star, Chilli’s Gem
Thomas Carlile, Britsh bred but he grew up, and rides for France, on Vassily de Lassos
Jonelle Price is looking cool on Cooley Showtime
They make it over the corner but it wasn’t pretty – Maxime Livio on Vegas des Boursons
Don’t they love their Rio silver medalist, Astier Nicolas, home clear on Vinci de la Vigne
Kevin McNab shows how to ride the drop on Vihara du Causse
Jive About Wonderland and Lara de Liekekerke-Meier through the chess board
(Photo – Eric Knoll)
Last horse of the day, Sanne de Jong and Enjoy, head for the finish line…
And it is not all over till the fat lady sings (although fat ladies in France are thin on the ground) and the showjumping for the six-year-olds turned into a thriller.
Christopher Burton went clear, if somewhat noisily on Fire Fly, to put the pressure on the threesome in front of him, and they obliged. Izzy Taylor’s lovely Jockey Club Fleurelle, had the last fence, Lara de Liedekerke-Meier’s Ducati d’Arville put two down to drop from second to sixth, then the horse that had lead the event all the way to the final stage, Kai-Steffen Meier’s Painter’s Maxim, fell apart and had two down to drop to fourth, and the Belgian, Felix Vogg and Mathurin v/d Vozelzang with a clear, moved up into second place.
Izzy Taylor and Jockey Club Fleurelle, the chestnut mare is owned by the Hong Kong Jockey club and set for the Asian Games next year, and Izzy was a bit teary that this was her last ride on her.
Felix Vogg and Mathurin v/d Vozelzang: “I got him in December, he’d done hunting and some small classes in Belgium. At the start he was a bit difficult in his dressage but he was super cross country and super jumping – he’s just a super little brave horse with no breeding.”
Christopher Burton was of course, on a high after his victory on Fire Fly: “It is the first time I’ve won at Le Lion, it’s very exciting for us. He was purchased at the Boekelo Sales last year, he’s very very nice on the flat, he can gallop and jump, but he has learnt a lot. To be able to come here and riding around Pierre Michelet’s track is an excellent learning curve, they go into it as baby novice horses and they come out of it feeling like they can go two-star…”
Australia’s has its first event World Champion in Equestrian, although Christopher was modest enough to admit at the press conference that he had his share of luck – “he knocked rails and they stayed up, while there were good riders and good horses that tapped them and they came down.”
It seems our boy can do no wrong – go Burto!
Jonelle Price and Cooley Showtime – clear as you might expect with Chin Chin as his dad….
It was pretty much the same story in the seven-year-olds. Jonelle Price had a lovely clear on Cooley Showtime, while Gemma Tattersall on Chilli’s Gem had a rail – then to the oohs and aahs of the locals, the wheels fell off for Maxime Livio as Vroum d’Auzay decked four poles. Tom Carlile’s clear on Vassily de Lassos takes him into fourth, equal with Astier Nicolas and Vinci de la Vigne. The Kiwi and the two French combinations were still on their dressage scores.
Billy Walk On and Pippa Funnell – “He’s never had two down before, in fact he’s had very few rails in his career. I guess the atmosphere doesn’t help, and yesterday was the furthest they’ve ever gone, but he’s one with a future.”
Out came Pippa Funnell on her super Billy Walk On, then quelle horreur, two rails down and Pippa holds her second spot in front of Jonelle by just 0.3!
It was left to Ingrid Klimke to restore some sanity to the scene. Weisse Duene never looked like having a problem, home clear to stay on her dressage score and the world championship goes to another of our favorite people at one of our favorite events. The spectators, just on 50,000 of them, sure had their money’s worth.
Ingrid Klimke: “The last time I won was in 1998, the first time I came here, with Sleep Late, I am happy that I have won it again… with another grey. I think both my horse and Pippa’s horse are possible Tokyo horses…”