New European showjumping champion Richard Vogel has paid tribute to the super stallion United Contact S, who completed on a rating of 0.01, having not touched a fence all week.
Having helped safe the crew bronze for Germany on Friday on the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships, the mix got here out and jumped two extra clear rounds in right now’s closing to maintain the lead they’d held since Thursday, forward of silver medallists Scott Brash and Hi there Folie, and Belgium’s Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone third.
“I’m very, very delighted with United; how he was preventing till the final soar,” Richard mentioned. “He was with me all over the place, and I’m tremendous relieved we may make that occur.”
Richard joked that his plan for the ultimate was to “go away the poles up”. And that’s precisely what he did, the 13-year-old Untouched stallion utilizing all his stride and scope to make nothing of Santiago Varela’s tracks right now, as all week.
“I feel everybody is aware of United Contact, in all probability earlier than this week, however now everybody noticed how superb he’s,” he mentioned. However we’ve been a partnership for a few years, and after we began, his huge stride and large scope was a giant energy but in addition a sort of weak spot.”
Richard defined that United needed to discover ways to use his physique and adapt and regulate, to have the ability to not solely go away strides out when wanted, but in addition tackle the shorter distances.
“However he modified amazingly and carried out higher than I may have wished for,” he mentioned.
The pair did give the group trigger to gasp, after they touched the final factor of the triple mixture, and the subsequent slender vertical on the penultimate line, however maybe the good stallion was simply teasing, as he sailed over the ultimate Longines oxer with loads of air to safe that coveted gold.
“The final line was not really easy for us,” Richard mentioned, “I might say the appropriate lead will not be his sturdy aspect, we had been coming residence in direction of the in-gate, so he all the time will get a bit extra stride, it was on the appropriate lead and in direction of the top, when loads of vitality is out already.
“However he managed it completely. I’m simply very relieved and tremendous joyful and pleased with him.”
To remain updated with all of the information from the European Showjumping Championships because it occurs, subscribe to the Horse & Hound web site right now from simply £1 every week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones can be on website all through
You may additionally be interested by:
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Gilles Thomas of Belgium celebrates successful crew gold on Ermitage Kalone.
Credit score: FEI/Benjamin Clark
Credit score: Future
Keep in contact with all of the information within the run-up to and all through the foremost exhibits and occasions throughout 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe right now for all you might want to know forward of those main occasions, plus on-line studies on the motion because it occurs from our professional crew of reporters and in-depth evaluation in our particular commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Arrange your limitless web site entry now
H&H information editor
Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Obsessed with equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all points of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of alternative is showjumping, during which she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits by to worldwide championships.
