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Longines EEF Series Final – emotions till the very last second
It was with the utmost excitement that the Longines EEF FInal Series came on top of Warsaw Jumping CSIO 4* this Sunday. Untli the very last second, it was nowhere close to be predicted which of the eleven national teams was the one to finish off in victory.
44 amazing duos, two rounds, a highly technical parkour, and … still no winner settled. In order to decide how the top tier of the line-up was going to play out, Italy and the Czech Republic were asked to nominate a single rider each to come forward for the jump-off. The Chech decided to leave the task to Vladimir Tretera with Gangster v/h Noddevelt, Italy were united in sending forward Piergiorgio Bucci. The former finished on one penalty, the latter delivered a clear one, taking Italy to the top of the podium.
When asked how hard it could be to bear the responsibility given by the Italian Chef d’Equipe Marco Porro, Bucci replied:
‘To be honest, it’s a feeling I love. That’s what I like the most, we are made for that, we are waiting for a chance to prove ourselves something and to take responsibility. Of course, there is some pressure and there is stress, that’s why we do what we do. We are used to it – sometimes it goes superb and sometimes it is less so, but it is always nice to give our best.‘
The Czech team, comprised of Vladimir Tetera, Filip Dolezal, Alena Machova and Jan Stetina, as well as their chef d’equipe Petr Dolezal, made no attempt to conceal their satisfaction. Even though they lost the jump-off to the Italian team, they clearly proved that this sport is about making the apparently inpossible happen. Even though (because of the Tokyo Olympics) it was not their primary team – as they revealed during the press-conference afterwards – they truly delivered their best. Despite the young age and inexperience of the horses – the point to be highlighted – their team perseverance became the anchor to success. A rewarding one indeed – as for 2022 the Czech will be admitted to be a part of Division 1 at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup (where the Italians have already settled down well).
The bronze was taken by the Austrians: Katharina Romberg with Cuma, Alessandra Reich and Loyd, Gerfried Puck and Melody vd Smidshoeve, and Stefen Eder with Dr Scarpo.
Just outside the top three came the Irish. The team of Poland with Jarosław Skrzyczyński (Chacco Amicor), Natalia Czernik (Duke G), Przemysław Konopacki (Duke) and Wojciech Wojcianiec (Chintablue) finished eighth.
Skrzyczyński was the only Pole to deliver a double clear. The other three picked up penalties on the way – be it a knockdown or ‘foot in the water’. As Przemysław Konopacki explained: ‘I decided to ride a less-experienced one, as Vasco – my number one – had sutained minor injuries. Duke had not really had that many opportunities recently to jump at that level.’ Despite that slight aftertaste of unfulfillment- as he admits – good memories will reverberate for long. ‘We missed out on some luck, I believe, otherwise we would have landed much higher in the ranks of this splendid competition.’ – added Wojciech Wojcianiec.
The course designer – Elio Travagliati from Italy – thanked everyone involved in the organisation of Warsaw Jumping, sharing his impressions over the parkour – describing it as the one providing a lot of excitement, suitable quality of horse jumping, and the indispensable dose of sporting uncertainty until the very end of the final competition, complicating some untimely atempts to foresee the winner of the show.
RESULT to download HERE
FULL RESULTS (all competitions) HERE
PRESS RELEASE HERE
WARSAW JUMPING CSIO 4*
An equestrian event that we have never seen in Poland before. The Longines EEF Nations Cup Final takes place during the Warsaw Jumping competition in July 2021. The high profile of the event and the attractive prize pool of more than PLN 1,900,000, guarantee the interest of the equestrian industry from all over Europe. Hosted at the unique architectural setting of Warsaw’s Służewiec Racecourse, the event become one of the most important sporting events of 2021, attracting attention of not only the equestrian world, but also business, culture and politics.
LONGINES EEF SERIES
The Longines EEF Series is a show jumping Nations Cup circuit created by the European Equestrian Federation which replaced the FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2. Launched last year, but postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19, it is divided into four European regional areas – North, South, Central and West – including the 38 National Federations, members of the EEF. The Longines EEF Series includes qualifying CSIO3 *, one semi-final and a final, scheduled at the Warsaw CSIO4*. The winner will be admitted to compete at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup (that is, Division 1) in 2022.
EUROPEAN EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION
The EEF (European Equestrian Federation) was founded in 2009 with the aim of addressing the issues of the equestrian sports at a European level. Formally established in February 2010 with the adhesion of 27 National Federations (NF), including Italy, the EEF began to work with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to increase the influence of European nations within the FEI which, at the 2018 General Assembly, unified the FEI I and II groups within the EEF Group. 2015 saw the start of a partnership between the European Equestrian Federation and Longines – the title sponsor, timekeeper and official clock provider of the Longines EEF Series. The EEF currently includes and represents 38 European National Federations.
LONGINES
Based in Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832, the watchmaking company Longines wields expertise steeped in tradition, elegance and performance. With generations of experience as official timekeeper of world championships, and as partner of international sports federations, Longines has built strong and long-lasting relationships in the world of sport over the years. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of Swatch Group Ltd., the world’s leading watch manufacturer. The Longines brand, with its winged hourglass emblem, is established in over 150 countries.