Belgium’s Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone have received particular person bronze on the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships – two days after they have been a part of the crew that received gold.
Gilles and 11-year-old gelding Ermitage Kalone, owned by Joris van Dijck, have seemed sturdy all week; the pair sealed the deal for Belgium on Friday (18 July) because the crew’s anchor rider, and so they returned immediately on that very same good kind.
“After I was fairly younger I at all times dreamed of profitable a medal at a giant championship, and now I’ve two,” stated 27-year-old Gilles.
“Earlier than I got here right here, I hoped for a medal, particularly with the crew. After the crew competitors my horse felt excellent, so I began believing a bit of bit within the particular person medal.
“Driving such a horse, he makes it look straightforward. He was in excellent form, and he took plenty of the strain away. I’ve ridden him for 5 years and we all know one another inside out.”
The competitors remained tight all through the afternoon as solely two fences separated the highest 25 within the first spherical. The highest 12 then got here again for the medal-deciding finale with solely a fence separating the highest seven.
The strain and suspense mounted with every spherical as the ultimate eight combos all jumped clear, together with Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly who completed fourth.
Scott Brash and Hiya Folie, who have been mendacity in second, and Richard Vogel and United Contact S, who have been in gold, each jumped clear to conclude the medal positions.
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Credit score: Future
Credit score: FEI/Benjamin Clark
Credit score: Peter Nixon
H&H senior information author
Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and street security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call just some. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Citadel Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting crew for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
