The British team pulled off the latest in the long list of big surprises of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series when scoring an emphatic win on their home turf at Hickstead this afternoon. In a competition that saw the form-book once again turned on its head, and which saw riders enduring the most extreme of fluctuating fortunes, they crushed the opposition when proving themselves the only ones fully capable of mastering the mighty Hickstead track.

Germany finished a full 15 faults behind in second place ahead of the USA in third and France in fourth while The Netherlands slotted into fifth. The Irish, superb winners at Aachen just two weeks ago, struggled into sixth place while Spain and Sweden – each lumbered with a massive 40-fault score – shared seventh. Switzerland meanwhile finished last, and it looks very much like the Swiss and Swedes are beyond rescue at the lower-end of the leaderboard going into next Friday’s final competition in Dublin.

The bottom four teams on the 10-nation leaderboard will be relegated to the Promotional League in 2011 and the Dutch, Swedes and Swiss are holding those last four places along with the Polish team, which this week withdrew from the remainder of the series and is already destined for the second-division.

Bob Ellis’s track was nothing less than formidable and Kevin Staut’s pathfinding 12-fault first-round score for France gave an early indication of just how difficult it would turn out to be. The British had covered all the angles however. “When we walked the course we all took the decision to take a longer line from the first fence to the second and to get ourselves into a good rhythm and not worry too much about the time – and it paid off in bucket loads” said team-leader Peter Charles afterwards.

Read the full report at PhelpsSports.com

1. Britain
chef d’equipe Ron Hoekstra. Round A 4, Round B 3, Total 7

Peter Charles (Murka’s Pom D’Ami) 1/1
WIlliam Funnell (Billy Congo) 1/1
Tina Fletcher (Hello Sailor) 2/1
Michael Whitaker (GIG Udokus) 8/NS

2. Germany
chef d’equipe Sönke Sönksen. Round A 14, Round B 18, Total 22

Daniel Deusser (Cabreado) 5/0
Jorg Naeve (Calado) 5/9
Philipp Weishaupt (Catoki) 9/8
Lars Nieberg (Lord Luis) 4/0

3. USA
chef d’equipe George Morris. Round A 21, Round B 8, Total 29

Cara Raether (Ublesco) 8/4
Robert Kraut (Graf Lando) 33/17
McLain Ward (Rothchild) 5/0
Rich Fellers (Flexible) 8/4

4. France
chef d’equipe Laurent Elias. Round A 29, Round B 5, Total 34

Kevin Staut (Silvana) 12/0
Julien Eppaillard (Mister Davier) 17/0
Marie Etter Pellegrin (Admirable) 4/5
Nicolas Delmotte (Luccianno) 13/13

5. Netherlands
chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens. Round A 19, Round B 16, Total 35

Jur Vrieling (VDL Bubalu) 1/9
Harrie Smolders (Exquis Walnut De Muze) 12/0
Marc Houtzager (Opium VS) 9/8
Nathalie van der Mei (Tersina Heechhiems)9/8

6. Ireland
chef d’equipe Robert Splaine. Round A 26, Round B 10, Total 36

Shane Breen (Carmena Z) 12/9
Dermott Lennon (Hallmark Elite) 9/E
BillyTwomey (Je t’Aime Flamenco) 5/1
Denis Lynch (Nabab’’s Son) 12/0

7 eq. Spain
chef d’equipe Marco Fuste. Round A 36, Round B 4, Total 40

Pilar Lucrecia Cordon Muro (Herald 3) 16/0
Fernando Fourcadez (New Remake de Servery) 16/0
Jesus Echeverria Garmendia (Lord Du Mont Milon) 16/4
Sergio Alvarez Moya (Action-Breaker) 4/5

7 eq. Sweden
chef d’equipe Gösta Asker. Round A 18, Round B 22, Total 40

Malin Baryard-Johnsson (H&M Atrice) 5/5
Peder Fredricson (H&M Arctic Aurora Borealis) 4/12
Henrik von Eckermann (LB Paola) 9/5
Rolf-Goran Bengttson (Quintera la Silla) 9/13

Switzerland
chef d’equipe Stéphane Montavon. Round A 36, Round B NS, Total —

Steve Guerdat (Tresor V) 8/NS
Werner Muff (Kiamon) 16/NS
Jane Richard (Zekina Z) 32/NS
Pius Schwizer (Ulysse X) 12/NS

BRITISH chef d’equipe Rob Hoekstra described Team Murka’s principal rider Peter Charles and Murka’s Pom d’Ami as the “banker” combination of British Meydan Nations Cup after a home win at Hickstead. The combination is so consistent, Rob knows he can rely on them to get the team off to a strong start.

Peter and Murka’s Pom d’Ami were first to go of the four-strong British team, as they have been in the previous five legs they have jumped in. The pair jumped cleanly in both rounds collecting just a single time fault in each. William Funnell (Billy Congo) had the same result, while Tina Fletcher (Hello Sailor) jumped with two time in the first round and one in the second. Michael Whitaker and GIG Amai’s initial eight faults were discounted and they did not jump in the second as the British had already secured the win by a massive 15 points.

“Pommie is a super horse and has only had four fences in the 12 Nations Cup rounds he’s jumped this year,” said Peter. “And it was great that [Team Murka founders] Olga White and Mikhail Mouratov were here to see it.”

This latest performance means that Peter and Murka’s Pom d’Ami are one of the strongest combinations in the entire Meydan Nations Cup series. They will represent Britain in Dublin next week, which is the final leg of the series.

The win comes during a successful week for Team Murka’s riders as Little Murka’s Harry Charles finished runner up in the Welsh Home Pony International 128cm with Doune, as well as winning team silver for England.

1. Britain
chef d’equipe Ron Hoekstra. Round A 4, Round B 3, Total 7

Peter Charles (Murka’s Pom D’Ami) 1/1
WIlliam Funnell (Billy Congo) 1/1
Tina Fletcher (Hello Sailor) 2/1
Michael Whitaker (GIG Udokus) 8/NS

2. Germany
chef d’equipe Sönke Sönksen. Round A 14, Round B 18, Total 22

Daniel Deusser (Cabreado) 5/0
Jorg Naeve (Calado) 5/9
Philipp Weishaupt (Catoki) 9/8
Lars Nieberg (Lord Luis) 4/0

3. USA
chef d’equipe George Morris. Round A 21, Round B 8, Total 29

Cara Raether (Ublesco) 8/4
Robert Kraut (Graf Lando) 33/17
McLain Ward (Rothchild) 5/0
Rich Fellers (Flexible) 8/4

4. France
chef d’equipe Laurent Elias. Round A 29, Round B 5, Total 34

Kevin Staut (Silvana) 12/0
Julien Eppaillard (Mister Davier) 17/0
Marie Etter Pellegrin (Admirable) 4/5
Nicolas Delmotte (Luccianno) 13/13

5. Netherlands
chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens. Round A 19, Round B 16, Total 35

Jur Vrieling (VDL Bubalu) 1/9
Harrie Smolders (Exquis Walnut De Muze) 12/0
Marc Houtzager (Opium VS) 9/8
Nathalie van der Mei (Tersina Heechhiems)9/8

23 June 2010

Two clear jumping rounds from Peter Charles and Murka’s Pom D’Ami in the fourth leg of the Meydan Nations Cup league in Rotterdam helped Britain to claim second place in the competition. The runner-up spot means that Team GBR retains its second place on the leader board, narrowing the gap between leaders France.

Peter and Murka’s Pom D’Ami were the first to go of the British team and the second combination to tackle the course. They were without fault and set Britain off to a good start with a clean sheet

“The course was plenty big enough and technical and the ring was tight,” said Peter. “Murka’s Pom D’Ami coped very well. Last season was his first in top-level Nations Cup teams. This year he is much stronger, listening to me and always gives me what he has in the tank, which is 110%.”

One time fault apiece for John Whitaker (Peppermill) and David McPherson (Chamberlain Z) meant the British team had a score of two behind the zero-scored Americans going into round two. Scott Brash (Intertoy Z) was the discard scorer having had one fence down.

“Before the second round, we had a discussion as a team and decided keeping the fences up was more important than carrying a time fault,” said Peter.

Again, he and Murka’s Pom D’Ami didn’t touch a fence, but were slightly over the allocated time to finish with one penalty. John jumped clear, while David and Scott each had a fence down. The team finished with a score of seven behind the USA on zero.

The result means that Peter and Murka’s Pom D’Ami still remain one of the very strongest combinations in the series. In the eight rounds they have jumped, they have only touched two fences.

“I have a great support team behind me; the best I’ve had in my life,” said Peter. “That includes [Team Murka founder] Olga White and [my groom] Julie Baker. It makes my job a whole lot easier and means I can concentrate on getting the results.”

A strong field of 57 riders had travelled from all over the country to contest the three places available from the Warwickshire venue, but only 11 managed to remain clear to go forward to the first jump-off. Harry was drawn fourth to go on his 14-year-old mare and went clear after the first three had faulted. Any more clears would have meant a second jump-off to decide the winner, however, none was able to match Harry’s performance.

“The others were having trouble at the water and the middle part of the combination,” said Harry. “The course was quite technical.”

Harry was thrilled with his win, which was made all the more special as this was his first attempt at a Horse of the Year Show qualifier.

“It’s an amazing achievement for me,” he said.

Harry’s father Peter Charles, the principal rider for Team Murka, was away competing on the British Meydan Nations Cup team in St Gallen, Switzerland. To ensure Harry got to the show, family friend and show jumper Eleni Murphy stepped in.

“Eleni was great,” said Harry. “She helped me out a lot.”

Harry will now concentrate on working Doune towards competing at the final, held at the LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in October. He also has three other ponies at home, so will be out and about on the national circuit with them during the summer months.

Click here to see Alton Post Gazette article

Two weeks after producing a superb double clear in the La Baule, France, Meydan Nations Cup competition, Peter Charles and Murka’s Pom D’Ami gave another world-class performance in the Rome, Italy, leg. This time jumping clear in the first round and collecting just four faults in the second round, Peter and Olga White’s Murka’s Pom D’Ami helped the British team finish second in the competition moving them up to second place overall in the league table.

“It was an up to height track jumped on a sand surface in Rome’s Piazza Di Sienna,” said Peter. “Murka’s Pom D’Ami jumped superbly to go clear.”

Peter and Murka’s Pom D’Ami were the only members of the four-strong British team to return a faultless score in the first round. They were unlucky in the second not to repeat their performance in France.

“I actually think he jumped better in the second round,” said Peter. “But there was a very late falling pole on an oxer, which we had jumped off a right-handed turn. It didn’t hit the ground until we were about four strides away. I didn’t even know we’d had it.”

Murka’s Rubert R was also in action in Rome. He finished eighth in the grand prix having jumped clear in the first round and just lightly tapping a pole in the jump-off.

“It was just a little touch,” said Peter. “He has been jumping brilliantly over the past few weeks. I’ve been doing a lot of work with him and now it’s beginning to pay off.”

Peter, Murka’s Pom D’Ami and Murka’s Rubert R will now head to St Gallen, Switzerland, for the next leg of the Meydan Top-Level Nations Cup. Murka’s Pom D’Ami and Peter will again be part of the British team.

Following the publication of the final 2009 World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) rankings, Murka’s Pom D’Ami has been named Belgian Horse of the Year.

Murka’s Pom D’Ami, originally named Pom D’Ami Marine, was the highest ranked Stud Book sBs le Cheval de Sport Belge horse in 2009. Numerous successes throughout the year with Team Murka’s principal rider Peter Charles, including being one of Britain’s strongest top-level Nations Cup performers and a European Championship team member, placed him 86th overall in the world rankings and top of his studbook.

The 11-year-old son of Bon Ami continues to impress on the international circuit this year. So far he has jumped double clear in the La Baule, France, Meydan Nations Cup and jumped a clear and four-fault round in the Rome, Italy, Meydan Nations Cup.