Fourteen months before the Paris Olympic Games in the sand of the park of the Palace of Versailles, the International Jumping of La Baule (Loire-Atlantique) promises to be the first obstacle to jump on the course leading to the European Championships in Milan (August 29-September 3), the last major event before the 2024 Olympic Games.
"For the French, it's really the place where all the best couples meet. The highlight of the beginning of the season. The team leader wants to find the four riders in shape," says Philippe Rozier, Olympic team champion in Rio in 2016. The first three concerned are rather easy to identify: Julien Epaillard (N°2 in the world), Simon Delestre (N°7), Kevin Staut (N°16) are quite far ahead of the others in the world ranking.
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A place to take
The identity of the fourth element, reserve in the Olympic format, but holder at the European Championships, remains more open. Completing the preselection for La Baule, Olivier Perreau (No. 97) and Grégory Cottard (No. 65), last member of the French quartet at the Worlds in Herning (Denmark) last summer, finished in sixth place by team. Already absent during this competition, the 2016 Olympic champion Pénélope Leprévost (No. 66) does not appear in this preselection. Almost two years ago, the double refusal of obstacle of his stallion Vancouver de Lanlore in the Baji Koen Olympic Park in Tokyo (Japan) had deprived the Blues - in the lead before his passage - of a new title after Rio.
But nothing is yet lost for her, nor for another 2016 Olympic champion, Roger-Yves Bost (No. 121), in view of the Paris Olympics. One of their teammates from 2016, Philippe Rozier has already proven it. "It was difficult to imagine him among the five preselected at the beginning of 2016," recalls Jean-Maurice Bonneau, former coach of the France team (2000-2006) and Brazil (2011-2015) who had accompanied Seine-et-Marnais. "One thing led to another, he found himself fifth and therefore a reservist," he recalls. Then, unfortunately for Simon Delestre, his horse was injured."
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Many opportunities
The opportunities to show themselves in the Nations Cup remain numerous. For example, the France team chose Falsterbo in Sweden (14 July), Hickstead in the UK (28 July) and Dublin (11 August) as stages to qualify for the Barcelona finals (28 September-1 October). Last week in St. Gallen, Switzerland, coach Henk Nooren had for example opted for a very revamped quartet, including for example the promising Mégane Moissonnier (26 years old).
"Not everyone can jump every week," says Philippe Rozier. To prepare for next year, it will take three or four couples. And it is better to be able to count on a dozen or fifteen now because there are always horses sold or injured. "
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Preserved horses
Julien Epaillard, for example, preserves his iron nugget, Donatello d'Auge, from the grass of La Baule - even if the surface will be the same at the European Championships in Milan. The Swede Henrik von Eckermann, reigning world champion in individual and team, does not travel to Loire-Atlantique with his lead horse either. Under his saddle, no King Edward, the gelding dominating the discipline, but rather Iliana, a mare he plans to ride in Milan this summer. A choice made both to spare his jewel and develop another mount in case of injury.
"It only depends on the frame, whoever you are," insists Philippe Rozier. I always say we do Formula 1, if they don't have the car, they don't overtake. We, our car, are the horses. You have to make them, find them.
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