In Round 1, the Germans tried to put away the competition early as they finished Round 1 with faultless performances from Pia-Luise Aufrect, Franke Sloothaak and Marcuse Ehning. Only Lars Nieberg had a difficult time with the course incurring 19 faults running through the double at the end of the course, but his score was thrown out as the Germans ended Round 1 with 0 faults.
Great Britain provided the closest Round 1 competition with John Whitaker and William Funnel going clear and Michael Whitaker with just a rail for a 4 fault total. Nick Skelton had an unusual refusal from Arko and was eliminated from Round 1. France, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden found themselves all tied in the middle of the pack with 12 faults.
Team USA’s best performance was from Laura Kraut and Miss Independent who managed perfection and the only clear round for the team. Margie Engle leading off for the US and riding Quervo Gold had a one rail performance. The problems came from the middle two riders when both Candice King and Tarco and Molly Ashe and Neuville both had two rails and a time penalty, leaving the US in 7th place after Round 1 with 13 faults. Bringing up the rear was the Netherlands whose Harrie Smolders aboard Exquis Oliver Q had just a time fault, but the best other score was three rails and the Netherlands completed Round 1 with 25 faults.
Round 2 was a different story, as the surprising Swiss under the direction of Chef d’ Equipe Rolf Grass had its first three riders go clear to provide a perfect Round 2 score. Their faultless Round 2 performance would vault them from the middle of the pack into first place.
Sweden could have tied the Swiss but needed a fault free ride from Maria Gretzer and Spenser S, but a rail prevented a jump off and the Swedes finished in a tie for 2nd (16 faults) with France who had produced two clears in Round 2 from Stephane Lafouge and Michel Robert.
Margie Engle led the US team with a fault free Round 2 performance. Candice King finished with 8 faults and Molly Ashe was almost perfect but .48 seconds above the time allowed had her finishing with a single time fault. Laura Kraut again had a strong ride but she clipped a rail in the B element of the last double for four faults and the US finished a single fault behind France and Sweden and in 4th place.
Lars Nieberg (GER) and Lucie continued to have problems in Round 2. This time they produced 13 faults. Aufrect had a good ride with just a rail, but when Frankie Sloothaak had three rails, the German’s score plummeted. A strong ride from Marcus Ehning with just a rail completed Round 2 for the Deutchlanders with 20 faults.
Great Britain could not improve upon their first Round Score and finished with 16 faults placing them in a tie with the Germans in 5th place.
The race to stay out of the basement was won this week by Ireland. A 21 fault Round 2 had them finish with 33 faults or 1 fault ahead of the Netherlands who finished with 34. The Irish however are still in last place in the overall standings by .625 points.
1 SWITZERLAND Total Score: 12
Chef d’ Equipe: Rolf Grass 12 0 12
78 LEA C Willi Melliger 4 0
23 CANTUS Niklaus Schurtenberger 4 0
113 PLOT BLUE Werner Muff 4 0
139 UNIQUE X CH Pius Schwizer (RET) NS
2 SWEDEN Total Score: 16
Chef d’ Equipe: Henk Nooren 12 4 16
20 BUTTERFLY FLIP Malin Baryard-Johnsson (16) 0
102 NINJA LA SILLA Rolf-Göran Bengtsson 0 0
67 ISAAC Royne Zetterman 12 (4)
129 SPENDER S Maria Gretzer 0 4
2 FRANCE Total Score: 16
Chef d’ Equipe: Jean-Maurice Bonneau 12 4 16
56 HAXELLE DAMPIERE Pierre Jarry 4 (8)
63 INEDITE DE BALME Simon Delestre (8) 4
47 GABELOU DES ORES Stephane Lafouge 4 0
48 GALET D’AUZAY Michel Robert 4 0
4 UNITED STATES Total Score: 18
Chef d’ Equipe: George Morris 13 5 18
118 QUERVO GOLD Margie Engle 4 0
133 TARCO Candice King ‘(9) (8)
101 NEUVILLE Molly Ashe 9 1
95 MISS INDEPENDENT Laura Kraut 0 4
5 GERMANY Total Score: 20
Chef d’ Equipe: Kurt Gravemeier 0 20 20
88 LUCIE Lars Nieberg (19) (13)
59 HOFGUT LIEDERBACH’S ABRISCA Pia-Luise Aufrecht 0 4
79 LEGURIO Franke Sloothaak 0 12
123 GITANIA Marcus Ehning 0 4
5 GREAT BRITAIN Total Score: 20
Chef d’ Equipe: Derek Ricketts 4 16 20
64 INSUL TECH PORTOFINO Michael Whitaker 4 4
112 PEPPERMILL John Whitaker 0 (8)
34 CORTAFLEX MONDRIAAN William Funnell 0 4
8 ARKO III Nick Skelton (EL) 8
7 IRELAND Total Score: 33
Chef d’ Equipe: Robert Splain 12 21 33
152 WORLD CRUISE Shane Breen 4 12
72 KILLOSSERY Shane Carey 4 5
66 IRISH INDEPENDENT ECHO BEACH Cian O Connor 4 4
89 LUIDAM Billy Twomey (17) (17)
8 NETHERLANDS Total Score: 34
Chef d’ Equipe: Rob Ehrens 25 9 34
15 BMC NASSAU Jeroen Dubbeldam (20) 1
43 EXQUIS OLIVER Q Harrie Smolders 1 0
105 OKIDOKI Albert Zoer 12 (8)
38 EUROCOMMERCE MILANO Gerco Schröder 12 8
Standings after Rotterdam
1 Germany 34.125
2 USA 27.5
4 Switzerland 26.125
5 France 24
3 Sweden 16.125
8 Great Britain 16
6 Netherlands 9.625
7 Ireland 9
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