Penelope Leprevost (FRA) took the Individual lead at the European Championships

Aachen, Germany, 19 August 2015 – France’s Penelope Leprevost, riding her chestnut mare Flora de Mariposa, took the Individual lead in the first stage of the FEI European Jumping Championships in Aachen today, whilst Germany leads the Team competition.

Penelope Leprevost was the seventh horse and rider combination into the area, and went clear in a time of 67.67 seconds around the Frank Rothenberger designed course. She held onto her lead throughout the afternoon, ahead of  Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum (riding Chiara 222) in second place and Great Britain’s Joe Clee riding Utamaro d’Ecaussines in third. A total of 94 horse and rider combinations from 23 nations took part in this first stage of the competition, with Nations Cup competitions on Thursday and Friday to decide the Team medals, and the Individual Final on Sunday.    
           
1st Round Results, Individual
1. Penelope Leprevost/Flora de Mariposa (FRA)
2. Ludger Beerbaum/Chiara 222 (GER)
3. Joe Clee/Utamaro d’Ecaussines (GBR)
4. Gregory Wathelet/Conrad de Hus (BEL)
5. Bertram Allen/Molly Malone V (IRL)

1st Round Results, Team
1. Germany
2. France
3. Great Britain
4. Spain
5. The Netherlands

For the full standings please click here

Rolex Testimonees
Rolex Testimonee Bertram Allen riding Molly Malone V was one of 30 clear rounds in a time of 69.79, and is currently in fifth place in the Individual standings. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum riding Fibonacci 17 is in 11th place and Kevin Staut with Riveur is currently in 35th place.
           
Quotes:
Penelope Leprevost 
“I’m very happy with my mare as she didn’t jump the last show here. She feels very good here in this ring and it’s perfect for the team too. This is not her first time jumping in Aachen, she jumped here when she was eight. She has a lot of character, is sensitive and special.”

Ludger Beerbaum
“You could feel how much the crowd was cheering today and it is so nice to be here. Aachen is a great place for equestrian sport – most riders don’t get the chance to compete in front of a crowd like this – it’s just fantastic.”

Joe Clee
“I was aware that I had to go fast; he’s a great horse to go fast on, the faster you go the more he tries. I was a bit worried going in so fast as the faster you go the higher he jumps, and there were some big jumps in there, but he handled it really well and the further we went the more risks I felt we could take, so it was really nice.”

Rolex and the European Championships – Rolex is a major supporter of the biennial European Championships, an event which brings together Europe’s best equestrian pairs. For the first time, the FEI European Championships in Aachen, Germany, this summer (11-23 August) unites five equestrian disciplines – Show Jumping, Dressage, Driving, Vaulting and Reining. Competitors test their metal strength and show their equine discipline in front of crowds of up to 40,000.
Rolex is proud to support an occasion where the values that the leading luxury watchmaking brand holds dear – courage, precision, empathy, sportsmanship and passion – will be so clearly demonstrated.
 

From Press release Rolex