BY JEAN LLEWELLYN / PRESS RELEASE
PHOTOGRAPHY: FEI/LIBBY LAW
They never faltered. Having led the seven-year-old World Championship since its very beginning on Thursday afternoon, firm favourites Tara van het Leliehof and Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (BEL) held their nerve to the very end, rounding off the Mondial du Lion with a superb clear round to secure victory.
By adding no penalties to her dressage score, the daughter of Pegase van’t Ruytershof, who also won the six-year-old World Championship last year, achieved a remarkable double. Only four horses had accomplished this feat before her: Galan de Sauvagère (Nicolas Touzaint, FRA) in 2000 and 2001, Ténarèze (Thomas Carlile, FRA) in 2013 and 2014, Lagona OLD (Anna Lena Schaaf, GER) in 2021 and 2022, and Golden de Beliard (Thomas Carlile, FRA) in 2022 and 2023.
“The pressure was intense,” her rider admitted. “In this kind of situation, it’s difficult being me. I’m so afraid of not doing the mare justice, of letting down my team and her owners. But Tara has so much quality across all three phases… She is certainly one of the best horses I have ever ridden, and I have an enormous amount of respect for her.”
Although he thinks highly of the Tony Ross bred Bueno (Dante’s Junior) Hector Payne (GBR) had not expected to finish as reserve world champion. “We knew he was a good horse, but we would have been more than happy to finish in the top 10. This weekend, he confirmed his quality in the dressage and exceeded himself in the other two phases.”
Alexis Goury (FRA) was equally delighted with Jeroboam Wal’s (Vleut) performance, which earned them third place. “Deep down, I truly believed in him. I knew he was capable of doing what he did, even if those around me may have been less convinced. I’m happy to have been able to prove his quality. Now, I just need to find a way to keep him under my saddle in the future…”
Two other French combinations finished in the top eight: Juste Unétoile (Thomas Carlile, FRA) came fourth and Joystick de Syac (Héloïse Le Guern, FRA) finished eighth...
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