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The previous day, the endurance brought back all its team members in good form and in a record time, finishing on the beach of La Baule at the end of the 160 kilometre race.
Today after having taken the lead in the first round, the French showjumping team, composed of Eric Levallois/Diamant de Sémilly*Ecolit, Reynald Angot/Tlaloc M, Michel Hécart/Quilano de Kalvarie, and Gilles Bertran de Balanda/Crocus Graverie, led by the national trainer Jean-Maurice Bonneau, imposed themselves against the best teams in Europe.
Germany, runners-up with Ludger Beerbaum and Gladdys (number one in the world) and Marcus Ehning and For Pleasure, (recent winner of the World Cup final) found themselves facing a team of steel, of whom three were faultless in the second round. Gilles de Balanda, who had ‘secured’ the team with an impeccable first round, did not need to reappear. “The public in La Baule is very ‘horsey’ and well understand that our objective is the European Championships this summer and the Olympic Games next year, and that saving a round in the Nations’ Cup, at the highest level, is very important from this point of view,” explained Gilles de Balanda.
Great Britain, thanks to two rounds free of jumping faults from its veteran, Michael Whitaker/Handel II (just one time fault each round) took third place ahead of Ireland and Sweden who finished equal fourth.
Communiqué de presse
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