Namibia excels in regional team event

Namibia’s top showjumper, Michelle Künzle, has qualified for the 2015 final of the FEI World Jumping Challenge in Bulgaria. The rider claimed one of the top two qualifiers from each of the ten geographical regions, which competed in the regional jumping challenges. Namibia’s event was held at Nubuamis in August last year, with the final classification released recently. In the overall individual standings of the Namibian competition, which is ridden according to the same rules with exactly the same course in 50 different countries, the Swakopmund rider finished 30th out of 475 competitors. With four clear rounds Künzle has now sealed her place in the FEI event that will take place in Zhitnica, Bulgaria, from July 2-6. Künzle will not be able to go into the finals with her trusted mount Metzger Drilling Zambesi Bodenhausen, but will instead be allocated a horse in a draw. “I really look forward to this challenge, but I would [have] loved to have my superstar Zambesi with me,” says the 30-year-old, who has qualified for the finals of this competition in the past. In 2008, at the age of 24, she rode to victory in Santiago de Chile in what is regarded as her greatest achievement to date. Having to compete on an unfamiliar horse is not a problem for Künzle, who says she enjoys the thrill of having to get to grip with adverse circumstances. The 2014 final at Kayalami Park in South Africa was won by Zimbabwean Charley Crockart ahead of Maria Gabriela Brugal from the Dominican Republic and South African rider Rainer Korber. Less experience The World Jumping Challenge was introduced by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to allow less experienced riders to compete at international level without having to leave their home country. The top two from each country then travel to the finals without their horses. Namibian Caroline Coulson and her gelding Locarno Monte Carlo in their debut at the competition finished 309th overall in category A over 1.20m, while Künzle’s mother, Annette, and her stallion Rostock Ritz Rolling Thunder finished 426th. This gave them bronze behind Zimbabwe and Mauritius in group seven of the regional team event in category A. In category C over 1.00m Namibia took silver behind Mauritius. In the overall individual ranking of this category six Namibians finished in the top 50 out of 282 competitors. Ané Rautenbach on Big Sky finished tenth, position 28 is held by Sonja Kipping-Thirion on Dageraad Diamant, while Sophia Louw (Seeis Miss Caprivi) and Janiz Zandberg (M&A’s Caskari), both from Swakopmund, finished 38th and 39th respectively. Making up the excellent performance by the Namibian competitors are Windhoek riders Nita Pallet (Büllsport Darius) in 44th and Gesa Flemming (Seeis Shelton) in 47th. WINDHOEK-FRAUKE RÖSCHLAU