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France want to use Haras success as a springboard to Paris 2024 glory...
France are ready to make history and lay down a marker for the future as they prepare to host the FEI Eventing European Championships this week.
Despite being one of the world’s top equestrian nations, and Olympic gold medallists as recently as 2016, the French have never claimed European Team gold in the competition’s 70-year history.
But that could all change at Haras du Pin this week as their crack team -- led by the legendary “Chasseur de Medailles” (“medal hunter”) Thierry Touzaint -- take on their continental rivals while also looking further ahead to Paris 2024 – their home Olympics – in a year’s time. The action begins today (Thursday) and is live on FEI TV.
Preparation for the event has been excellent according to Karim Florent Laghouag, who won Team gold and bronze at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 respectively. The French squad have been in Normandy for the last two weeks, working closely on dressage with master trainer Christoph Hess and cantering on the beach with the entire backroom team.
Laghouag said: “These moments are important before a championship. We all live together, have our meals together, and have fun together too.
“I’m ready and I’m feeling pretty good. I do a lot of sports just to keep up with all the young squad that are now part of the French team!”
Ready to Go
The action gets under way early this morning (Thursday) with the first day of dressage. Ireland’s Sarah Ennis is first to go, with Great Britain’s Kitty King and Yasmin Ingham among those out today. Check out the starting order for all competitors here.
Laghouag, who performs at 4.38pm, considers Le Pin like a second home. He spent three years at school there as a teenager and moved to the area full time almost a decade ago. Laghouag – who partners his No.1 Triton Fontaine this week – has the stats to back up the feeling that this could finally be France’s year.
“The French have a nearly 80% win in the Nations Cup here. But this time is a little different, it’s a championship, so we can only hope to do as well,” he said.
“Triton had a little rib injury last year and didn’t show his best here but it has nothing to do with the place itself. Before that he has always been top 10.
“Triton is a real cross country horse, so all the events like Le Pin suit him quite well. There’s a lot of galloping here and it’s difficult because it isn’t flat. There are many water elements which are no problem for him – he’s Triton, the Greek god of the seas! Experience is also his strength.”
Medal Hunter
Triton has been in fine form of late with good performances in Montelibretti and Pompadour, as well as picking up second place in the French championships.
Led by Thierry Touzaint, France’s squad this week also includes his nephew, two-time European Individual champion Nicolas Touzaint, with Absolut Gold HDC, as well as Stephane Landois & Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau and Gaspard Maksud & Zaragoza. Benjamin Massie and Gireg Le Coz will also represent France as individuals at Le Pin.
Laghouag hopes they can give the home crowd something to cheer as well as continuing their preparations for Paris 2024.
“Of course, we want a podium!” he said. “Thierry Touzaint is named the “Chasseur de Medailles” and all of us have this in mind. We are in France, so it is a chance, serious rivals would be Germany and Great Britain. However, we must stay focused and not be distracted.
“This is a good rehearsal for the Olympics. Riders and staff are going to try to proceed a little like if the riders were in Paris – it’s a little more isolated with a lot of team building.
“For myself, we have already been working on Paris for three years now and Le Pin is part of our plan for that.”
The FEI Eventing European Championships runs from Thursday until Sunday, with Team and Individual medals handed out on Sunday. There are also two Olympic qualifying spots on offer to countries that have not already booked their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the battle between the four nations – Austria, Belgium, Italy and The Netherlands – is expected to be intense.
The action will get underway with two days of dressage on Thursday and Friday (Aug 10 and 11), the thrilling cross country on Saturday and the deciding jumping phase on Sunday. Watch it all on FEI TV and check out the latest results here...
Words by Richard Mulligan
