Comité Equestre de Saumur - Concours de Voltige International Officiel**

INTERNATIONAL OFFICIAL VAULTING EVENT**
6th to 8th april 2012

Sunday 24th april 2011
Nations Cup: Great Britain Takes It!

The Nations Cup of CVIO ** Saumur was won by Great Britain (23,694 points), led by reigning world champion, Joanne Eccles. Her performance and that of the team English Vaulting Squad, gave them the edge over France.

Nicolas Andreani and Stephanie Charbuillet shone in the competition arena, Manège des écuyers, but the team Ecuries de la Cigogn had several small faults that cost them the victory. With 23,228 points, France took second place. The Swiss completed the podium with 22,477 points.

Results / All the news / Photos

Team Neuss

Sunday 24th april 2011
Final teams: Team Neuss Wins!

Team Neuss (GER) dominated the weekend of CVIO ** Saumur. Having both technical and artistic skills, their freestyle program with an opera theme, won them the 2011 competition with a total score of 7.895.

Team Molen of the Netherlands stood out on Sunday afternoon in the Manege des écuyers, but their performance wasn’t enough to take the lead. With a score of 6,978 points, they finished in the second place. Team Mühlacker Pegasus, another German team, ended the weekend on the third step of the podium with a score of 6.732.

s team neuss grimlinghausen

Sunday 24th April 2011
Music and Uniform: A Form Of Self Expression!

Music and costume are more than just a requirement to achieve a perfect score, competitors spend countless hours deliberating with their coaches, lungers and friends over their choice of music and uniform for each of their programs.

The process that each competitor follows is generally the same, selecting their music first, often hearing it in a TV advertisement, a movie or on the radio in the car. From that music selection a theme, character or ambiance is born; the competitors and their trainers then work hard to create a program and uniform that matches. No matter the selection process, at the end of the day, the most important is that the competitor feels comfortable with the selection as a form of self expression. More...

Start list & results

Photos

Eccles Joanne

Saturday 23rd April 2011
First Round Team Freestyle: Team Neuss Refuses To Give Up Their Lead.

On Saturday afternoon, nine teams entered the competition arena to present their freestyles. Despite a few technical problems, Team Neuss – Grimlinghausen was able to remain in the lead with a total first round score of 7.564.

Team Molen of the Netherlands took the second place with a 6.927, staying in front of Team NPZ Bern from Switzerland with 6.519. Second Round Individual Technical: Joanne, Nicolas And The Others On Saturday evening the male and female vaulters presented their technical programs. The women presented their best, but one woman dominated by far, Joanne Eccles. The British vaulter executed her program with the level of perfection that one would expect from a World and European Champion leaving her comfortably ahead of the competition with an 8.317. Russian Maria Bondar made a grand entrance in a traditional Russian costume and presented a dynamic program. She failed to pass Joanne Eccles with only a score of 7.843 but won the public favor and retains her position of second place. Annalise VanVranken of the United States made a big move to the third place with a score of 7.737 after her flawless program that showcased her skills in choreography and technique. Among the men, Nicolas Andreani retains the lead with a score of 7.280. His program, choreographed to “Artist” by Amd Al Malik, was marred by a fall on the required roll element but the champion quickly picked up where he left off and finished strongly. The mistake opens a door for Martin Necela who is now dangerously close to Nicolas with a score of 7.167. In a very close third Vincent Haennel follows with a score of 7.163

Maria Bondar

Saturday 23rd April 2011
First Round Freestyle: The Leaders Are Emerging.

Saturday morning started with the first round of the freestyle programs by the female and male individuals. Joanne Eccles and Nicolas Andreani were both able to keep the leads they held after the compulsory program of yesterday.

The current Women’s World Champion, Joanne Eccles did not falter, each of her exercises in the freestyle program were perfectly executed. This perfection gave her a firm lead in the standings with a score of 8.442. The Russian competitor, Maria Bondar grabbed the attention of the judges by taking some risks in her freestyle. Her strategy proved to be a success as she held her second place and put more distance between herself and Lucy Phillips of Great Britain who is in the third place with a 7.892. In the men’s competition, Nicolas Andreani (FRA) was welcomed into the competition arena like a rock star. He presented a new freestyle program that combined both power and emotion that allowed him to keep his lead with a score of 8.068. The second place has changed hands but remains with a Frenchman, Yvan Nousse, who won the freestyle program, with a score of 7.843. The third place was captured by Vincent Haennel of France (lunged by Fabrice Holzberger and on Mohican de Lin) with a 7.515.

Nicolas Andréani

Friday 22nd April 2011
The French Men Sweep The Podium After The First Compulsory Program.

Immediately following the women, the men entered the famous Manège des Ecuyers and presented their compulsory program to the judges. The competitors often make this program look easy but it takes serious training on the part of the athlete, lunger and horses to achieve the level of skill that fans saw today.

World Champion Nicolas Andréani of France performed without major fault today and earned a score of 7.730. Performing together with his long time lunger, Marina Dupon Joosten, and his horse Idéfix de Braize, Nicolas displayed a certain grace and fluidity that has become his signature. Earning the second place with a score of 7.239 was Andréani’s countryman, Remy Hombecq, who together with his lunger Maud Bousignac Dumont and Romario D’Oo made a great team. A solid, strong performance of 7.237 earned Yvan Nousse a very close third place with his equine partner Carlos190 and lunger Elke Schelp - Lansing.

International Vaulting Competition Official April 22 – 24, 2011 Easter weekend brings International vaulting stars to CVIO 2011: Joanne Eccles (GB), World Champion Women’s Individual 2010 Annalise VanVranken (USA), World Champion Team 2010 Nicolas Andréani (FRA), Bronze Medallist Men’s Individual 2010

The competition is expected to be fierce with top level competitors confirmed from twelve nations. The favorites include: Men’s Individual Competition: Nicolas ANDREANI of France, European Champion and bronze medallist at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington (2010) is the leading favorite but should expect competition from Dimitri SUHNER from Switzerland and fellow countryman Yvan NOUSSE.
Women’s Individual Competition: Joanne ECCLES of Great Britain, European Champion and World Champion (2010) will prove to be tough to beat with her current reign of the podium, however Annalise VANVRANKEN of the United States, World Champion Team Member (2010), Stéphanie CHARBUILLET, French Champion (2010), Lucy PHILLIPS of Great Britain, and Maria BONDAR of Russia all have their eyes on the podium and have been seriously training leading up to the competition.
Team Competition: NEUSS of Germany, SOUTH SCOTLAND of Great Britain, NPZ BERN of Switzerland and many clubs from France will be putting in their best performances and hoping for a place on the podium.