Event Rider Masters at Arville, Belgium

 

This weekend the Event Rider Masters heads to Belgium and the Concours Complet D’Arville, on the family estate of Guillaume & Barbara de Liedekerke, close to Namur.

Quick Facts:

  • 12 different Nations
  • 9 of the World’s Top 20 Event Riders
  • 2 former ERM Series winning riders
  • 7 former ERM Leg winning riders
  • Strongest field Arville has ever seen.
  • Battle of the Boys – World #1 Oliver Townend and Cillnabradden Evo vs French Superstar Thomas Carlile and Upsilon - both boys have won two legs each in their ERM careers, both with these horses – who will triumph at Leg 3?

 

Only one combination in the field has competed in the 3* at Arville - Tresor Mail ridden by Sidney Dufresne - and no one has ever made the cross country time here at the level. We do expect that to change this weekend due to the high quality of this ERM field.

 

 

Three horses in the field are coming to Arville having won on their last outing. Balmoral Sensation (Kihikihi CIC3*), Cillnabradden Evo (Baborowko CIC3*), Upsilon (Houghton Hall CCI2*).

Only two horses have won two ERM Legs in the history of the Series, Cillnabradden Evo and Upsilon, and they are both competing at Arville this weekend. On the two previous occasions they have faced each other, they have each won once and have each finished second to the other one.

Upsilon has never been outside the top five in any competition completion and has a 54% win rate from those international completions. Cillnabradden Evo is on a run of 14 clear Show Jumping rounds, ten of those have been in a row with Oliver, and the pair have never knocked an international pole at any level.

 

Ones to watch:

Clarke Johnstone  (NZL) and Balmoral Sensation – This pair have beaten everyone they’ve faced on the other side of the World. Can they continue their dominance in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend?

Jonelle Price (NZL) and Cloud Dancer – Jonelle comes here off the back of two 4* wins in a month. Can she continue that winning form in Arville?