Lennon takes gold after testing jump-off
The Banbridge, Co Down, rider became the first Irishman to do so since the competition’s inception in 1953.
Lennon, who was a member of Ireland’s European Championship winning team last year, was elated after beating more than 90 of the world’s best riders: “To win here, you cannot ask for better and the good thing is the title lasts for four years.”
The softly-spoken Northerner, who is based in Arnhem, the Netherlands, claimed his gold after four days of competition that saw the field whittled down to a showdown between the top four yesterday. In a unique and nerve-wracking jump-off, each finalist had to ride their own and their rivals’ horses over the same course four times. A supreme test of horsemanship and composure, it is a formula which does not meet with universal approval.
The unflappable Lennon, however, revelled in it, outriding the 1990 champion, Frenchman Eric Navet, American Peter Wylde and Sweden’s Helena Lundback. Liscalgot also played her part, the mare finishing worst of the four horses as Lennon’s rivals struggled to come to terms with her sensitive nature. “The other riders didn’t judge her right. They thought she was a bit cold. They put big spurs on her and she got angry and she was running on a bit more. As for the other horses, I liked them all. I felt good and connected with them,” said the 33-year-old Lennon.
He also said his win vindicated the huge efforts made last year to keep the horse in his and Irish hands. When the then owners Terence and Mary Harvey came under pressure to sell, a syndicate of Northern businessmen, Woods Rossbotham; Sam Thompson and James Acheson, agreed to bankroll the horse until the Athens Olympics: “We did everything to keep her and it paid off,” said Lennon. Ireland has only ever reached the final on three occasions: once in 1982, when Comdt Gerry Mullins finished fourth, and twice (1974, 1978) when Eddie Macken
finished in the silver medal position.
Lennon was supremely confident yesterday, however, that he could go one better and got off to a great start with a clear round on Liscalgot. Navet and Wylde responded with faultless rounds on their horses, Navet on the French-bred stallion Dollar du Murier HTS de Seine and Wylde with his Holsteiner mare, Fein Cera.
Lundback, the first Swede and only the second woman ever to contest the change-horse final, picked up four faults on Utfors Mynta, her little Swedish warmblood mare.
Predictions that Utfors Mynta would be the most difficult of the horses were justified: she was the only one to fault with all four riders. Lennon went on to produce perfect rounds from Navet’s stallion and from Wylde’s mare to finish the contest with just four faults. The Frenchman, bidding to become the first rider since Italy’s Raimondo d’Inzeo, winner in 1956 and 1960, to take the world title twice, had to settle for the runner-up spot after collecting four faults with Liscalgot for a final score of eight. Wylde lowered one fence with each of his three rivals’ horses to take third place on 12.
Lundback’s chances evaporated when she scored a 12-fault round with Liscalgot. Good rounds on Navet and Wylde’s horses, both clear and only just outside the time, came too late to earn her a medals. The leading horse, with three clear rounds and only three time penalties in the fourth round, was Fein Cera. Lennon, expected to receive a hero’s welcome when he returns to Ireland this week, was joined in the top 10 by compatriots Kevin Babington (8th) and Peter Charles (10th)
