2006 World Equestrian Games Week 2

Australia on tour. L-R Showjumping Team Member, Rod Brown, Team Vet, Denis Golding, Showjumping Chef d' Equipe, Stephen Lamb, High Performance Manager, Brett Mace, Eventing Coach, Wayne Roycroft and Chef de Mission, Geoff Sinclair.

Meredith and Marcus Beerbaum look rather concerned. Apparently they thought the arena had become a little hard. Not sure they know hard.

German driver Michael Freund with his team in the cones competition today. The German Team won Gold and Freund finished in fifth place.

Hungary's Jozsef Dobrovitz and his team finished the Driving Championships in sixth place and the Hungarian Team, fourth.

Sadly for US driver, Chester Webber, who led the competition after the dressage phase, he was eliminated in the cones for taking the wrong course.

Swiss driver, Seftan Klay finished the Carriage Marathon Championships in seventh place.

Hungary's Zoltan Lazar finished the Driving Championships in eighth place. The Hungarians had the best dressed grooms.

Germany's Christoph Sandmann makes` a tight turn with his team in the cones competition. He took the Bronze Medal and the Germans the Team Gold.

Thomas Eriksson and his team from Sweden took fourth place in the Driving Championships.

Belgium's Felix-Marie Brasseur had to go fast to win and he did to claim the Individual Gold Medal, with the Belgian Team taking Silver.

Dutch driver, and former World Champion, Ysbrand Chardon let the Gold Medal slip from his grasp when the carriage dislodged a ball. He had to settle for the Silver Medal and the Dutch Team the Bronze.

It is difficult to imagine that this horse could have a fence down, but he did, two in fact. However, The Belgian stallion by Major de la Cour, 'Osta Rugs Tresor' ridden by Jean Claude Van Geenberghe looked super all show to finish the Championships in 15th place.

The four finalists who will jump off tomorrow, L-R Beezie Madden, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Jos Lansink and Edwina Alexander.

Edwina Alexander and 'Isovlas Pialotta' jumped clear in the first round today to move them up the rankings. They began in 22nd place and after the first round today were in sixth place. Only two of the 25 starters jumped clear in the first round, and this quite skinny vertical is 1.66m.

This ugly vertical at 1,60 posed no problem for Brazilian, Bernardo Alves and the Cantus stallion, 'Canturo' who finished the Championships in 12th place.

This lovely little stallion, "Dover' by Folclore is really trying for his rider, Luciana Diniz from Partugal. They have impressed all show. After finishing the first round of the final competition with two down, Diniz decided not to continue and did not start in the second round.

Michael Whitaker's super Dutch mare by Habsburg, 'Insul Tech Portofino' is really trying hard over this big oxer in the first round of the final competition. They finished the Championship in eighth place.

Swiss Rider, Christina Liebherr rode her Dutch gelding by Libero, ' LB No Mercy' to finish the Championships in 13th place.

Albert Zoer's Dutch stallion 'Okidoki' by Jodokus was a crowd favourite and a really expressive and talented jumper. They finished the Championships in 20th place.

Ludo Philippaerts and the Darco Stallion, 'Parco' jumped well for Belgium and were ninth in the Championships.

Marie Bourke from Ireland developed quite a following at the Championships with the wonderful Irish Stallion, 'Chippison' that is by the same stallion as Clayton Frederick's Ben Along Time. The stallion looked tired at the end of the competition and they did not start in the second round of the final class. They finished the Championships in 24th place.

Swiss rider, Niklaus Schurtenberger rode' Cantus' a gelding by Cantus to jump well and finish the Championships in 10th place.

The young Spanish rider, Sergio Alvarez Moya really impressed with his Selle Francais gelding, 'Le Reve Du Nabab' to finish the Championships in 18th place.

Belgium's Jos Lansink and the wonderful stallion by Cassini, 'Cavalor Cumano' looked sensational all show. They were only the second clear round in the first round of the final class and took equal first place in the class with Edwina Alexander. Jos has qualified for the four way ride off tomorrow in second place.

Only a foot in the water and a time penalty marred an otherwise great class for Germany's Meredith Michaels- Beerbaum and 'Shutterfly' who qualified for the final ride off in third place.

Sadly for the very stylish McLain Ward from the USA, two rails down in the first round today put paid to his Championship aspirations. However he came out on 'Sapphire' the mare by Darco to jump clear in the second round and finish the Championships in 7th place.

Much to the dismay of the German crowd, a fence down in the second round today saw Ludger Beerbaum and 'L'Espoir' a gelding by Landwind, finish the Championships in fifth place.

Gerco Schroder and the Cassini stallion, 'Eurocommerce Berlin' have looked amazing all show and were given a real Medal chance. Sadly two down in the first round and one in the second, saw the popular Dutch combination finish in sixth place.

Beezie Madden's 'Authentic' by Guidam had a fence down today in the first round, but with a total of only four penalties over the qualifying rounds, they finished as the number one qualifier for the four-way ride off tomorrow.

No doubting Jill Sinclair's national pride. The flag has been getting progressively bigger each day.

Edwina Alexander jumped double clear today to share first prize in the class with Jos Lansink. Edwina has every reason to smile as she pulled herself up from 22nd to fourth today riding the wonderful 'Isolavs Pialotta' to be in the four way ride off for the World Championship tomorrow. This is history in the making and they are a very classy combination.

Holly Wilmore disguised as a cat. There is plenty for childern to do at WEG and there is even a Kids Club.

Edwina has drawn to ride at number two tomorrow.

US Showjumping guru and Team Chef, George Morris congratulates Edwina and her super ride.