Eventing Eventing editor Pippa Roome

The ERM flourishes in Jardy, where groundwork is key, says Pippa Roome

JARDY attracted probably the best Event Rider Masters (ERM) field ever. Although there was quality at the top end at the first European leg last month at Wiesbaden, only 26 of the possible 40 spaces were taken up. The event clashed with Tattersalls, plus apparently some riders thought they would be invited to participate, which has happened at Wiesbaden previously.

In fact, any qualified combination can enter an ERM and the top 40 riders by world ranking are accepted, with options for the organisers to accept various wild card entries. At Jardy, all 40 spaces were taken up and the glitzy standard was evident in the fact a quarter of starters broke the 40-barrier in the dressage.

Despite the quality field, only six made the time in the showjumping, which I think is too few. It’s not meant to be a jump-off and a time just two seconds longer would have kept riders thinking, but meant exceptionally careful jumpers such as

Qing Du Briot ENE HN and Chico Bella P were not punished with faults.

A GLAMOROUS VENUE

IT’S remarkable how European events manage to be both relaxed and glamorous.

Jardy has as its hub a glass orangery, with space for a restaurant, bar and VIP areas. The building is fronted by a wide verandah overlooking the huge permanent main arena, a glorious place to sit in the sun and watch. There were also beautiful permanent stables.

At first glance, the crosscountry let the venue down. Although the ERM fences were well presented, some of the lower level jumps looked tired, which is perhaps not surprising as this busy equestrian centre runs numerous competitions.

TREATING THE RIGHT LINES IS VITAL

THE going is notoriously poor here and I found it both hard and uneven when I walked the course on Friday. A friend who is based in France said they frequently run on worse, but we’ve become spoilt by the standard of ground preparation at even smaller British events.

The ERM track had been roped off since November in an attempt to provide improved ground and this preparation laid the foundations for the spiking and watering work the organisers put in over the 48 hours leading up to crosscountry. It was still firm, but the difference was noticeable, there were few withdrawals and riders were happy to run high-class horses competitively.

The competitor feedback was that the groundwork was appreciated, but in places the operators had not actually treated the right lines, so riders found themselves galloping outside the prepared track. For next year, the course should either be more tightly roped, a larger area should be treated or riders should be consulted to ensure operators target the correct places.

Pierre Michelet set a suitable cross-country test — some of the lines walked strong, with his trademark open distances to angles and acute skinnies. The fact he encourages riders to go forward contributed to the achievable time, but with the pressure on, a couple of top combinations had run-outs, which kept it exciting.

Mark Todd writes from Aachen