Belgium’s Bernard Fonck and What A Wave started a sliding development in the Johnson Control Reining of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 on Saturday. Scoring 227 at his fourth WEG, Fonck bested two of USA’s team gold medalists, with Daniel L. Huss taking the Silver medal and Cade McCutcheon securing Bronze. Fonck’s medal is the first Individual Gold for a Reining competitor from Europe.
”I wanted to show what such a small country can do in the sport,” the 45-year-old professional said.
Daniel L, Huss premiered at the WEG-level to ride Ms Dreamy to Individual Silver, scoring 226.5. Reining is a “mind game” for the 58-year-old residing in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“I visualize the pattern at least 20 times before I go in the arena,” he explained as he described his success over the course of the past week.While the top two medals were decided clearly, it took a nail-biting run-off to decide for third place.
Brazil’s Joao Felipe Andrade CS Lacerda and Gunner Dun It Again had put in a score of 225.5 early on in the competition.
As the last rider out, 18-year-old Cade McCutcheon rode Custom Made Gun to the tie. With amazing coolness, the third-generation youngster from the USA’s “first family of reining” kept his nerves to put in a pattern worth 228 points, pipping Lacerda by one point. The McCutcheon family, hailing from Aubrey, Texas, now hold eight WEG medals after Cade took home Team Gold with the Team USA win on Wednesday.
Individual Gold tops the collection of three WEG Reining Team Silver medals for Belgium. Fonck had part in all of them, together with his wife, Ann Poels who placed 13th at Tryon 2018. A World Champion in 2016, Fonck used the opportunity to praise familial support.”She is very special. She is left and right from me and in front and behind me, supports me in every way. She is the best,” he said as he credited his wife of 16 years before the medal presentation.
The run-off was a family affair of horse breeding as well since both stallions have the same father, Quarter Horse stallion Colonels Smoking Gun. Altogether five of his offspring qualified for the Individual Final, which hosted nearly 20 entries.
For more information on the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 and to view start lists and results, please visit www.Tryon2018.com.
To purchase tickets or for more information about the WEG, please visit www.Tryon2018.com.
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About the Tryon International Equestrian Center
Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort, host of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, is one of the world’s premier equestrian lifestyle destinations, with first-class facilities for all eight FEI disciplines. From carousel to competition, the mission of Tryon Resort is to celebrate the magic of the horse, grow equestrian sport, and increase access to this majestic animal. Tryon Resort is a spring, summer and fall haven for equestrian competitors and enthusiasts, and a year-round destination for connoisseurs of diverse cuisine and shopping, lodging getaways, and family entertainment. Learn more at www.Tryon.com.
About the FEI World Equestrian Games™
The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the summer Olympic cycle, is the property of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body for horse sport organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining World Championships in the Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, the Paralympic discipline of Para-Equestrian Dressage, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990. Since then the Games have been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, and Aachen (GER) in 2006. The first Games to be organized outside Europe were the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) 2010. The Games came back to Europe for the 2014 edition, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA), which attracted more than 500,000 on-site spectators and a worldwide television audience of 350 million, as well as delivering an economic impact of €368 million to the French economy.The Tryon 2018 Games offer qualifying slots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The FEI World Equestrian Games™ History Hub can be viewed here.
