Herning 2022, finally! This year’s event is only called “World Championships”, and not “World Equestrian Games”, but the air for Vaulting is not that of a simple world class event.

The north of Denmark welcomes the equestrian community in a centre surrounded by nature. Bright green of wet grass, yellowish-brown of fields not yet harvested, warm sun and weak rains alternate incessantly. Impetuous wind, clouds that run creating dark heaps and flashes of intense blue: everything seems in tune with the moods of the vaulters, gathered here from all over the world. The centre where the competitions take place is majestic: a huge outdoor field, shops, restaurants, even a night club, but above all an indoor arena – the JYSKE BANK BOXEN – also fantastic for the public. Comfortable and abundant of seats, from which you have a view of the field – perfectly illuminated – without obstacles of any kind. Even according to the vaulters, the competition arena was exceptional, warm and welcoming.

Significant changes have been made to this edition of the World Championship, both in the structure of the competition and in the way of calculating the scores. The individual event takes place on three tests, instead of four, without any barrier between the two rounds. Compulsory and technical test make up the first round, while the freestyle alone counts as final round. Therefore, the free test is worth 50% of the final score. The squads only perform the compulsories (40% of the final score) and one freestyle (60%). The structure of the pas de deux event didn’t change, but the final score is calculated differently than before: 40% on the first freestyle and 60% on the second. The Nation Team Event, or Nations Cup, remained the same: it was based on three freestyle (two individuals and the team), and the score is simply an average of the three. The changes were significant, which may have a significant impact on the final ranking, that were probably thought to enhance even more the spectacularity of the sport and make the final result all the more uncertain. However, the decision to suppress one of the tests makes the World Championships essentially the same as the cvis.

Voltige or Voltigieren? What language does vaulting speak today? The dominance of Germany is increasingly questioned by France, that in this edition, winning the highest number of golds, is the undisputed dominator, even if Germany has the same overall amount of medals. Les Bleus, with three golds and two silvers, are on the podium in all the categories in which they compete. Germany fails the Nation Cup, but is a certainty in terms of regularity and number of vaulters presented (unlike France, which ranks 6 competitors in all, Germany has 13, all with excellent placings).

France starts with a bang in this edition of the World Championships. On the first day of competition dominates all the categories on the program. In the team competition, the French team composed by Manon Moutinho, Lambert Leclezio, Jeanne Braun, Louis Dumont, Dorian Terrier and Quentin Jabet (Corinne Bosshard, Londontime) is the first to take the field and immediately gets the highest score. It is a squad created to win, made up of the best vaulters that the French equestrian federation has at its disposal, and in fact, despite being at its first international exit (and what an exit!), it does not disappoint and confirms expectations. The challenge is all with Germany – represented this year by team Norka (Patric Looser, Calidor 10) – always the favorite. In the compulsories, however, the performance of the Germans is a little below their standards, so France wins the first round. They are followed by Switzerland (Monika Winkler-Bischofberger, Rayo de la Luz) and Austria (Martina Seyrling, Don Rudi), but a little apart. The day continues with the individuals’ compulsories individual and the French flag waves again. Manon Moutinho (FRA, Corinne Bosshard, Saitiri) and above all Lambert Leclezio (FRA, Loic Devedu, Estado IFCE) stand above their competitors. In both cases it is immediately clear that the real challenge will essentially be for second and third place. In general, however, there was no shortage of surprises: in the three days of competitions, we saw “favorites” collapse and newbies emerge forcefully. The predictions have often turned out to be wrong.

As for the individuals, the second day is dedicated to what is probably the most difficult test: the technical test. This test is significant, as it combines specific technical skills evaluated through some imposed exercises, with artistic skills that make the routine beautiful and varied. Whoever performs a good technical test may not necessarily win, but it certainly means he has potential to sell. These world championships are no exception, where in this test, in addition to the “usual” Moutinho and Leclezio, also some surprising young vaulters stand out: the Canadian Averill Saunders (Nina Vorberg, Rockemotion) or the sixteen year old Dutch Sam Dos Santos (Rian Pierik, Chameur) just to give examples. On this day the Pas De Deux also take the field for the first time. The two German pairs composed by Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven on Highlight longed by Alexandra Knauf, and Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne on DSP Sir Laulau led by Hendrik Falk, unquestionably dominate the scene, but the Italian duo Rebecca Greggio/Davide Zanella (Claudia Petersohn, Orlando Tancredi) also stand out. On the other hand, the performance of Eva Nagiller and Romana Hintner (AUT, Klaus Haidacher, Idefix 25) was disappointing.  Nagiller, coming from a difficult technical test, was probably not very lucid and the whole exercise was affected.

On the third day, final for the individual, the first two positions are confirmed both in the female and in the male field, while the bronze goes, in both cases, to two athletes in fifth position at the end of the first round: Sheena Bendixen (DEN , Lasse Kristensen, Klintholms Ramstein), tenacious and combative as always, overcame the German Kathrin Meyer (Gesa Bührig, Capitain Claus), and Jannik Heiland (GER, Barbara Rosiny, Dark Beluga FRH) imposes himself over Sam Dos Santos and compatriot Julian Wilfling (Alexander Zebrak, Aragorn 102). Actually, both in the female class and in the male one, the second, third and fourth place are separated only by a handful of thousandths of a point. Julia Sophie Wagner (GER, Katja Wagner, Giovanni 185) and Quentin Jabet (FRA, Andrea Boe, Ronaldo 200) take home the silver, but trembled respectively in front of the superb free tests of Sheena Bendixen and Jannik Heiland. The two promises Averill Saunders and Sam Dos Santos, both third after the first round, do not perform a free that can keep them in position. Dos Santos closes fifth, Saunders eleventh. The two Germans Kathrin Meyer and Julian Wilfling (Alexander Zebrak, Aragorn 102), fourth, deserve on the other hand an honourable mention, because their performances were really of the highest level. They collided with giants, and they did not disfigure at all.

The final podiums are therefore: Manon Moutinho (FRA, Corinne Bosshard, Saitiri), Julia Sophie Wagner (GER, Katja Wagner, Giovanni 185), Sheena Bendixen (DEN, Lasse Kristensen, Klintholms Ramstein) in the women’s field, Lambert Leclezio (FRA, Loic Devedu, Estado IFCE), Quentin Jabet (FRA, Andrea Boe, Ronaldo 200), Jannik Heiland (GER, Barbara Rosiny, Dark Beluga FRH) in the men’s field.

Leclezio, undisputed champion since the first test, scores over 9 in all three tests and wins the world title for the fourth time in a row. Manon Moutinho also has the best scores in all three tests as well.

The third day was also the final day for the teams. Germany claims the title performing a spectacular freestyle, technically perfect. The exercise of the French team was also exciting, but with some mistakes that compromised the result. In third place ends the Swiss team led by Monika Winkler-Bischofberger with Rayo de la Luz on the longia. On the other hand, Austria unfortunately is in great difficulty, due to the restless horse.

The last day of vaulting competitions opens with the final of the PDD. If the first two positions seem firmly in the hands of the two German pairs Congia / Van Gerven (Alexandra Knauf, Highlight) and Harwardt / Künne (Hendrik Falk, DSP Sir Laulau), the competition is still open for the bronze medal. After the first round, the Italian duo formed by Rebecca Greggio and Davide Zanella (Claudia Petersohn, Orlando Tancredi) is leading, but the gap with the Austrians Dominik Eder and Theresa Thiel (Veronika Greisberger, Pink Floyd) is not much. Moreover, the second test counts more than the first one on the final score: 60% of the total. The Italian pair maintains and strengthens its position thanks to an absolutely convincing, fluid performance, full of interesting moves, well interpreted (the theme is “House of Gucci” and the struggle between the two spouses is well understood!). As for the level expressed by the German pairs is objectively stratospheric. The perfection in the execution, the choice of the contour movements, the difficulty of the technical figures, the regularity of the horse, are almost unsurpassable, both for Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne, second, and for Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven, deservedly winners. Congia and Van Gerven had won silver at last year’s World Championships in Budapest (HUN) behind compatriots Jannika Derks and Johannes Kay, now retired. A good passing of the baton can also be said to have occurred for Italy, which obtained a well-deserved bronze, after the gold of the Lupacchini / Stopazzini pas de deux back in 2018 in Tryon.

The most intense emotions aroused by the Nation Team Event, the competition for nations in which the scores of two individuals and the team are added together. According to the rankings drawn up at the end of the third day of competitions, the games seemed already written, but in vaulting nothing is sure and even the big ones can fall. So it happens that Germany does not even get on the podium, and neither does Switzerland. The gold went to France thanks to the two individuals of Lambert Leclezio and Manon Moutinho, the latter however a little below her standards. The test of the team was not at its best, but still definitely superior in performance compared to those of Germany and Switzerland. On the other hand, Denmark performed three clear tests. The excellent performances of the team (best score) and Sheena Bendixen (best female score), allowed the home nation to claim an unexpected second step of the podium. The bronze went to Austria, which, after the disappointing tests of the previous days, earned a medal.

Here are the complete rankings

What to tell again? The world adventure of Eva Nagiller (AUT, Nicole Voithofer, Lavalino) started badly and continued worse. She, who was one of the candidates for the title, found herself having to chase a large group of opponents already after the compulsory test. The technical was a debacle. Unfortunately, her horse, Lavalino, completely unmanageable, literally did not allow her to perform any exercise. She finished the second test with a score of 2.5 that threw her to the last place in the standings. She opens the last day of competition with her free, a good performance, just for the honor. Unfortunately, the Pas de Deux with her partner Romana Hintner (Klaus Haidacher, Idefix 25) is also disappointing. Apart from the first test – carried out shortly after the technician – in which the pair was unable to find the right concentration, the second went very badly due to problems with the horse.

Alina Ross (GER, Volker Ross, Baron R), second after the compulsory test, fails the technical losing the podium. Kimberly Palmer performed well (USA, Laura Carnabuci, Rosenstolz 99), in continuous growth. She will certainly be one of the protagonists of next year. Switzerland will be able to count on a very talented new vaulting machine in the future: Danielle Bürgi (Mirjam Degiorgi, Livanto Cha CH). Just over eighteen, she is sixth in the final ranking. Canadian Averill Saunders (Nina Vorberg, Rockemotion) surprised everyone above all, thanks to an amazing technical exercise, too bad she fell in the freestyle. Bürgi and Saunders, both very elegant and technically gifted, will undoubtedly be vaulting superstars of the upcoming future.​

For Leclezio there are no suitable words to describe his performance. He performed four perfect tests, in all of them obtaining a score higher than 9. All judges awarded him 10 for the artistic. He is the only athlete to win the world title four times (in 2016, still representing his birth country Mauritius, in 2018, 2021 and 2022 for France), a truly difficult record to even match. The lightness with which he moves on the horse, while performing incredible stunts, is now legendary. Quentin Jabet seems to be his successor in the French team, certainly his performances have been excellent. Jannik Heiland, the best of the Germans, redeemed himself from a season that was not exactly at the top with the free with which he won the bronze. Julian Wilfling, even if he didn’t get a medal, must be proud of this world championship, it was a real pleasure to see him perform.

Someone wondered if it wasn’t a gamble to throw Sam Dos Santos, so young, into the lions’ den of a 3 * world championship. The answer is obviously NO! Sam Dos Santos, after winning the junior world championships last year, proved to be perfectly capable of competing at the highest level. He has amazed everyone, and everyone is now ready to bet that he will be the future star of international vaulting. The ease and naturalness with which he is able to perform any figure leaves you speechless. Another athlete on whom it is legitimate to expect a lot is Lorenzo Lupacchini (ITA, Laura Carnauci, Rosenstolz 99), it is clear that he is now part of the elite of vaulting and can improve even more. He has a style of his own, based on the sweetness and grace of the movement, more than anyone else remembers a dancer on stage. The most disappointed will probably be Juan Martin Clavijo Vega (COL, Jinte Pierik, Doemaar), accustomed to higher positions in the standing. His exercises are always spectacular in particular for the uncommon elasticity of his joints, but on this occasion the horse didn’t really help!

Were there any downsides? No, not really, the only complaint that could possibly be made to the show in general is the repetitiveness of the themes, the music and above all the “outfits”. This year gray and green were definitely in fashion, declined in various shades, with any gold or silver points, and voile. But if the outfits are so similar, it is much more difficult to clearly remember the various performances!