August 26, 2006

FEI World Equestrian Games 2006 - Aachen Germany

Vaulting’s Megan Benjamin Leads Women Overall
Press Release from USET

It was a good day for U.S. vaulters and a great day for Megan Benjamin. Not only did the U.S. F.A.M.E. team receive the highest freestyle score in today’s competition, but team member Benjamin, who is also the only American left in the individual competition, is still in the lead after three days of competition. Today, the individual men and women performed their technical exercise. Benjamin earned an 8.673 today which gave her an 8.409 overall. Just behind her in second place with an 8.294 overall is Sissi Jarz of Austria. For the past 20 years a German woman has always held the title of World Champion, and they’ve also won 23 of the last 30 world championships. Benjamin may just be the one who can interrupt their rein.

“I really didn’t expect to do so well,” said Benjamin. “I just wanted a medal, and even that was maybe a stretch. At this point it’s just incredible…I wasn’t nervous this time. I was a little tired because I had already done the team competition.”

F.A.M.E. had some tough competition among the 14 other countries that brought teams. Their freestyle score of 8.9 was the highest of the competition, giving them a 7.774 when averaged with their compulsory score. This puts them in third place behind Germany with a 7.999 overall and Austria with a 7.818 overall. The top 12 teams will be in the finals on Sunday, and their overall score from the last couple of days will follow them.

Coach and team member Devon Maitozo had many good things to say about their performance, a performance that told a story, where even the transitions such as taking someone’s hand were done as part of a movement, making the routine seamless. Although Maitozo said one of their blocks was only 25% completed, no one in the audience or in the judge’s stands seemed to notice.

In addition to singing, vaulting, coaching and choreography, the multi-talented Maitozo can now also add designer to his resume. He spent almost as much time designing the team’s romantic red and white uniforms as he did choreographing their routine. He picked their music (a Brahms quartet in G) specifically with this team in mind.

“To me, vaulting isn’t just about the score you get. At the end of the day, it’s about what you are feeling while you are doing it…In team vaulting, you look at the relationships between the people and their relationships with the horse…This group of people is phenomenal. I couldn’t be happier with them. We have every type of talent.”

Benjamin was the last of the 15 individual women to vault, a great spot to be in, which only helped her score. She vaulted again aboard the horse she co-owns, Leonardo, with longeur Lasse Kristensen. Benjamin has been the leader through all three days of competition.

The leader in the men’s individual competition after today’s technical exercise was Kai Vorberg of Germany, whose overall score after the technical exercise was 8.339. Vorberg will be hard to beat tomorrow with the next closest score being 8.026 from German Gero Meyer. One competitor, Dimitri Suhner from Switzerland, was eliminated when his horse trotted for the judges and was found to be not sound enough to compete.

HorsesDaily 'On the Scene' at the FEI World Equestrian Games 2006