France victorious in Saint-Lô

On Sunday evening, nearly 3,000 spectators were in attendance to see the French teams at the Centre for the Promotion of Horse Breeding. Cheered on by a very enthusiastic crowd, France won the exhibition tournament but it wasn’t easy. The women took to the court first. The French were able to maintain possession of the ball but unable to convert on their chances. They would have to be patient for their domination to be translated into goals. In fact, at the end of the first half the score was a paltry 2-0 for the French. The second period was also a stingy affair but the French were able to stay ahead. Slowly but surely, they began to increase their advantage, with the Spaniards denied possession of the ball, to bring home the victory by the score of 7-0.

Hard-fought victory for the mixed

Once the public had been warmed up, the mixed teams entered the arena. Coached by Christophe Désormeaux, the co-ed team also would be squaring off against the Spanish. Whenever the two teams have done battle over the past ten years, it has always been a physical matchup and this final was no different. More than ever, the French had trouble getting into the match. Down 4-2 to the Spaniards at half-time they were able to collect themselves before mounting a comeback to tie the score 7-7 in the last 20 seconds of regulation time. In horseball, overtime is sudden death: the golden goal, the first team to score wins. The suspense was palpable and the French recovered the ball, after a minute of play, with the crowd going wild, they were in front of the Spanish goal and fired the winning goal. The crowd exalted in approval and the players too. The Spanish side had come close but they’ll have to wait a bit longer to someday beat the French team.

Mixed Competition Results:

• Italy/Belgium: 6-7
• Spain/France: 7-8  (final)

Women’s Competition Results:

• Italy/Belgium: 5-4
• Spain/France: 0-7 (final)

CLICK HERE for full results