Wizolympics 2020: Hippogriff Show Jumping Qualifier
Welcome to another year of glorious hippogriff competition, readers! Today, I, Daily Prophet reporter Minerva Miles, am reporting live from Kahaku Dome at the qualifying round before the final competition for the Galleon at the 2020 Wizolympics.
Before we begin, let me take a second to relay the official rules of the event:
- Each witch or wizard must approach the hippogriff and follow etiquette to allow the competitor to continue with the task.
- The competitor must complete a magically enhanced acrobatic routine over the hippogriff.
- The competitor must mount the hippogriff and perform an acrobatic jumping routine while on the hippogriff as the creature flies around the designated arena.
- All competitors are marked out of 10 for each section of the competition.
- The competitors must use the Ministry-provided hippogriff allocated to them on the day of the event.
New to this year’s hippogriff lineup are official names! Yes, that’s right, the Ministry spent hours of workers’ time so that each of these beautiful animals has a proper name. They say it is one Muggle tradition they deemed worthy of emulating.
Without further ado, let the games begin!
United States – Septima Johnson
The first competitor to enter the arena today is returning Wizolympian Septima Johnson from the United States, who competed at the last games. Today, she has been assigned the hippogriff Roonil Wazlib. Johnson enters the arena and immediately drops into a graceful bow toward Roonil Wazlib, who quickly returns the gesture. And – oh! Septima Johnson has just done a triple backflip right onto Roonil Wazlib while sending flowers into the crowd! Now, for her flying routine, Johnson has ridden Roonil Wazlib to the top of the arena while completing intricate flips and turns over his back the whole way! She does the same down to the floor and then bows one last time. What a performance!
Ground routine: 8/10
Flying routine: 10/10
FINAL SCORE: 18/20
France – Colette Abadie
Next up to show their skills is a new competitor: Colette Abadie from France, who seems to be shaking a bit as she enters the arena. Abadie has been paired with the hippogriff YASSSS, a name that I have been told is a Muggle slang term used to express excitement. Abadie bows, though she does seem to be trembling still and – oh, yes. Unfortunately, Miss Abadie did not earn the respect of the creature. YASSSS has just walked right past her and out of the arena. Better luck next time to France.
Ground routine: 0/10
Routine score: 0/10
FINAL SCORE: 0/20
Brazil – João Sousa
Now entering the arena is another new Wizolympian, the Brazilian competitor João Sousa, paired with the hippogriff Have a Biscuit. Sousa and the creature exchange bows, and the act begins. Oh! He has just cast a Water-Making Spell and created a beautiful waterfall feature between himself and Have a Biscuit as he jumps. With each jump and flip, Sousa sends colored splashes of water into the air. Unfortunately, though, Have a Biscuit doesn’t seem to want to fly. The perplexed Sousa is now leaving the arena with his head bowed low as Have a Biscuit plays in the waterfall.
Ground routine: 9/10
Flying routine: 0/10
FINAL SCORE: 9/20
United Kingdom – Wilkie Abbott
Well, this next showing should be a delight. Now entering is the returning medalist Wilkie Abbott from the United Kingdom! He quickly bows to the hippogriff Voldy’s Still Moldy, and now it’s showtime. Abbott starts a beautiful sequence of jumps, flips, and cartwheels while casting red and blue sparks out of his wand. His final cartwheel lands him right on the back of Voldy’s Still Moldy, and the pair is flying high! Abbott continues to jump while sending streams of sparks around himself and the hippogriff. As the duo lands, the audience is left looking at a beautiful Union Jack in the sky. Absolutely incredible!
Ground routine: 8/10
Flying routine: 10/10
FINAL SCORE: 18/20
Japan – Riku Yui
The last competitor to enter the arena is hometown hero Riku Yui of Japan. He bows to The ‘Griff That Has Been Named and begins his routine in seconds. Yui has opted for a subtler floor routine than some of the competitors, with a few jumps over the hippogriff and some charm work that has left a small pond in the center of the arena. His last jump lands him on the hippogriff, and the two go into the air, with Yui again completing jumps over the creature and this time sending small plants into the pond below. Yui now appears to be readying himself for one final jump over The ‘Griff That Has Been Named and – yes! He’s done a perfect dive into the pond he created during the floor routine! Beautiful work that the hometown crowd seems to love!
Ground routine: 7/10
Flying routine: 10/10
FINAL SCORE: 17/20
There you have it, folks. Septima Johnson, Wilkie Abbott, and Riku Yui will compete in the hippogriff show jumping finals. Will the final match be a showdown between the seasoned Wizolympians from the United States and the United Kingdom, or will the new hometown hero pull a Galleon out of that pond? Return to me for coverage as we all find out!
