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The competition at a glance

- 31^st Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final

- 3^rd World Cup win of Meredith Michaels Beerbaum

- 4^th ‘clean sweep’ (Ian Millar, Jos Lansink and Rodrigo Pessoa also won all three competitions of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final)

- 45 riders qualified for this Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final

- 44 competed in the first competition

- 42 competed in the second competition

- 29 competed in the first round of the third and last competition

- 23 competed in the second round of the third and last competition

- 9 American riders in the third and last competition

- 4 German riders in the third and last competition

- 3 Swiss riders in the third and last competition

- 11 clear rounds in the first round

- 7 clear rounds in the second round

- 5 double clears

- 12 obstacles and 15 efforts in both rounds

- 7.497 spectators on the last day

- 58.589 spectators in total

- upcoming Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final Jumping in Geneva (2010), Leipzig (2011), ‘s Hertogenbosch (2012) and Göteborg (2013)

There was no way course designer Anthony d’Ambrosio could stop the top riders of the 31^st Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final from performing clear rounds. Both horses and riders were simply too brilliant to be fooled or overpowered by d’Ambrosio’s demands. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum seemingly simple collected her third Rolex FEI World Cup™, she had more trouble holding on to the cup during the spectacular prize giving ceremony in the hectic Thomas & Mack Center. The horse she lend for the ceremony gave her a hard time. While the rails all stayed up earlier today, the prestigious World Cup fell from her hands on the magic Las Vegas sand.

McLain Ward, second placed after two tough rounds of competition, had to wait and see if his former compatriot from California would copy his perfect final round. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum, who stated earlier this week that she is known for doing things differently, did not copy McLains strategy to stay clear. In the final round, she was the only one to make her horse do five strides towards the double combination, in stead of four.

Also Albert Zoer could only maintain his third position producing two superb clear rounds aboard his fighter Okidoki. Christina Liebherr stayed in fourth place, thanks to her fanatic super jumper LB No Mercy, who – accidentally – was produced as a young horse by Albert Zoer and was sold to Liebherr by his father.

The only one from the top listed riders to make a mistake was Rich Fellers. His small horse Flexible had troubles negotiating the wide oxers, made two mistakes in the first round and no less than 22 in the second. Former Rolex FEI World Cup™ winner Rodrigo Pessoa as not very lucky on the last day. The penultimate jump of the third competition, a huge oxer testing the stamina and concentration of the horses, was only slightly touched by Rufus’ hoofs, which caused the rail to fall own. This fault, however, didn’t drop Rodrigo down, it left the Brazilian in 5^th place.

Ludger Beerbaum grew in the competition. The beautiful double clear aboard a relaxed and concentrated Coup de Coeur on the last day made him climb the ranks to 6^th place.

Ben Maher and his powerhouse Robin Hood W had a silly mistake on fence number 1 of the first round. Other than that everything went perfect for the stylish rider from Britain, Maher took 7^th place. Steve Guerdat held on to his top 10 position, also producing a 4 and 0 performance on the last day, which resulted in 8^th place. The Swiss rider had to share this position with Thomas Velin, the only one to make more than one mistake. In the first round Grim st Clair became a bit strong in the mouth and knocked down two fences, in the second the Dnish rider had one fault to his name.

Also 10^th position was shared by two riders. Marcus Ehning from Germany and Daniel Etter from Switzerland both ended on a total of 24 World Cup points.

The 31^st Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final was dominated by superb horse and rider combinations. The top three riders did not make one mistake during three days of tough competition.

QUOTES

Meredith Michaels Beerbaum:

“This was my hardest win in a World Cup final. McLain left no room whatsoever. This was a big win for me, for several reasons. It was my most perfect win and it is something special to do that with the greatest horse ever while he is 16 years of age. I lost my father four weeks ago, this is also a big win for him.”

“I consider myself half American, half German. I felt like a home town hero in Las Vegas, cheered on by the crowds, but also supported by the Germans. Maybe that gave me a bit extra.”

“I didn’t drop the watch!”

“Shutterfly and I are like an old married couple. I hear him loud and clear. He tells me he’s a happy guy. And: ‘Don’t make me jump too much in the warm up ring’. I’ll ride him as long as he loves what he’s doing. And one day, when he tells me he’s not any longer enjoying it, I’ll retire him to my home.”

McLain Ward:

“If I would have to do it again, I would do it exactly the same way. Meredith and Shutterfly are the greatest pair in show jumping. They came up two seconds faster than me. Two seconds in three days of jumping, that’s a fine line. In sport that’s what it’s about.”

“It is a little frustrating for Rich Fellers, who was second last year, and me, to be runner-up. But the whole development of American show jumping is a victory.”

Albert Zoer:

“Okidoki is always a fighter. He does everything for me, I love him. Noise makes him nervous, that’s why I was not so sure about my chances in Las Vegas. But he did a great job.”

Anthony d’Ambrosio

“The courses grew in size and difficulty during the whole competition. I did expect the riders to do so well, I was not surprised by the results by any means.”

Doug Meine, executive vice-president of Rolex USA:

“We have to step up our production, in order to supply Meredith with watches.”

“This was literally perfect, it could not have been better. Rolex and this sport share passion, precision and excellence.”

Robert Ridland, show jumping manager of the Las Vegas organisation:

“Supported by Las Vegas events, my company will bid for the World Cup final of 2015. This is too good to give up.”

Results of the 31^st Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final Jumping

1. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly, 0 pnts

2. McLain Ward (USA), Sapphire, 2 pnts

3. Albert Zoer (NED), Okidoki, 4 pnts

4. Christina Liebherr (SWI), LB No Mercy, 7 pnts

5. Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), Rufus, 12 pnts

6. Ludger Beerbaum, Coupe de Coeur, 14 pnts

7. Ben Maher (GBR), Robin Hood W, 18 pnts

8. Steve Guerdat (SWI), Tresor, 19 pnts

Thomas Velin (DEN), Grim st. Clair, 19 pnts

10. Daniel Etter (SWI), Peu a Peu, 24 pnts

Marcus Ehning (GER), Leconte, 24 pnts

12. Beezie Madden (USA), Danny Boy, 26 pnts

13. Mikael Forsten (FIN), Isaac du Jonquet, 27 pnts

14. Edwina Alexander (AUS), Isovlas Itot du Chateau, 28 pnts

Ian Millar (CAN), In Style, 28 pnts

16. Richard Spooner (USA), Ace, 31 pnts

17. Mandy Porter (USA), San Diego, 34 pnts

18. Rich Fellers (USA), Flexible, 36 pnts

19. Hillary Dobbs (USA), Quincy B, 40 pnts

20. Christine McCrea (USA), Vegas, 42 pnts

21. Helena Lundbäck (SWE), Madick, ret. 18 pnts

22. Michael Whitaker (GBR), Portofino, ret. 23 pnts

23. Todd Minikus (USA), Pavarotti, ret. 27 pnts

24. Keean White (CAN), Celena Z, 25 pnts

25. Darragh Kerins (IRE), Night Train, 26 pnts

26. Ashlee Bond (USA), Cadett 7, 27 pnts

27. Marco Kutscher (GER), 29 pnts

28. Angel Nygalov (BUL), Baloufino, 39 pnts

29. Rutherford Latham (SPA), Guarana Champeix, 44 pnts

30. Lars Nieberg (GER), Lucie, 22 pnts

31. Vladimir Beletsky (RUS), Larkanaro, 31 pnts

32. Hasan Senturk (TUR), S.I.E.C. Concept, 32 pnts

Kent Farrington (USA), Up Chiqui, 30 pnts

Michelle Spadone (USA), Melisimo, 22 pnts

35. Danielle Torano (USA), Vancouver d’Auvray, 33 pnts

Geir Gulliksen (NOR), Sundal Colliers Cattani, 33 pnts

Ludo Philippaerts (BEL), Cavalor’s Winningmood, 33 pnts

38. Alberto Michan (MEX), Chinobampo Lavita, 37 pnts

39. HRH Prince Abdulla Al-Saud (KSA), Mobily Ashkur Allah Obelix, 38 pnts

40. Anna Trent (NZL), Muskateer NZPH, 39 pnts

Harley Brown (AUS), Cassiato, 30 pnts

42. Daijiro Mashiyama (JPN), Paradox, 41 pnts

Gerco Schröder (NED), Eurocommerce Seattle, 41 pnts

44. Enrique Gonzalez (MEX), Frida, 45 pnts

The competition at a glance

- 42 competitors in the second final competition of the Rolex FEI World Cup™

- second consecutive win of Meredith Michaels Beerbaum/Shutterfly

- 16 riders make their debut in a World Cup Final

- one combination didn’t start (Gerco Schröder/Eurocommerce Seattle from Holland)

- 13 clear rounds

- 16 four fault rounds

- 6 riders clear in the jump off

- 5 American riders in the jump off

- one fall of rider (Australian Harley Brown)

- one rider retired (American Kent Farrington)

- 14 studbooks represented in the second final competition

- 24 geldings, 7 mares, 11 stallions

- 7041 spectators

For the second consecutive day Meredith Michaels Beerbaum claimed the rights to her third Rolex FEI World Cup™. The former American competing for Germany, winner of the first competition on Thursday, showed great superiority also winning the second class on Friday. Yet her advance on McLain Ward and Albert Zoer, second and third in both the competition on Thursday and in the provisional standing, is not big. One rail down on Sunday, in the third and last final competition, could bring Ward or Zoer in winning position.

But Michaels Beerbaum and her miraculous Shutterfly are not likely to start doing what they seldom do: making mistakes. The number one of the Rolex ranking was completely on top of things in the second competition of the Rolex FEI World Cup™. Like yesterday, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum made her own plan and was flawless in the execution. She was the only one to do four strides in the long three stride distance to the FEI vertical, in order to make life easier for her horse going to the consecutive Liverpool oxer, positioned on a very short three strides.

McLain Ward also made the course of Anthony d’Ambrosio fit his horse Sapphire. The American was the only one to skip a stride going to the double combination 13 A – B. Ward was a bit lucky to qualify for the jump off, as his Belgian bred mare had two hard rubs on fences number 2 and 9.

Christina Liebherr seemed to follow Meredith Michaels Beerbaum and McLain Ward having a second successful day. She stayed clear in the first round aboard her energetic gelding LB No Mercy, but things went wrong in the jump off. An unfortunate turn to oxer number 5 resulted in a refusal and the Swiss also had a rail down.

As far as the World Cup points are concerned, anything can happen. But Ian Millar, Jos Lansink and Rodrigo Pessoa have to count with Meredith Michaels Beerbaum equalling their performance, winning the World Cup with all three final competitions to their name.

QUOTES

Meredith Michaels Beerbaum

“Thank you very much, Rolex, for all my beautiful watches. If I wouldn’t be an ambassador for Rolex, I would start my own watch shop. But that would be competition, that wouldn’t make any sense.”

“I’ve always been known for doing things differently. Ian Millar, Jos Lansink and Rodrigo Pessoa won the World Cup winning all three competitions. I wouldn’t be doing things that differently!”

“It’s really nice to be back in America. Most of the time I compete in Europe. Here I meet my family and friends and it’s wonderful to hear the crowds cheer for me.”

 McLain Ward

“This was an excellent course, really brilliant. Again it was adding, which I did twice. But that doesn’t really suit my horse, so I went to the double combination in four strides, in stead of five.”

“My horse is a bit big and slow, inside turns are more difficult for that type of horse. There was not one place where I thought I could have been a bit faster.”

“You don’t want to wish a mistake on anybody, but it can happen.”

 Albert Zoer

“I have to be satisfied with this result. It is clear that Okidoki is slightly slower than Sapphire and Shutterfly. This was the optimum result.”

“It is sad that Rob Ehrens, my chef d’equipe, was not able to come, due to circumstances in his family. Okidoki and I know each other very well, but it’s always nice to have Rob around. He has a relaxing influence, especially in the hectic of a jump off.”

“My plan for Sunday? To go double clear!”

 Anthony d’Ambrosio

“I was hoping for eight riders to go clear. Horses and riders were fantastic today, so I ended up with a few more. Maybe I held back a little bit too much. I had Sunday on my mind, in the second round the combinations will have to jump as many fences as in the first round.”

 Results

1. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly, 0/32.77 sec, 0 pnts

2. McLain Ward (USA), Sapphire, 0/33.77 sec, 2 pnts

3. Albert Zoer (NED), Okidoki, 0/34.72 sec, 4 pnts

4. Beezie Madden (USA), Danny Boy, 0/34.83 sec, 21 pnts

5. Richard Spooner (USA), Ace, 65.97 sec, 15 pnts

6. Helena Lundbäck (SWE), Madick, 0/37.20 sec, 18 pnts

7. Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), Rufus, 4/34.35 sec, 8 pnts

8. Rich Fellers (USA), Flexible, 4/34.41 sec, 6 pnts

9. Mikael Forsten (FIN), Isaac du Jonquet, 4/36.39 sec, 15 pnts

10. Thomas Velin (DEN), Grim st. Clair, 4/37.54 sec, 7 pnts

11. Hillary Dobbs (USA), Quincy B, 4/39.05  sec, 16 pnts

12. Keean White (CAN), Celena Z, 4/40.83 sec, 21 pnts

13. Christina Liebherr (SWI), LB No Mercy, 10/44.01 sec, 7 pnts

14. Vladimir Beletsky (RUS), Larkanaro, 4/76.63 sec, 31 pnts

14. Rutherford Latham (SPA), Guarana Champeix, 4/78.80 sec, 29 pnts

14. Todd Minikus (USA), Pavarotti, 4/80.62 sec, 27 pnts

14.Ian Millar (CAN), In Style, 4/80.95 sec, 24 pnts

14. Ashlee Bond (USA), Cadett 7, 4/75.35 sec, 23 pnts

14. Edwina Alexander (AUS), Isovlas Itot du Chateau, 4/77.38 sec, 20 pnts

14. Michael Whitaker (GBR), Portofino, 4/76.11 sec, 19 pnts

14. Christine McCrea (USA), Vegas, 76.45 sec, 19 pnts

14. Darragh Kerins (IRE), Night Train, 4/75.33 sec, 18 pnts

14. Mandy Porter (USA), San Diego, 4/79.19 sec, 18 pnts

14. Marco Kutscher (GER), 4/76.63 sec, 17 pnts

14. Marcus Ehning (GER), Leconte, 4/77.46 sec, 16 pnts

14. Daniel Etter (SWI), Peu a Peu, 4/75.97 sec, 16 pnts

14. Steve Guerdat (SWI), Tresor, 4/76.17 sec, 15 pnts

14. Ben Maher (GBR), Robin Hood W, 4/78.19 sec, 14 pnts

14. Ludger Beerbaum, Coupe de Coeur, 4/78.06 sec, 14 pnts

30. Geir Gulliksen (NOR), Sundal Colliers Cattani, 5/81.13 sec, 33 pnts

31. Danielle Torano (USA), Vancouver d’Auvray, 8/79.39 sec, 33 pnts

31. Michelle Spadone (USA), Melisimo, 8/77.71 sec, 22 pnts

31. Angel Nygalov (BUL), Baloufino, 8/76.24 sec, 27 pnts

31. Lars Nieberg (GER), Lucie, 8/76.15 sec, 22 pnts

35. Alberto Michan (MEX), Chinobampo Lavita, 9/81.03 sec, 81.03 pnts

36. Anna Trent (NZL), Muskateer NZPH, 12/80.42 sec, 39 pnts

36. HRH Prince Abdulla Al-Saud (KSA), Mobily Ashkur Allah Obelix, 12/77.95 sec, 38 pnts

38. Ludo Philippaerts (BEL), Cavalor’s Winningmood, 16/76.52 sec, 33 pnts

38. Hasan Senturk (TUR), S.I.E.C. Concept, 16/79.86 sec, 32 pnts

40. Daijiro Mashiyama (JPN), Paradox, 37/82.37 sec, 41 pnts

41. Harley Brown (AUS), Cassiato, EL, 30 pnts

42. Kent Farrington (USA), Up Chiqui, RET, 30 pnts

- 31st final of the FEI World Cup™

- 5th final in Las Vegas

- 44 riders from 22 countries in the first competition of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ final 2009

- 43 finished the tabel C course

- 1 rider eliminated because of two refusals (Enrique Gonzalez from Mexico)

- Max Kühner (GER) didn’t start because of lameness of his horse Acantus GK

- 12 riders from the United States

- 32 male riders, 12 female riders

- Youngest rider: Hillary Dobbs (USA, 21)

- Oldest rider: Ian Millar (CAN, 62)

- Most experienced horse: Portofino (6^th time participant at the FEI World Cup™ final, ridden by Michael Whitaker, placed 18th)

- 15 clear rounds, slowest clear round by Hasan Senturk (TUR, 27th place)

- Fastest round by Steve Guerdat/Tresor (59.61 sec, 9^th place due to one rail down)

- Number of spectators: 5627

Defending title holder Meredith Michaels Beerbaum struck the first blow Thursday night in the first competition of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ final in Las Vegas. Winning the opening battle, the 39 year old rider from Thedinghausen, Germany, proved that she was the smartest analyst of Anthony d’Ambrosio’s brilliant speed and handiness course. The two time World Cup winner rode her own race in an absolute minimum amount of meters.

Steve Guerdat from Switzerland had already proven that the short cut to oxer number 5 was possible. Taking another extremely risky short turn to the Bellagio oxer, Guerdat’s horse Tresor was off balance and couldn’t prevent a rail from falling down. Pretty much at the end of the field Meredith Michaels Beerbaum added strides in some lines, enabling her 16 year old gelding Shutterfly to skip meters and stop the clock at only 56.48 seconds.

The crowd in the Thomas & Mack Center was ecstatic. Their former compatriot from California was one full second faster than Christina Liebherr, who was seventh to go and made everybody believe that no one of the 38 riders after her would be able to improve her result. Liebherr’s horse LB No Mercy raced around the Tabel C, galloping outside turns, stopping the clock at 57.47 seconds. The Swiss rider improved the result of first rider Rich Fellers who warmed up the crowd with a thrilling ride aboard his small Irish chestnut Flexible, the runners up of last years final (58.50 seconds).

McLain Ward showed that every rider could adapt the course to his horse’s needs. Of three possible short turns, the American top rider chose only one and let his Belgian mare Sapphire gallop in the other two.

But victory was for the smartest rider and the most experienced horse. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum executed her plan with a surgeon’s precision, keeping rhythm and balance in the shortest possible lines, riding ‘simple’ in difficult turns. Who can keep Meredith from winning her third FEI World Cup aboard freak of nature Shutterfly?

 QUOTES:

 Meredith Michaels Beerbaum:

“This course was unique. Normally riders can be faster by leaving out strides. In this course I could be faster adding strides. And Shutterfly is a good adder.”

“My course was different from 99 percent of the other riders. I was a bit surprised that I was the only one to choose these options. My horse is 16 years, we have a lot of experience and I know him very well. I made a plan and I was happy that we could execute it.”

“This means a lot to me, riding the World Cup final in Las Vegas, with Rolex as sponsor.”

 Christina Liebherr:

“This is my first World Cup final and I have given it a lot of thought before I decided to go to Las Vegas. My horse performs better outside, he needs space and the arena in Las Vegas is very small. I didn’t take the inside turns, because they don’t suit my horse. He fought hard and gave everything. Especially before fence number 4. He waited for me and I waited for him. So the distance became very long, that’s where No Mercy gave everything. It’s a great experience to be here in Las Vegas.”

 McLain Ward:

“There were a lot of options in this course, it was difficult not to get trapped. The World Cup final is an event with a bit of stamina. The competition takes almost a week, but you have to do it one day at a time. I’ve been aiming at Las Vegas since the Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Sapphire has had a big break and I’ve been showing her since January in order to make her peak at the World Cup final. I was hoping to be in the top 5, third place is great. But of course, this is a beautiful Rolex watch, I would have loved to be a bit faster.”

 Course designer Anthony d’Ambrosio:

“I tried to build a course that resembled a Tabel A more then a Tabel C. There were various options, so riders could have the rides that would suit their horse’s strengths. There was more than one way to be successful, it was about how well a rider’s plan would be executed.”

Results of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ final (first competition)

 1 Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly, 56.48 sec, 45 pnts

2 Christina Liebherr (SWI), LB No Mercy, 57.47 sec, 43 pnts

3 McLain Ward (USA), Sapphire, 57.73 sec, 42 pnts

4 Rich Fellers (USA), Flexible, 58.50 sec, 41 pnts

5 Thomas Velin (DEN), Grim st. Clair, 58.68 sec, 40 pnts

6 Albert Zoer (NED), Okidoki, 58.90 sec, 39 pnts

7 Ludger Beerbaum, Coupe de Coeur, 59.11 sec, 38 pnts

8 Ben Maher (GBR), Robin Hood W, 59.26 sec, 37 pnts

9 Steve Guerdat (SWI), Tresor, 59.61 sec, 36 pnts

10 Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), Rufus, 60.09 sec, 35 pnts

11 Daniel Etter (SWI), Peu a Peu, 60.27 sec, 34 pnts

12 Marcus Ehning (GER), Leconte, 60.55 sec, 33 pnts

13 Lars Nieberg (GER), Lucie, 60.69 sec, 32 pnts

14 Marco Kutscher (GER), 61.02 sec, 31 pnts

15 Mandy Porter (USA), San Diego, 61.47 sec, 30 pnts

16 DarrAgh Kerins (IRE), Night Train, 61.58 sec, 29 pnts

17 Christine McCrea (USA), Vegas, 64.09 sec, 28 pnts

18 MichAel Whitaker (GBR), Portofino, 64.68 sec, 27 pnts

19 Edwina AlexAnder (AUS), Isovlas Itot du Chateau, 64.74 sec, 26 pnts

20 Kent Farrington (USA), Up Chiqui, 64.96 sec., 25 pnts

21 Mkael Forsten (FIN), Isaac du Jonquet, 64.97 sec, 24 pnts

22 Hillary Dobbs (USA), Quincy B, 65.04 sec, 23 pnts

Last night in Vigo Marco Kutscher was in great need of someone to pinch his arm. Was this really the second great victory in one week time? Did his big horse Cash, which doesn’t show a lot of blood, really develop into a speedy prize winner? The answer to both questions was: yes! Last week in Bordeaux Marco Kutscher and Cash won the Grand Prix, beating compatriots Marcus Ehning/Sandro Boy and Ludger Beerbaum/Coupe de Coeur. Last night the pair came out on top of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ field in Vigo.

“I still can’t believe that this is happening”, said Kutscher. The German indeed was faster than the crowd’s favourite Sergio Alvarez Moya, who was second aboard Wisconsin, and Helena Lundback from Sweden, who ended up third with Madick. In fourth place a second Spaniard raised the roof of the Ifevi Trade & Fair Centre. Rutherford Latham secured his place in the final with Guarana Champeix. Riding a controlled double clear round, Rutherford Latham collected the valuable 13 points that come with fourth place. Chances are great that the winner of the first leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Oslo will compete in the final in Las Vegas.

Ground speed

Calculating the risks, that was exactly what Marco Kutscher also was doing in this tricky jump off of 13 combinations. “I went quick, but not over the top”, said Kutscher. “There were no options in the jump off, so the ground speed of the horse was decisive. Some horses were quicker than mine, like No Mercy from Christina Liebherr, they were even a second and a half faster. But a lot of horses made mistakes, especially at the second vertical, coming from a long line. Only four went double clear. I was pretty fast, but didn’t want to loose control. Riding in the beginning of the jump off, I tried to put the pressure on my competitors. That worked, I can’t tell how happy I am!”

Cornet going to Vegas

Especially the 20 World Cup points meant a lot to Kutscher, who plans to ride Cornet Obolensky in Las Vegas. “He needs more experience, in view of the championships I hope to ride with him. But I’m not yet absolutely sure about my place in the final, so I’ll be riding in Göteborg and ‘s Hertogenbosch as well, in order to pick up a few more points.”

According to Marco Kutscher, his horse Cash developed mentally rather than physically into the status of a winner at Grand Prix level. “He’s very big and not fast by nature. Physically he was strong already, but now his mind can handle the rapid sequence of events in a jump off. He has matured.”

Home riders

The 5500 spectators saw good sport and good performances of their home riders. Almost in the beginning of the jump off, both Sergio Alvarez Moya and Rutherford Latham showed convincing rounds. “There were several short turns to a vertical”, explained Sergio Alvarez. “That suits my horse very well, he’s pretty hot tempered. And coming from acute angles my horse is better at jumping verticals than oxers, so I could really attack the fences coming from these corners.”

To Alvarez Moya his second place in Vigo meant more than victory somewhere else. “For years I’ve been trying desperately to ride in Vigo, but for various reasons it didn’t work out. I have to thank the owner of my horse Wisconsin, mr Wilfried Floren. I’m based with him in Antwerp, Belgium. He bought this horse from the breeder, mr Harrie Theeuwes, who is a very good friend of him.

Time allowed

Quite a big group of top riders made the journey to the north west of Spain, very close to the Portuguese border, to try and collect WC points. Course designer Avelino Rodriguez Miravalles had to build a true Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition with big size jumps and some tricky related distances. Yet, 13 riders managed to qualify for the jump off. “In terms of height and technicality, this was a good World Cup course”, said Marco Kutscher. “Just the time allowed was not very demanding. If that would have been three or four seconds shorter, we may have had eight or so combinations for the jump off.”

Madeleine Winter-Schulze

Having three horses in the jump off, the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Vigo was a huge success for Madeleine Winter-Schulze, owner of the winning horse Cash and owner of the numbers 9 and 10 Coupe de Coeur and Souvenir. But it’s also true to say that this competition was dominated by Ludger Beerbaum, who employs and trains Marco Kutscher and 10^th placed Philipp Weishaupt. “We have an amazing stable”, said Kutscher. “Including Henrik von Eckermann, we have four top riders. And a string of top horses and youngsters. This is really a unique situation.” Third placed Helena Lundback was the ice on the Riesenbeck cake, the Swedish rider also spent many periods of training with Ludger Beerbaum.

40 points or more

The Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition is coming closer to its culmination in Las Vegas. Riders with 40 points or more can be pretty sure about their place in the final. And that’s exactly why Marco Kutscher, Helena Lundback and Rutherford Latham will keep excellent memories of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Vigo.

Results of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Vigo:

1)      Marco Kutscher (GER), Cash, 0-0/39.40 sec.

2)      Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP), Wisconsin, 0-0/40.82 sec.

3)      Helena Lundback (SWE), Madick, 0-0/42.56 sec.

4)      Rutherford Latham (ESP), Guarana Champeix, 0-0/43.08 sec.

5)      Christina Liebherr (SWI), LB No Mercy, 0-4/37.71 sec.

6)      Lars Nieberg (GER), Lucie, 0-4/38.23 sec.

7)      Thomas Frühmann (AUT), The Sixth Sense, 0-4/38.89 sec.

      Gerco Schröder (NED), Eurocommerce Milano, 0-4/39.88 sec.

9)      Ludger Beerbaum (GER), Coupe de Coer, 0-4/40.12 sec.

10)  Philipp Weishaupt (GER), Souvenir, 0-4/40.45 sec.

Standings after 11 of 13 competitions:

1) Gerco Schröder (NED), 69

2) Edwina Alexander (AUS), 57

3) Steve Guerdat (SUI), 51

4) Albert Zoer (NED), 50

5) Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), 49

6) Jos Lansink (BEL), 48

7) Lars Nieberg (GER), 47

Rutherford Latham (ESP), 46

9) Daniel Etter (SUI), 45

9) Mikael Forsten (FIN), 45

9) Helena Lundbäck (SWE), 45

12) Marcus Ehning (GER), 44

13) Ben Maher (GBR), 43

14) Ludo Philippaerts (BEL), 41

14) Marco Kutscher (GER) 41

16) Jessica Kürten (IRE), 40

17) Geir Gulliksen (NOR), 39

17) Thomas Velin (DEN), 39

The developer of the biggest equestrian sporting venue in the world, Meydan Group, and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) are proud to announce today, a major new agreement for 2009 for title sponsorship of the historic Nations Cup Series, Jumping’s premier team competition, to be known as Meydan FEI Nations Cup Series.
 
Jewel in the crown of the FEI, the Meydan FEI Nations Cup will feature the ten best national Jumping teams in the world competing at eight of the best venues throughout Europe with a final at the world famous Dublin Horse Show in August this year.
 
Meydan Group LLC (Limited Liability Company) is the name behind the development of the United Arab Emirate’s landmark racecourse, the iconic new green 67 million square feet, state of the art development whose vision is to be ‘the lungs of Dubai’ and its environmental voice has the horse at its very heart. The magnificent setting is to be home to the 2010 Dubai World Cup, with a state of the art racetrack and also featuring an equestrian resort as part of a major business and conference district.
 
Mr. Saeed Bin Humaid Al-Tayer, Chairman of Meydan said: “The Meydan FEI Nations Cup is an exceptional opportunity for us to promote Meydan as the heartland of the business and horse world in the East.
 
Through our partnership with the FEI we will be able to share the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with the wider horse sport community, a vision of Meydan as a venue like no other sporting arena in the world.
 
The synergy between Meydan and the highest quality team Jumping competition in the world is perfect and we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship, which we hope to build on for the future.”

President of the FEI, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein said “‘Meydan’ itself is an Arabic word, which translated literally in English to mean, ‘the arena’, in Arabic, a meeting place where people come to discuss, compete and achieve.  An environment that encourages competition and co-operation to live side by side in harmony.  A habitat created to promote excellence and fair play in sport, commerce, life and much more. The match is perfect for everything that we collectively aim to achieve.”
 
Secretary General of the FEI, Alexander McLin said “The FEI is thrilled to welcome Meydan as the platinum title sponsor for this top level series which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. This partnership reflects the potential of the series and ensures a bright future for all involved with the sport.

We are thrilled at the prospect that we have been recognised as the vehicle to represent great companies like Meydan, whose ambition is to be acknowledged as being leaders in environmental development through equestrian sport.

I hope that the announcement of our partnership with Meydan, will also give encouragement to equestrian sport and the racing world, by showing that although these are challenging times they are not impossible.”

Carsten Couchouron, Executive Commercial Director of the FEI said “A new partnership of this calibre, secured despite the current economic climate, will allow us to improve the product and propel the strategy of the series to new heights. We are excited to be associated with this visionary concept championed by Meydan and look forward to a fruitful partnership”

Britain’s young riders headed back in jubilant mood from the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) this week after picking up five medals.

The dressage team — made up of 19-year-olds Charlie Hutton, Jessica Dunn and Emily Cousins — came away with a haul of medals, taking team gold plus individual silver (Charlie Hutton) and individual bronze (Jessica Dunn).

Dressage team GBR won team gold on 62.778%, edging out host nation Australia (62.556%) by less than a quarter of a point. In third was New Zealand.

Usually in international competition riders will bring their own horses, but AYOF’s rules state competitions must ride locally sourced horses — so the teams had just a couple of days to bond with their new partners.

Charlie on AEA Julius was the last to ride and clinched gold for the team with an individual score of 61.278%. He then went on to win individual silver, scoring 64.575%.

“The horse had a fantastic temperament and was a joy to work with,” said Charlie.

“We are a really strong team that has been working together for the last three years and that showed. We all know how to get the best out of each other.”

And despite not having the ideal start when one of their best horses was found unsound and had to be substituted before competition, the British show jumping team — made up of William Whitaker, Louise Saywell, Daniel Neilson and Matthew Sampson — put in a solid performance to take team bronze. Matthew also took individual bronze.

“I am thrilled for all the riders and team staff,” said World Class Performance director Will Connell. “This demonstrates that we have the riders and coaches with the talent and drive to win.

“They are the envy of other nations, giving us great prospects for the future.”

Equestrianism was included for the first time in the 2009 event, which ran from 14-18 January.

In total over 1,600 athletes from 25 nations — including more than 100 from Britain — took part in the biennual festival, which was set up by the Australian Olympic Committee as part of the legacy of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Irish riders were in short supply, in the standings of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition after seven rounds. But now the ‘greens’ are back in town. Jessica Kürten won the Leipzig leg of the global indoor jumping competition, her compatriot Cian O’Connor ended up third.

The Leipziger Messe coloured green and orange, in spite of a great number of German top riders wanting to do well in front of 8500 enthusiastic fans. Gerco Schröder and Albert Zoer ranked second and fourth, German favourites Lars Nieberg and Marcus Ehning had rails down in an exciting jump off of no less than 13 combinations.

Jessica Kürten must be faster than she expects herself to be. The Irish superstar, training and living in Germany, had Marcus Ehning on her list as the rider most likely to win the 33.000 euro’s and 20 World Cup points.

First show

“I was 11^th to go in the jump off, and I was able to watch Gerco beat the result of Albert Zoer”, says Jessica. “So I knew what I had to do to try and be quicker. But this was Libertina’s first show after Geneva, we had decided not to ride like maniacs.”

“In the jump off things didn’t work out the way I had planned. I was not able to leave out a stride coming from the FEI vertical number 2 and I needed more space approaching the wide oxer number 4. So I thought I had lost it, even though I made up some time in the last line. Yet, I could have pushed even more, galloping towards the last fence and I was absolutely sure that Marcus Ehning and Sandro Boy would beat me there. But Marcus had one rail down, so I was very happy.”

Surprise

Gerco Schröder surprised the crowd to be so competitive with Eurocommerce Pennsylvania. The beautiful son of Gambrinus is in the Eurocommerce stables for an number of years already, but he lacks experience, having had his debut at World Cup level only recently in London Olympia. “Pennsylvania is naturally fast and he was brought up to this level very well, so I could do all the time saving efforts with him”, says Gerco.

The Dutch rider was the shooting star of Leipzig, climbing up the list, now ranking second in the provisional standings of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition. “Of course I will do my best in the World Cup qualifiers still to come, but this gives a wonderful feeling. Now I can plan my season going to the final in Las Vegas.”

Big arena, good footing

Frank Rothenberger did not do a bad job, selecting 13 combinations for the jump off, according to Schröder. “It was certainly not a light course. And all the difficult distances were there as well. But the arena was big, the footing very good and there were a lot of good riders on the list.”

Some participants made mistakes at the Rolex vertical number 2, seemingly simple, but at an angle in eight or nine strides. The FEI vertical, coming from an acute angle, was not easy either. The last line, consisting of a double of verticals, followed by a narrow five stride to a huge oxer, caused many riders to make mistakes as well.

First to go

Johannes Ehning was first to go, riding the former BWP stallion Salvador W, which was gelded after he gave his rider a hard time. Having 12 competitors breathing down his neck, the younger brother of Marcus really had to press for time, which resulted in 12 faults.

Ehning’s compatriot Franz Joseph Dahlmann also got stuck in the technical challenges of the jump off that one had to face in order to be fast: 8/35.57 sec. Lars Nieberg, very well known for being naturally quick, passed the finish with his small mare Lucie after only 34.54 seconds. The time looked good enough for victory, but the one rail down destroyed all hope at the German side.

Safety first

Danish rider Thomas Velin was the first to put safety first. He placed his stallion Grim st Clair superbly in front of every fence, allowing the son of Laudanum xx to show his enormous jumping ability. But 0 in 35.45 seconds simply was not good enough in this big jump off field.

Albert Zoer and Okidoki, slowly climbing up towards their old, pre-Olympic form, showed that faultless could be fast as well: 0/34.66 seconds. But there was another Dutchman in the jump off, and one of the fastest riders in the world too. Gerco Schröder raced from start to finish aboard Eurocommerce Pennsylvania (0/33.93 seconds). This beautiful son of Gambrinus does not have a lot of experience, so it was to be expected that some of the experienced rider-horse combinations that were still on the starting list would have a go at the result of Schröder.

Pretty close

Two of them were from Ireland. Cian O’Connor, still in the phase of building up and teaching his extremely talented Rancorrado, came pretty close: 0/34.17 seconds. But Jessica Kürten really pushed the pedal and took advantage of Castle Forbes Libertina’s mileage. Her superb effort (0/33.79 seconds) was good enough for 33.000 euro’s and the full 20 World Cup points. Not even last rider Marcus Ehning and his galloping machine Sandro Boy, having one rail down, could threaten the Irish supremacy.

Results of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Leipzig:

1) Jessica Kürten (IRL), Castle Forbes Libertina, 0-0/33.79 sec
2) Gerco Schröder (NED), Eurocommerce Pennsylvania, 0-0/33.03 sec
3) Cian O’Connor (IRL), Rancorrado, 0-0/34.17 sec
4) Albert Zoer (NED), Okidoki, 0-0/34.66 sec
5) Thomas Velin (DEN), Grim st. Clair, 0-0/35.45 sec
6) Lars Nieberg (GER), Lucie, 0-4/34.54sec
7) Marcus Ehning (GER), Sandro Boy, 0-4/35.98 sec

Standings after 8 of 13 competitions:

1) Steve Guerdat (SUI), 51
2) Gerco Schröder (NED), 47
3) Edwina Alexander (AUS), 45
4) Daniel Etter (SUI), 45
5) Ludo Philippaerts (BEL), 41
6) Thomas Velin (DEN), 39
7) Ben Maher (GBR), 39
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER), 35 (already qualified)
9) Geir Gulliksen (NOR), 35
10) Max Kühner (GER), 34
11) Rutherford Latham (ESP), 33
12) Helena Lundbäck (SWE), 30
13) Marcus Ehning (GER), 29
14) Lars Nieberg (GER), 29
15) Albert Zoer (NED), 27
16) Omar Bonomelli (ITA), 25
17) Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, 24
18) Vincent Voorn (NED), 22
19) Alois Pollmann Schweckhorst (GER), 20
19) Jessica Kürten (IRL), 20

Due to popular demand from readers of my blog, I am in the process of setting up a Show Jumping Membership website.

This will be a place where everyone who is interested in our sport can come and find the best advice and articles purely to do with show jumping. 

I have been interviewing some top class riders and breeders for this site.

It will also have a social networking element, so that members from around the world can interact with one another, sharing stories, experiences, advice and successes!

I will be going to The World Cup Show Jumping Finals in Las Vegas in April and I aim to have the site launched before then:)

Keep checking back to this blog for more updates!

The name of the site is: ShowJumpingInternational.com

More soon…

THE impressive surroundings of Bishop Burton College’s new equine indoor arena are the venue for a series of British Show Jumping Association (BSJA) affiliated competitions.

The competitions have so far attracted riders from across the region, including Nation’s Cup and senior team rider Carl Curtis and Bishop Burton College learner and Great Britain rider Jodie Ward among others.

The events have been organised to offer riders in the area the chance to compete throughout the winter months using international-standard facilities.

The college’s equine director, Kim Knightley, urged any rider who would like to compete, to visit the facility and have a go.

She said: “The arena really is a fantastic place to compete, plus riders and spectators can enjoy the event in comfort. We have a number of BSJA competitions and events planned right into spring of next year and schedules can be found on the college website or on the BSJA site.

“I would say the competitions are well worth a visit if you’re interested in showjumping.”

The competitions feature classes for all levels of rider from unaffiliated classes to Foxhunters and above.

Alongside the senior shows, the college will also host a series of Junior show jumping competitions.

The Senior competitions are running on Tuesdays, starting at 2pm, on the following dates: January 13, 20; February 3, 10, 17; March 3, 10, 17.

Weekend jumping: January 10 (juniors); February 14 (seniors); February 15 (juniors); March 14 (juniors); March 15 (seniors).

Entry fees vary between £8 and £25 with rosettes up to sixth place and prize money up to £100 depending on class.

For more information, call Sara Dace at Bishop Burton College on 01964-553087.