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In an incredible display of dominance, Boyd Exell (AUS) showed the world why he is the most decorated four-in-hand carriage driver in history.
The pressure was on in Leipzig as for the first time in the FEI Driving World CupTM 2022-23 Series Boyd lined up against his three closest rivals at once – the Dutch powerhouse drivers Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon, and an on-form Koos de Ronde. Yet Boyd held his nerve in spectacular style to win Sunday’s Competition 2 with two rounds of sheer brilliance.
Despite a rocky Friday night opener where he finished in an uncharacteristic third behind reigning champion Bram and Glenn Geerts (BEL), Boyd is a seasoned enough campaigner to know what it takes to ramp up his performance, especially under pressure. Tackling a slightly different course on Sunday from the tricky one set in Competition 1 by Jeroen Houterman (NED), the rounds carried extra weight as they counted towards the rankings and places for the final in Bordeaux (FRA) in two weeks’ time.
Boyd was clearly rattled after Friday but is often more dangerous when coming from behind, especially when there is a score to settle. Asking his fabulous horses to raise their game for him, which they did, his times coupled with accuracy and no penalties to add meant that he was not only the leader going into the drive-off, but the winner by 5.69 in a time of 135.44.
“Our focus is very much on the final in Bordeaux but the win in Leipzig is a great way to start the year after a month away in Australia.” – Boyd Exell (AUS)
Recovering in spectacular style from an unusually wobbly first round on Friday, Ijsbrand channelled all his wisdom and match practice to seal another second place, his fourth in the Series. Showing his undiminished passion and commitment while still driving, his defiance and joy was plain to see as ever the showman, he celebrated and whooped to the crowd. Although his drive-off time was just over 2 seconds behind Boyd, after an unlucky knock at number one he ended 141.13.
As Boyd has been consistently first and Ijsbrand consistently second this season, Koos once again finished in third position. But it was touch and go between him and Ijsbrand, with only the slimmest of margins between them. As one of the three top drivers who turned in a clear round to finish on time only and ensure a drive-off place, Koos was 0.26 seconds behind Ijsbrand; then in the final round, he was tantalisingly only 0.08 behind.
These three giants of the sport will be in Bordeaux, together with Bram, Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) – who ended in seventh this weekend – and Dries Degrieck (BEL). Glenn, who after his polished two drives on Friday looked like he was going to do enough to gain the necessary points to go to Bordeaux, didn’t maintain his form on Sunday and clocked up 8 expensive penalties which added to his slower time meant he didn’t qualify for the drive-off.
On Friday it looked as if Bram would keep his crown after a resounding win and producing the only clear drive of the night. But despite charging round on Sunday’s first run in a time of 135.80, 4 seconds faster than Boyd, three expensive knocks meant he had to add 12 to the time which pushed him out of drive-off contention.
German Wild Card entries Michael Brauchle and Georg von Stein had the welcome support of the home crowd behind them. Outdoor marathon maestro Michael wasn’t in drive-off contention this weekend so will now, like Glenn, be turning his attention to preparing his horses for the forthcoming season. Georg, a mainstay of the German team for so long, put in a tremendous first round on Friday night which was impressive as he and his horses haven’t previously competed in the current Series.
Often the courses are the same for the two competitions, with only a reduced number of gates in the first drive-off, but after Friday Jeroen Houterman wasn’t happy so boldly altered his design and although Sunday’s layout was much the same, a set of cones was taken out and the number of obstacles reduced to 12.
There were early opportunities for fast running to gain valuable time as the start gates were halfway along one of the long sides of the arena, with number one being on a short side, two on the diagonal then the bridge was number three, on the opposite diagonal, making the first sequence a fast figure of eight. The two marathon style obstacles were set as four and eight, and one of the trickiest parts was the abrupt U-turn which had to be made from gate F in four to the pair of cones at number five, which was accomplished with mixed success by the drivers.
Despite Boyd’s rivalry with Bram and a close contest between them in London, it was plain to see from his emotions during the prize giving how much the win in Leipzig meant to him. His horses have maintained the lightening form they showed at the start of the season in Lyon, and it would be hard to bet against him winning a record 10th title in Bordeaux.
With all the drivers who have qualified equally hungry for another world title to add to their impressive tallies, it promises to be an incredible final.
The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2023 series gets underway next Sunday, 22 January, in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where teams from the Middle East region will be vying for one of two qualifying places up for grabs for the annual Longines Final in Barcelona, Spain.
Again this year the Final offers the added bonus of an Olympic starting spot for the highest-placed nation not already qualified for Paris 2024. Victory in this treasured series is always very sweet, and the Olympic incentive adds an extra edge of excitement to the 10-leg tournament that embraces three separate leagues around the globe.
Single qualifier
The UAE venue will host the single qualifier for countries in the Middle East, while San Miguel de Allende in Mexico will stage the first of three qualifiers in the North America, Central America and Caribbean region in April. That league will then move on to San Juan Capistrano in California, USA in mid-May before finishing up with its third and final leg in Vancouver, Canada in early June.
Meanwhile the mid-summer six-leg Europe Division 1 series, which will run over a ten-week period, will get underway at St Gallen in Switzerland in June followed swiftly by rounds in Sopot, Poland and Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Falsterbo in Sweden and Hickstead in Great Britain will take centre stage in July before this series of qualifiers winds up in Dublin, Ireland in August.
Last year it was the Irish who won the opening leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series, also staged in Abu Dhabi, but it was the teams from UAE and Saudi Arabia who qualified from that fixture for the 2022 Final. Team France arrived in Barcelona as overall leaders in Europe Division 1 after a great run of form, but it was Team Belgium who had the biggest smiles on their faces on the last day when not only clinching the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series title but also the coveted Olympic qualifying spot they really wanted.
Third victory
It was their third victory since the Final was first established at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain back in 2013. They also came out on top in 2015, and then did it again three years later, but last season’s success was particularly pleasing, sealed by classic clear rounds that left them as the only side on a zero scoreline on the last day and therefore clear champions. Things hadn’t gone quite as well as they had hoped in the Team competition at the ECCO FEI Jumping World Championships 2022 a few weeks earlier, but this time around it all came together.
And playing his part in that success was 24-year-old Gilles Thomas who, like so many other young riders before him, blossomed throughout that Nations Cup season. On his debut at this level of the sport he produced a foot-perfect last-day run with the lovely mare Calleryama, highlighting the developmental value of Nations Cup Jumping which, this year, celebrates its 114th anniversary. Belgian Chef d’Equipe, Peter Weinberg, was rightly proud when joining Thomas and his team-mates Olivier Philippaerts, Jérôme Guery, Koen Vereecke and Gregory Wathelet in the post-competition celebrations.
National pride, passion, camaraderie and cutting-edge competition are key to the ethos of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series, along with a powerful sense of team spirit and respect for long-standing tradition.
Contesting
Contesting the Middle East qualifier next weekend will be teams from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE along with visiting sides from other regions who will not be in contention for a qualifying spot at this leg. There will be two spots at the Final up for grabs at the North America, Central America and Caribbean qualifiers while two countries from the Asia/Australasia region, two countries from South America and one African nation can qualify through the Longines Rankings. There is also a single spot on offer through the Nations Cup rankings for Eurasian National Federations.
Meanwhile Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands and Switzerland will be joined by Italy - winners at the European Equestrian Federation Final for the second consecutive year last season - in the Europe Division 1 series in which the top seven of the eight competing nations will qualify for the 2023 Final which will take place from 28 September to 1 October.
Check out all the details of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2023 series here
Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and the horse he calls his “masterpiece”, King Edward, clinched their second superb victory of the season at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League qualifier in Basel, Switzerland today.
Just as it did when they won at the third leg of the series in Verona, Italy in November, today’s competition came down to a seven-horse jump-off against the clock and, second into the ring in the deciding round, the Swedish star and his wonder-horse set the rest a merry dance.
However Germany’s Marcus Ehning and Stargold came very close to toppling them from the top step of the podium when racing home just 0.06 seconds slower to fill runner-up spot ahead of Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer and Vancouver de Lanlore in third.
Just four countries were represented in the jump-off, with three riders from Germany, two from Switzerland and one each from Sweden and The Netherlands. And one of the most heart-warming moments of the day was witnessing 29-year-old German Pia Reich take her turn in the jump-off.
She earned her place in Basel with consistently impressive recent results, but the athlete ranked 279 would be taking on riders ranked considerably higher, including the man who holds not only the number one slot but the title of World Champion - von Eckermann. And she did herself proud when opting for a careful second clear with her 13-year-old mare PB Chaconie to finish in sixth place at the end of a very exciting competition.
No mean feat
It was no mean feat to make the cut, thanks to a sharp first track set by course designers Gerard Lachat from Switzerland and Gregory Bodo from France. The time-allowed of 66 seconds played a major role as today’s winner explained.
“They did a very good job - the time-allowed was a big factor so you couldn’t take your time, you were always under pressure, you always had to move forward and of course with this pressure the faults were coming. If we had even two seconds more we would not only not have had the time faults but we would have had more clears. It suited my horse quite well, but I always knew in my mind that I had to keep going and I couldn’t take my time anywhere”, von Eckermann said.
It was last summer’s Aachen Grand Prix winners, Germany’s Gerrit Nieberg and Ben, who led the way against the clock and they set a good early target when leaving all the poles in place in 34.19 seconds. This time around there were two long runs on the course and the rollback to the planks at fence 11 - advertising the Longines FEI World Cup Finals which will take place in Basel in 2025 - proved pivotal as von Eckermann explained.
“It wasn’t easy, especially after the long run to the previous jump when you picked up speed and then of course had the turn-back and then the combination (double), and you also had to get the angle right to that combination. So there were a few things you had to think about, but it was good sport!”, he said after breaking the beam in 33.43 seconds.
Threatening
The clock showed 40.56 seconds when Reich crossed the line but then Ehning set off at lightning speed with the brilliant Stargold and looked threatening every inch of the way.
Von Eckermann saw him go and admitted afterwards, “yes, I was very worried about Marcus but my luck was that he went the six strides to the double (penultimate obstacle) and I got there on the five!” The time difference was only fractional, 33.49 seconds going up on the board to leave Ehning in second place and that was where he remained.
The Netherlands’ Kevin Jochems didn’t want to take too much risk with his relatively new ride, the 12-year-old mare La Costa, and brought her safely home in 35.37 seconds but Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer gave it his all with Vancouver de Lanlore who stopped the clock on 34.03 seconds to slot into third.
And when the final Swiss contenders and last to go, 23-year-old Edouard Schmitz and Gamin van’t Naastveldhof, lost a little balance on the turn to the penultimate double and left the first element on the floor it was a done deal. World champion von Eckermann had his second win of the series in the bag and moved even further ahead on the Western European League leaderboard. He has now accumulated 88 points to stand well clear of Frenchman Kevin Staut in second place on 63 and his compatriot Julien Epaillard in third with 62. And having competed with a variety of horses in eight of the 10 legs of the league so far, the Swede is planning even more World Cup action in the weeks ahead with King Edward.
“I always have a programme in my mind, and now he will do Bordeaux in three weeks and then three weeks after that he will do Gothenburg. And then he will have five weeks off and he will do the World Cup Final. The Final is really my big goal this year”, he explained this evening.
Happy
Ehning said he was happy to finish second today. “It was a great class with only seven clear rounds, it was really exciting. The World Cup is a great series and this year would be my 20th qualification, so the Final is definitely a goal this season for me”, said the three-time winner who first held the coveted trophy aloft in Las Vegas, USA in 2003, then in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006 and again in Geneva, Switzerland in 2010.
Third-placed Schwizer was delighted with Vancouver de Lanlore’s performance. “It is important for me to have such a good horse back in my stable and I am very thankful to his owners. I will go to Leipzig next week and then Vancouver will have a break”, said the man who added that competing in the Olympic Games “is definitely my goal for the coming years”.
His compatriot Edouard Schmitz also has Olympic ambitions. “It is not every day that you can ride in front of your home crowd here in Basel and I am happy with my seventh place, but I would have been even happier to win!” said the man who produced the fastest jump-off round in a spectacular 32.04 seconds but whose pole down proved very costly today. “The goal is to qualify the (Swiss) team for the Paris Olympic Games this season and we will discuss the planning after this show”, he added, clearly ear-marking a place for himself in the planning process.
Meanwhile with just four legs remaining, attention now turns to the next round of the Western European League in Leipzig, Germany next weekend where the battle for qualifying points for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023 Final in Omaha, USA gathers pace.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
Top-class Dressage made its debut at the CHI Classics in Basel, Switzerland this weekend where, with all the flair, composure and grace that is their trademark, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the elegant mare TSF Dalera BB danced to victory in the seventh leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League this morning.
The 2022 series winners already showed they have lost none of their edge when winning the second leg of the new season at Lyon in France last October where they posted a score of 90.140. And today the pair, who are also Olympic and European champions, put 90.795 on the board to leave the result beyond doubt.
Von Bredow-Werndl’s compatriot and five-time FEI Dressage World Cup™ title-holder Isabell Werth finished second with the stallion DSP Quantaz while Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald lined up in third with her new ride Blue Hors Zepter.
And there was great emotion for the Werndl family when Jessica’s brother, Benjamin, announced the retirement of his great ride Daily Mirror after they finished fourth. The 19-year-old gelding was in sparkling form and seemed to be relishing every moment as he racked up a score of 83.995 to leave him ahead of The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere in fifth and Sweden’s Patrik Kittel in sixth place.
Charming
One of the highlights of the first half of today’s competition was the charming performance of 29-year-old French athlete Corentin Pottier and her little 12-year-old Totilas gelding Gotilas du Feuillard who, in their first-ever World Cup Freestyle, produced fabulous two-tempi changes on their way to taking the early lead with a mark of 76.775.
However it was Kittel who held the advantage as the second group took their turn after scoring 81.220 for a great test with the 11-year-old mare Forever Young HRH who showed some lovely passage and canter in perfect harmony with the Swedish showman’s punchy musical score.
Third to go after the action resumed, Werth then seriously raised the bar as her 13-year-old stallion DSP Quantaz showed great elevation, suspension and power in a test filled with class, and the Swiss crowd showed their appreciation when this pair put the new leading score of 85.650 on the board. But, third-last into the arena, von Bredow-Werndl soared way out in front with the first and only over-90% score of the competition.
“I think this might have been our best Freestyle ever! The very first half-pass wasn’t perfect but after that she was 100% with me”, she said afterwards.
Excitement
The excitement wasn’t over yet however because, on their World Cup debut together, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter gave a great account of themselves. The imposing 15-year-old chestnut, a gelding son of Blue Hors Zack who carried Skodborg Merrald to that historic team gold at last summer’s ECCO FEI World Championship on home ground in Herning, was previously ridden by both Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and makes a very nice match with his new partner, showing some lovely work on his way to posting 84.130 for third place.
“He’s new to me and I’m very happy about our first Freestyle together”, Skodborg Merrald said afterwards.
Second-placed Werth was also quite content. “Today was a great class and I am very happy. He improved so much in the past year”, the most medalled rider in equestrian sport said of DSP Qantaz who now looks so very established and confident in the ring.
Winning rider von Bredow-Werndl talked about the recipe for her success with Dalera. It’s about concentration and not getting in the mare’s way.
“She’s so smart and knows what’s next, so I need to use very little aids and I must be very exact. If I think of anything other than what we are doing there will be a mistake, when I’m in the “here and now” she is my mirror. She is so intelligent, willing and eager, and she always wants to put on a show. Today her pirouettes were very good, she was waiting and carrying and uphill and the half-passes and the walk were much better. But when it comes to passage/piaffe there is nothing to add, she’s just doing her thing and she loves to do it!”, she pointed out.
Calendar
Post-competition there was much delight with the introduction of Basel to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ calendar. “It definitely has a nice future in the Dressage world”, von Bredow-Werndl said while Isabell Werth agreed.
“I have already ridden in Switzerland a few times when there was top dressage competitions in this country and it is great to be back! The infrastructure here is great and we are happy and thankful that we could have a World Cup here in Basel. The atmosphere was great and the horses liked it. It is a really nice show and we are looking forward to be back next year”, she said.
Event President, Thomas Straumann, said “we are happy that we finally welcomed dressage in Basel - it was a great moment and was great sport!”, while Event Director Andy Kistler said “I have stars in my eyes!”
“I’m so happy that the public came to support dressage, the style of our show suits it very well, and I am just so happy and thankful right now and I’m looking forward to the future!”, he added. He’s not the only one looking ahead.
Future
A little closer in the future, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her mare will be back to defend their title when the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Final takes place in Omaha, USA next April.
“Dalera won’t do any more for now. I think I needed these three competitions (Lyon, Stockholm in November and today in Basel) to get back into all the details but after yesterday (in the Grand Prix) and today I now feel we are ready for the Final and we don’t have to change anything. Maybe she will have a little vacation and then some conditioning work before flying to Omaha. I’m lucky because she is super-easy about travelling and I’m feeling confident and really looking forward to it now!”, she said.
Her only disappointment today was missing out on watching her brother, Benjamin, competing Daily Mirror 9 for that very last time. But he has plenty to celebrate too because his old friend has left him lying top of the Western European League table with just four legs left to go in this qualifying series. With 65 points on the board he will easily make the cut into the top nine riders who will earn tickets to the Final which will run from 4 to 8 April 2023.
Meanwhile next stop in the Western European League is Amsterdam in The Netherlands in two weeks’ time.
FEI PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne (SUI), 10 January 2023
World Champions Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale take FEI Dressage World Rankings number one slots
The New Year has started with major changes at the top of the FEI Dressage World Ranking. After clinching two gold medals on the FEI Dressage World Championship in Herning (DEN) back in August 2022, both Charlotte Fry (GBR) and her stallion Glamourdale have reached the top spot of the world ranking.
The 27 year-old Brit has climbed from number four to the top for the first time in her career, with a total of 2120 points. Her stallion Glamourdale (12 years old) is also on the top of the horses’ ranking, on 2060 points, moving up from the 70th place, showing the remarkable year he’s completed.
Glamourdale and Fry have become the first number one athletes since the new format of the FEI Dressage World Ranking was approved in 2022, where athletes and horses are listed separately.
Former number one, Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl (GER), has dropped to number five after claiming the top spot back in August 2022, with 1882 points. Catherine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN) maintains the second place after earning three medals at the World Championships (one gold and two silvers), on 2040 points. Isabell Werth (GER), third on 2021 points and Dinja Van Liere (NED), fourth on 1919 points complete the Top 5.
The FEI Dressage World Ranking for horses is completed by Hermes N.O.P (Dinja Van Liere’s stallion), DSP Quantaz (Isabell Werth’s stallion), Touchdown (Patrik Kittel’s gelding) and Famoso OLD (Benjamin Werndl’s gelding).
The full FEI Dressage World Ranking for human athletes list is published here
The full FEI Dressage World Ranking for equine athletes list is published here
Photo Caption: Charlotte Fry (GBR) on Glamourdale during the Blue Hors FEI Dressage World Championship 2022, Herning (DEN). Grand Prix Special
Photo Credit: FEI / Liz Gregg
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
FEI Contacts:
Paul Stretton
Senior Manager, Sport Communications and Media Relations
paul.stretton@fei.org
+41 78 661 66 53
Didier Montes Kienle
Manager, Sport Communications and Media Relations
didier.montes@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 21
Spain’s Marco Fuste, known for his bountiful charisma and extensive experience in the equestrian sporting sphere, including his tenure as FEI Jumping Director since 1 February 2021, passed away on 5 January 2023 from heart complications. He was 60 years of age.
Highly regarded by the equestrian family, Fuste had a wealth of experience in the equestrian world which he gained through the many roles he embraced: from athlete to event organiser, chef d’équipe as well as hands-on governance administrator both in and out of the equestrian sphere.
During his time at the FEI, Fuste oversaw the full revision of the FEI Jumping Rules, the successful delivery of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to Covid-19, the delivery of FEI World Championships, World Cup and Nations Cup Finals among thousands of events around the world. He prioritised consultation, was always reachable and worked closely with the FEI Jumping Committee and Chair Stephan Ellenbruch (GER) to ensure the different stakeholders within the community understood the decisions, the reasoning and the decision-making process.
“The FEI and the greater equestrian community have lost a true friend, loyal equestrian, mentor and aficionado,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“Marco always gave it his all – he was not one for half measures or taking the easy option – and everyone respected him for his tenacity, his integrity and his good business sense.
“Marco was true to his convictions and was always true to himself. He was passionate about the sport and about the people, rational beyond measure and simply a wonderful human being. His generosity and thoughtfulness, as well as his wise insights and remarkable ability to recall and recount countless anecdotes, made him memorable and colourful at every encounter.
“Marco said that to be appointed FEI Jumping Director was his dream job, and for us, he was our dream candidate – passionate, experienced, knowledgeable, genuine, caring, determined and driven to do the right thing for the sport and for the people in the sport.
“We will miss him dearly at the FEI, and I know the entire community is also mourning his loss and everything he stood for.”
On behalf of the FEI Family, which held Marco in the greatest esteem, the FEI extends its deepest condolences to his wife Isa, his daughter Ainoa, his father, extended family, the Spanish equestrian community and everyone around the world who had the chance to get to know and spend time with him. May he rest in peace.
About Marco Fuste
Before joining the FEI and among many career highlights, Fuste was Director of Jumping for the Spanish Equestrian Federation and chef d’equipe of the Spanish Jumping team from 2006 to 2021. During this time, he also served as a member of the FEI Jumping Committee from 2011 to 2015, and a member of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) Jumping and Nations Cup working groups. Prior to this, he had also worked at both the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2002 in Jerez (ESP), and was a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Real Federación Hípica Española in 2009, the Federation’s highest distinction.
In the lead up and alongside his equestrian career - borne from a lifelong love of horses – Fuste earnt his stripes exploring and working in a number of different sports. This started in 1986 with the position of Event Manager at the Spanish sports events company Organización y Gestión Deportiva S.A, before a nine-year stint with the World League of American Football, NFL Europe and NFL Europe League. He would go on to explore the tennis world, becoming General Manager at the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation, a tenure which coincided with Spain recording its first Davis Cup victory.
Still fresh from his opening win in Geneva (SUI) and a close second in London (GBR), Bram Chardon (NED) retained his steely focus to fend off close challenges in the penultimate leg of the 2022-23 FEI Driving World Cup™ and secure maximum points to go equal top of the series rankings.
Despite the pressure piled on by Jérôme Voutaz (SUI), who found his A-game in Belgium, Bram held his nerve, drove the tightest lines of the competition, his keen and consistent horses maintaining their impressive pace over the whole course. With one ball to add in his searing drive-off time of 131.25, he ended on 135.25, comfortably ahead of second placed Jérôme by 8.24 (143.49).
As last to go in the first round on Saturday night, having won day one’s competition early on Friday morning, Jérôme knew Johan Jacobs’ course suited his compact Freiberger horses, so he asked them to find their top gear again and they eagerly responded. Although his drive-off time wasn’t far off Bram’s, he had eight to add, but it was enough to give him valuable ranking points and put him well into contention for a place in the finals in Bordeaux (FRA).
One of the season’s most consistent competitors, previous World Cup champion Koos de Ronde (NED) once again made it into the drive-off and once again finished in third place (150.88). After a fast and clear round which secured a second run for him on Saturday night, during his final round he had a costly twelve penalties to add, not helped by the increasingly loose surface of the arena, which was beginning to catch out the drivers by testing their accuracy and adding a bit of extra sway to the carriages.
So nearly in the drive-off was homeboy Glenn Geerts (BEL) who was disappointingly denied his place by Jérôme by a mere 0.43 seconds. So elated by his brilliant round in front of a passionate crowd, which raised the bar for the three drivers who followed him in, Glenn toppled off his carriage after the clock had stopped. Luckily his quick-thinking wife Charlotte, alongside the arena crew, immediately got to the reins and held the horses, and Glenn soon jumped back on again and was in control.
With seven drivers forward, the two Wild Card entries were the homebred talent of Glenn and Dries Degrieck, who is in his second season on the World Cup circuit. Despite a podium finish for Dries in Geneva in early December and some strong driving in London, it wasn’t his weekend as he had costly rounds in terms of balls rolling. Also missing the form he displayed in Geneva was Germany’s Michael Brauchle, who was off the mark in Mechelen and may be borderline for a definite qualification place in the finals.
Getting better with each event as he builds up the rapport with his new Lusitano horses, France’s Benjamin Aillaud has closed the gap between himself and his fellow drivers and finished fifth. Looking fitter and more assured with each outing, these compact and powerful horses will surely be a force to be reckoned with in future seasons.
Filling the lull between Christmas and the advent of a New Year, Jumping Mechelen is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and made a welcome return after a two year hiatus, providing festive, family entertainment. The compact arena gives the format yet another character and Johan’s course included a central bridge as part of the twelve obstacles, and asked the sort of questions suitable for this stage in the season. And it’s a season that is building to a crescendo with what promises to be a dramatic final in Bordeaux in early February.
However, before then there is one more leg on the horizon in Leipzig (GER). For the second time in the series Boyd Exell and Bram will go head to head, a thrilling proposition now that they share the number one ranking. Bram’s brilliant father, Ijsbrand, will be making a welcome return to the series and he – or Koos or Jérôme – are also in contention. It promises to be spellbinding.
There’s nothing quite like a win in front of your home crowd, and this evening Wilm Vermeir brought the spectators to their feet with a spectacular victory in the ninth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League on home ground at Mechelen in Belgium.
This Christmas fixture is always special, and even before the competition began the atmosphere in the arena was already electric and filled with emotion as the crowd sang their national anthem. And they were rewarded with the result they wanted when 43-year-old Vermeir and his faithful family-owned gelding Iq van het Steentje snatched victory when last to go in a sensational five-way jump-off against the clock.
Vermeir knew what he had to do. German pathfinder Hans-Dieter Dreher had thrown down a huge challenge when racing through the timers in 35.19 seconds with the lovely grey stallion Cous Cous to set a strong early lead. But the Belgian pair galloped home relentlessly to take the win in 34.45 seconds and set the arena alight.
Their all-or-nothing run to the final vertical was breathtaking. “If I’d had the last fence down it would have been an unbelievable disappointment for everybody, but everything was on our side - the jump-off was perfect, the horse was perfect, it was all just super good!”, the happy Belgian athlete said tonight after Germany’s Daniel Deusser slotted into third ahead of Belgium’s Pieter Devos and Gilles Thomas in fourth and fifth places.
Testing
Eddy Geysemans’ 13-obstacle first-round track was testing.
“It was a scopy course, the triple combination (fence 7) was not easy and the horses had to give everything there, and then the following vertical was high and close to the side of the ring so that was already a difficult line. And the one before the last one was a difficult oxer. I gave Iq too much space there - but he is fantastic!”, Vermeir explained.
That massive oxer at fence 12 was 1.52m high and 1.60m wide and proved pivotal throughout the early stages of the competition. This was no day for the faint-hearted, with several fences, including the wall at four and the planks at fence 10, standing at 1.63m high.
First of the five to go against the clock, Dreher really put it up to to the rest when his handsome 10-year-old horse broke the beam in 35.19 and although Belgium’s Pieter Devos and the 15-year-old mare Mom’s Toupie de la Roque left all the poles in place they were almost a second slower through the finish.
Next in, 24-year-old Gilles Thomas looked set to shake up the leaderboard with a thrilling ride on the leggy Casall mare Calleryama, but as they thundered down to the final vertical she took her eye off the fence and ran out to the right for a four-fault penalty in a slow time. So the young Belgian who has firmly established himself at the top end of the sport this year would have to settle for fifth place in the final analysis.
Germany’s Deusser was next to set off, and no-one doubted that he’d be giving it his best shot. When the World Cup was last staged in Mechelen in 2019 he reigned supreme with Killer Queen, and because his family and friends are closely associated with the Mechelen fixture the 2014 series champion is always keen to put his best foot forward. But after producing a classic clear in the first round he said the jump-off course was not built to suit his horse, and although Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z was foot-perfect once again their time of 35.39 wouldn’t challenge for the lead.
Pin drop
As Vermeir returned to the ring for the final time you could hear a pin drop. Could he wrest victory from Dreher’s firm grasp and make it a home win? He wasn’t going to think too long or too hard about it. He was partnering a horse who he has known all his life, and they were simply going to give it everything they had.
Iq is not the quickest horse on the planet and Vermeir was delighted when the first-round time-allowed of 73 seconds was so generous because he reckoned that helped them jump clear. But it was that deep understanding that develops between horse and rider over time that clinched it for them in the end, Iq listening to every word as Vermeir talked him around the track and responding instinctively to every movement of his rider’s body as they weaved their way down to the last line where their race to the final fence had everyone gripping the edges of their seats.
“There was not so much in my mind galloping to that last jump. I just had to go as the distance was long and hope he did not touch the pole!”, he said afterwards. It stayed firmly in place, and when the clock showed 34.45 seconds for the winning time the arena erupted with a roar of approval.
Treasured horse
Iq (Toulon/Kannan/BWP) is a treasured horse, much loved by the entire Vermeir family. “He came directly to us as a foal. My brother rode him until he was a six-year-old and then he came to me, so the family has him 14 years and he’s very special to us all!”, today’s winner pointed out.
The gelding is officially owned by Wilm’s brother Bert. “This year I did a lot of Nations Cups with him and we have a very good understanding between us. He means a lot to us all and we will never sell him!”, said the rider who has produced many top horses during his career from his base near Lummen in Belgium.
Second-placed Dreher was happy with the result he achieved from the eye-catching young stallion Cous Cous. “It was his first 1.60m today”, he said, and he praised the crowd for their enthusiastic support for every rider in today’s competition.
Content
Third-placed Deusser said he was also content. “I am very happy with how my horse jumped and I can’t remember when he last had a fence down. My jump-off was not perfect, my turns were not optimal but I am very happy for Wilm - he would have been difficult to beat this afternoon!”, he pointed out.
Both Deusser and Dreher plan to compete in the next round of the 14-leg Western European League in Basel, Switzerland in two weeks’ time while today’s winner Vermeir will head to Leipzig, Germany the following weekend. With a strong string of results Deusser is already qualified for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2023 in Omaha, USA next April and lies second on the Western European leaderboard which continues to be headed by world number one, Henrik von Eckermann from Sweden.
Protesters tried to spoil the Mechelen party today by entering the arena when The Netherlands’ Willem Greve and Grandorado TN NOP were taking their turn but they didn’t succeed. Instead Jumping Mechelen 2022 produced yet another spectacular day of super sport.
“We had a lot of people all week but the atmosphere today was amazing!”, said Event Director Peter Bollen this evening. “It was the perfect edition, full stands, three Belgian riders in the jump-off and a Belgian win - this is the best birthday present we could wish for!”
For all the latest information about the LONGINES FEI Jumping World Cup™ season 2022/2023 check out the new Series Hub HERE
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There was a real show of strength from the Dutch contingent at the sixth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League at Mechelen in Belgium today where they filled five of the top seven places in the competition won by Dinja van Liere and Hermes NOP.
Van Liere and her 10-year-old stallion, who clinched bronze in both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning, Denmark this summer, were firm favourites coming into this round of the 11-leg series, but the form-book was turned on its head in yesterday’s Grand Prix.
Mistakes proved costly for many of the main contenders and the leading Dutch duo had to settle for third behind Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and Everdale in second, while a fault-free performance from van Liere’s World Championship team-mate Marieke van der Putten and the 10-year-old Totilas gelding Torveslettens Titanium RS2 won through.
Today however Hermes was right back in the groove, giving his 32-year-old rider his full attention as he pranced his way through a sparkling test for the winning score of 85.815. Dutch compatriot Emmelie Scholtens and Desperado finished second ahead of Fry in third and van der Putten in fourth, while Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors St Schufro finished fifth. And then Kirsten Brouwer (Foundation) and Thamar Zweistra (Hexagon’s Double Dutch) rounded up a great Dutch day when slotting into sixth and seventh places.
Halfway stage
On a mark of 76.980, Brouwer was leading the way at the halfway stage, but Fry and her Tokyo 2020 Olympic team bronze-medal-winning ride Everdale raised the bar significantly when putting 83.865 on the board with a test that included lovely extended canter and perfect tempi-changes.
That looked hard to beat, but van Liere and Hermes soared out in front when scoring 85.815. As she explained afterwards, today’s performance was about putting every piece of the jigsaw into place. She mentally ticked off every movement as she went along.
“After every exercise I was saying OK - Done! I was focusing on doing all the exercises without any mistakes today and of course piaffe/passage is always his highlight, he does it with such ease. The main thing was I was so happy that I had his focus the whole time during the test so I had more confidence that he really wanted to do it again!”
Scholtens and Desperado, winners at Mechelen when it was last staged in 2019, squeezed in ahead of Fry when posting 83.865 for runner-up spot when third-last to go. She was delighted with her result. Talking about Desperado she said “he did amazing today! I loved the atmosphere here in the arena and I think my horse did too. I am very pleased with him. He did not do too many shows last year so I am really happy!”
Relishing
Meanwhile third-placed Fry is relishing the whole FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 season. She produced a stunning performance to win the last Western European League leg in London (GBR) partnering her World Championship star, Glamourdale, and today was thrilled with Everdale’s performance.
“It felt like a great improvement from yesterday. He really likes his Freestyle and I think this was one of his best performances. I was very pleased how he coped in the arena because sometimes the crowd can catch his attention. There is so much more to come from him and so much more I can improve. 2023 will be very exciting!”, she said.
Van Liere talked about what Hermes has been up to since shining so brightly in Herning this summer. The 10-year-old stallion had a break before competing at Indoor Friesland (NED) in October and then travelled to Lyon (FRA) for the second leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League later that month. But he didn’t compete.
“He did something crazy in the stable there and on the first day of the competition he was not fit to compete. Of course he’s a stallion and maybe he’s a bit stallion-ish in the stable - I don’t know what he did during the night! So we took him home again. We then took a bit longer with him to be sure he was healthy and feeling fit and fresh again, so he had maybe another month of vacation and this is his first competition since then”. He made his return to action a winning one today.
Pleased
Van Liere is pleased to have two Grand Prix horses to ride and says the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2023 in Omaha (USA) next April is a target for her.
“I have two really good horses to compete. I’ll ride Hot Chocolate in Basel (SUI) and Hermes in Amsterdam (NED) and then in s’Hertogenbosch (NED) it will be Hermes again. We will see, when he’s fit like this it’s definitely an option (for Hermes), and the World Cup competitions are the nicest competitions to ride!”, she stated enthusiastically.
Basel will stage the next leg in two weeks’ time, and with 31 points to date van Liere has moved into twelfth place in the Western European League standings which continue to be be led by Germany’s Ingrid Klimke. The top nine will make the cut to the Final, and on current form today’s winner looks set to make a strong bid for one of those coveted qualifying tickets.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a human anti-doping case.
This case involves an adverse analytical finding for the prohibited substance listed in Class S.6.B Specified Stimulants, of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List 2022.
A sample taken from the Swiss athlete Felix Vogg (FEI ID 10010431) on 1 July 2022 during the CCIO4*-S in Aachen (GER) returned positive for a Specified Stimulant. The athlete was notified of the violation of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) on 27 July 2022. He was not provisionally suspended by the FEI, as the substance in the Athlete’s Sample is a Specified Substance.
In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of two months, starting from the date of the FEI Tribunal Final Decision (20 December 2022). Additionally, the athlete was disqualified from all results obtained at the event, fined CHF 3,000 and asked to pay costs of CHF 1,500.
The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.
The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision is available here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Clean Sport - human athletes
The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.
WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).
As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).
For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.
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