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Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs scooped his second win of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League at the London International Horse Show at Olympia, London (GBR) this afternoon where Austria’s Max Kuhner lined up second ahead of Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels in third.
Partnering his top ride, the lightning-fast grey Clooney, Fuchs took the third leg in Lyon (FRA) by storm last month, and in today’s eighth round of the 14-leg series he galloped to victory with a stunning performance from The Sinner. He’s the reigning European champion, and looks set to take over the No. 1 spot on the Longines World Rankings as 2020 gets underway after an incredible run of recent form.
Today he also became the first Swiss winner of the Olympia leg of the FEI World Cup™ series in 29 years. The 27-year-old rider wasn’t even born when his father, Thomas Fuchs, stood top of the podium at the London fixture back in 1990.
Just six horse-and-rider combinations made it through to today’s jump-off, and Fuchs was fulsome in his praise of Irish course designer, Alan Wade. “The first round wasn’t crazy big, but Alan set a great course as he always does - it was another of his masterpieces!” the winning rider said.
It was definitely no walk-in-the-park, with the relatively small Olympia arena jam-packed with fences and an intense atmosphere in the packed Grand Hall adding to the pressure. Only six of the 37 starters qualified for the deciding round but it was a classic, Fuchs, who was second to go, putting it up to the rest with a great ride that saw him take a brave turn to the wall, now the fourth fence on the track, and a super-tight line to the penultimate oxer followed by a great gallop to the last. Throwing down a time of 31.99 seconds he then sat back and watched the remaining four give it their best.
Austria’s Max Kuhner followed with an extraordinary second clear from the hugely promising eight-year-old gelding Elektric Blue P, but their time of 33.83 seconds was no threat. However as German ace, and three-time FEI World Cup™ champion, Marcus Ehning set off with Cornado NRW he clearly meant business only to get too close to the penultimate oxer for four faults in 32.17 seconds.
Great Britain’s Scott Brash decided today was the day to put some jump-off pressure on his latest shining star, the 10-year-old Hello Jefferson, but when the second fence fell then there was only Niels Bruynseels and his 10-year-old Delux van T & L standing between Fuchs and victory. And for once things just didn’t go his way, none of the distances coming up nicely for the brilliant Belgian and his big horse with a long stride, so they stayed clear but had to settle for third place behind Kuhner in second and Fuchs at the head of affairs.
“I was early to go so I had to take all the risks to put the pressure on the others and everything worked perfectly today!” Fuchs said. He was of course delighted with The Sinner who belied his name this afternoon. “It was Denis Lynch (IRL) who gave him his name and he was already a good horse for Denis”, he explained. He’s had the 11-year-old gelding since the beginning of the year and they made their first major appearance together at CSIO Rome in May.
“At first I found him difficult to ride, but now we definitely have a better partnership, he has better rideabililty and we know each other a lot better now”, he pointed out. And The Sinner can look forward to some nice sunshine as he heads to Wellington, USA for the Winter Equestrian Festival with his rider in the new year.
Having moved into fourth place on the Western European League table after today’s brilliant result, Fuchs is now well qualified for the Longines 2020 Final in Las Vegas, USA next April and his biggest headache will be to decide which horse to take - his wonder-horse Clooney or his latest star, The Sinner. His uncle, Markus Fuchs, was runner-up at the series Final in Las Vegas in 2000 and was crowned champion with the great Tinka’s Boy the following year in Gothenburg, Sweden. Martin was runner-up to compatriot Steve Guerdat at the 2019 Final which was also staged in Gothenburg, so could history be about to repeat itself over the coming months?….
There are 18 qualifying spots on offer to riders in the Western European series and normally 40 points is enough to make the cut. As it stands tonight, and with six more qualifiers yet to go, the top five riders on the League table have more than enough points, defending champion Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat has 55 but anyway gains automatic qualification, Belgium’s Pieter Devos also has 55, today’s fifth placing for Great Britain’s Scott Brash leaves him with 47, Fuchs has 44 and Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano is in fifth in the current standings with 43.
For the rest, the next opportunity to collect those precious points will be at the ninth leg of the series in Mechelen, Belgium on Monday 30 December.
Result here
Standings here
Watch highlights here
The International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) held its General Assembly on 7 December 2019 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club where the group elected a new President and received a number of important updates on its strategic projects, including the ongoing development of a new vaccine for African Horse Sickness (AHS).
Ingmar De Vos, President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) was unanimously elected President of the IHSC for a two-year term. He had previously served as the IHSC’s Vice-President. Louis Romanet, past President of IHSC and Chairman of IFHA, was also elected as Vice-President of IHSC for a two-year term.
A Belgian native, De Vos has served as President of the FEI since 2014 after previously serving as the International Federation’s Secretary General. He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since September 2017, where he is currently member of two Commissions, the Legal Affairs Commission and the Los Angeles 2028 Coordination Commission, while he has also served in the past as a member of the Digital and Technology Commission. He is a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) governance taskforce and since April 2019 he is also an ASOIF Council Member.
In early November 2018 he was appointed to the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council and as the GAISF representative on the 12-member World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee. As of 1 January 2020, he will be the ASOIF representative on the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation Board. He is also on the board of the Belgian National Olympic Committee.
Following his election as IHSC President, Ingmar de Vos said:
“I’m extremely honored to be elected President of the IHSC and I would also like to thank our past President Louis Romanet for his dedication to the successful cooperation and information exchange between horse racing and equestrian sport through the IHSC. Under his leadership, the IHSC has continued the relationship with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the further development of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code and concepts that will facilitate horse movements such as the HHP Framework with the HHP Handbook and IHSC-OIE Regional Workshops for Temporary International Movement of Competition Horses. Besides this, further scientific research was done in the field of vaccines for AHS, Equine Influenza and Glanders, the adoption of revised international standards on equine diseases and other standards relevant to international movement of horses.
He continued:
“Our Confederation represents the peak bodies of our respective sports and I look forward to furthering the collective interests of our Federations in the areas of equine welfare, the international movement of horses, and collaboration with the OIE.”
Editors’ Notes
The IHSC was established in 2013 and brought together the international bodies for major horse sports:
The key missions of the IHSC include:
IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet was appointed as President of the IHSC in 2015, serving until 2019. Ingmar De Vos, President of the FEI, is the incoming President of the IHSC, having previously serving as Vice-President and will officially take office on 1 January 2020.
Other attendees at the meetings included, from the FEI: John McEwen, Senior Veterinary Advisor & Honorary Vice President; Claude Praz, Chief Financial Officer; and Dr Göran Akerström, Veterinary Director; and from the IFHA: Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Vice-Chairman; Andrew Harding, Executive Director; Dr Roland Devolz, Technical Advisor; James Ogilvy, Technical Advisor, and Andrew Chesser, Secretary General.
Photo caption : FEI President Ingmar De Vos was unanimously elected President of the IHSC for a two-year term at the IHSC General Assembly in Hong Kong earlier this month. He will officially take office on 1 January 2020. (FEI)
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, Vaulting and Reining.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
About IFHA
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) is the world peak body for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing. Its members are the national racing authorities across the globe which stage Thoroughbred races.
Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include:
The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a horse abuse case and four Final Decisions in cases involving Prohibited Substances.
The horse abuse case, which was opened by the FEI following a protest filed by Rosemary Sloan from Clean Endurance, involved the horse Romeo (FEI ID: 105BQ04/UAE). The FEI Tribunal confirmed that the athlete, Mohamed Ali Al Marzouqi (FEI ID: 10041488/UAE), had committed horse abuse during the CEI1* 100 in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 8 December 2018. In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete had committed horse abuse and suspended him for 12 months from the date of the Final Decision, 6 December 2019. He was also fined CHF 4,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,000 towards legal costs.
The Final Decision on this case can be found here.
The first of the prohibited substances FEI Tribunal Decisions involved the athlete Khalifa Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (FEI ID 10093885/UAE) who was riding the horse 8 Minute (FEI ID: 104BW22/UAE), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Nandrolone at the FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Riders and Juniors in Valeggio sul Mincio (ITA), 22-24 September 2017. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months as of the date of notification (28 November 2017). The FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached on 30 September 2019 between the FEI and Mr Al Jahouri. A two-year period of ineligibility, from 23 September 2017 to 22 September 2019, had already been served. In addition, all the results of the athlete from the date of sample collection on 23 September 2017 until the date of the provisional suspension (28 November 2017) were disqualified. Each of the parties will pay their own legal costs.
In connection to this case the FEI has also opened procedures against the registered trainer of 8 Minute, namely Mr Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (FEI ID: 10014750/UAE). This trainer had already been involved in two other banned substance cases as the registered trainer.
The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 9 October 2019 between the FEI and the trainer Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri. The parties agreed that Mr Al Jahouri, who was provisionally suspended from 10 January 2018 until 7 February 2019 connected to the three banned substance cases had served the entire period of ineligibility. Each of the parties will pay their own legal costs.
The third FEI Tribunal Decision involved the horse Dalton des Hayettes (FEI ID: 104TD71/BEL), ridden by Pascal Van Laethem (FEI ID: 10044685/BEL), which had tested positive to the Banned Substance O-Desmethyltramadol at the CSI2* in Deauville (FRA), 15-18 June 2017.
The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, reached on 21 October 2019. The period of ineligibility of the athlete was reduced to one year, as he demonstrated that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence. As the athlete already served a Provisional Suspension from 7 August 2017 until 17 August 2018, which was credited in the final ineligibility period, there was no further suspension to be served. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months until 6 October 2017. All the results of the athlete and the horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 3,000 and legal costs of CHF 500.
The fourth Final Decision involved the horse Sohair Des Bruyere (FEI ID: 104VK62/QAT), ridden by Elizaveta Minina (FEI ID: 10140497/RUS), which tested positive to the Banned Substance Testosterone at the CEI2* 120 in Doha Mesaieed (QAT) on 20 January 2018. The trainer of the horse was Hassan Khamis Mohammed A Al Shahwani (FEI ID: 10131286/QAT), admitted injecting the horse with the Testosterone. Separate proceedings has been initiated against the trainer of this horse.
The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 22 October 2019 between the FEI and the athlete. The athlete demonstrated that she bore No Significant Fault or Negligence and was suspended for 20 months from the date of notification on 5 March 2018 until 4 November 2019. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months until 4 May 2018. All the results of the athlete and the horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 3,000 and legal costs of CHF 1,500.
The Final Decisions on these cases can be found here.
The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decisions.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.
In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.
**Specified Substances
The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances which are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
The FEI has announced new adverse analytical findings (AAF) involving equine prohibited substances. The cases involve *Banned Substances under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).
In the following case the athlete has been provisionally suspended from the date of notification until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horse has been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.
Horse: Chabello (FEI ID 104OU26/MEX)
Person Responsible: Bruno Cavalheiro Rebello (FEI ID 10018978/BRA)
Event: CSI2* - San Miguel de Allende (MEX), 03-06.10.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Ractopamine
Date of Notification: 2 December 2019
In the next two cases, the athletes and the trainers have been provisionally suspended from the date of notification until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horses have been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.
Horse: Cybele De L'Oule (FEI ID 105VH42/UAE)
Person Responsible: Sh Tahnoon Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (FEI ID 10093006/UAE)
Trainer: Mohd Salem Abdulla Al Ameri (FEI ID 10081586/UAE)
Event: CEI1* 80 - Bou Thib (UAE), 01-02.11.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Arsenic, Flunixin
Date of Notification: 2 December 2019
Horse: Kassidy De Jansavis (FEI ID 104QP93/UAE)
Person Responsible: Omar Ibrahim Al Marzooqi (FEI ID 10137894/UAE)
Trainer: Abdul Kader Abdul Sattar (FEI ID 10032531/UAE)
Event: CEI2* 120 - Bou Thib (UAE), 01-02.11.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Diisopropylamine
Date of Notification: 2 December 2019
In the following case the trainer has been provisionally suspended from the date of notification until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision.
Horse: ***N/A
Person Responsible: ***N/A
Trainer: Ahmed Salem Ali Bakheet Al Rashdi (FEI ID 10027984/UAE)
Event: CEI1* 80 - Bou Thib (UAE), 01-02.11.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Strychnine, Phenylbutazone and Oxyphenbutazone
Date of Notification: 2 December 2019
*** No PR/Horse Name in cases involving Minors and/or Fast Track Procedures.
Details on these cases can be found here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.
In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.
**Specified Substances
The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances which are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
Charlotte Dujardin produced a superb victory with Mount St John Freestyle before an ecstatic home crowd at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier in the Grand Hall at Olympia, London (GBR) tonight. And to put the icing on the British Christmas cake, her compatriots Carl Hester and Charlotte Fry lined up in second and third.
It was an evening of great theatre, with Dujardin’s charming 10-year-old mare producing a stunning test for a mark of 87.520 to take the lead when fourth-last to go, only for a technical hitch to delay the scores of the three who followed. Still waiting for the final result, the riders were all sent back to the stables while Santa took over the arena for his Christmas Finale. But finally the red carpet was rolled back out again, and it was Dujardin who led the British victory gallop.
She was delighted with the performance of her mare who has clearly matured a great deal since showing her massive potential at last year’s FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA where she claimed two bronze medals. Freestyle’s freshness and freedom of movement, the elegance and height of her passage and the expressiveness of her extended canter were just some of today’s highlights. And the horse really seemed to be enjoying herself tonight, her big ears pricked as she gave her rider her full attention.
“It’s only her third time doing that test, she’s very inexperienced at Freestyle and I’m so pleased with her. The atmosphere was buzzing, it was a full house and I could really feel it when I rode in. But she’s coping better and I couldn’t have asked any more from her!” said the winning rider who, though still only 34 years old, is a legend of the sport following her world-beating career with the now-retired Valegro.
Her friend and mentor, Hester, followed her into the ring and put a score of 84.470 on the board with a lovely performance with Hawtins Delicato. “A personal best, I can’t believe that at my age!” laughed the 52-year-old who has long been a huge influence in this sport. He was sitting back in the stable area when he learned his result - “one of my girls texted me and said you got an amazing score - it was a bit of a weird way to hear about it!” he added.
Fry was second-last to go, and the 23-year-old, who alongside Dujardin and Hester was a member of the British side that finished fourth at this summer’s FEI European Championships, produced a score of 82.620 with the 10-year-old stallion Everdale. This was good enough to pip the final partnership, and last year’s Olympia winners, Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain who finished a close fourth with 82.550 this time around.
Hester said tonight that although he was happy with the way things turned out today he realises he needs to put more pressure on himself, because he continues to have big ambitions. “It was clear after the Grand Prix test yesterday that this horse needs to get out more. I know I need to get myself committed - this happens before every Olympics!” said the man who has competed at five of them, taking team gold with Uthopia at the London 2012 Games, and team silver with Nip Tuck at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Dujardin confirmed that she has both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2020 in Las Vegas, USA in her sights now. So her plan? “Just to carry on doing what I’m doing and see how we go as we prepare for Tokyo. I’m hoping to get to Vegas in April, so I’ll go to the qualifier in Amsterdam in January and maybe another after that” she explained.
She was twice winner of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title with Valegro, taking her second title in Las Vegas in 2015. Today’s result ssees her move up to eighth on the Western European League table from which the top nine will qualify for the 2020 Final, so she may need another good result to ensure she makes the cut.
There are still five legs of the Western European series left to go, the next taking place at Mechelen, Belgium on 29 December.
Result here
WEL Standings here
Watch highlights here
The FEI has reallocated one of the three Tokyo 2020 Olympic team quota slots for Jumping from the Pan-American Games in Lima (PER) in August, following an adverse analytical finding in a member of the Canadian team, which finished fourth.
Canadian Jumping athlete Nicole Walker, who also finished fourth in the individual final with Falco Van Spieveld, was provisionally suspended by the FEI on 11 November after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, which is a prohibited substance under the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA). The sample was taken on 7 August, the day of the team final in Lima.
Following confirmatory analysis of the B sample, which confirmed the presence of Benzoylecgonine, the Athlete requested a hearing before the Panam Sports Disciplinary Commission, which took place on 4 December, and which the FEI joined via teleconference as an observer to the proceedings.
The Commission decided that Article 11.2.2* of the FEI ADRHA, which states “the Athlete’s results will be subtracted from the team result, to be replaced with the results of the next applicable team member” applies in this case.
In line with this decision, the Athlete’s results from both the team and individual competitions at the Pan-American Games are disqualified, and her results in the team competitions on 6 and 7 August replaced by those of the fourth Canadian team member, Lisa Carlsen. The Commission ordered that Panam Sports recalculate the team results accordingly.
The resulting recalculation means that Canada now drops to seventh on a finishing score of 84.07 and therefore loses its team quota place for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This has now been reallocated by the FEI to Argentina, which originally finished fifth in Lima on 62.19 and is now promoted to fourth place.
The reallocation means that the 20 National Olympic Committees which have qualified Jumping teams for Tokyo are: Japan, USA, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Britain, France, Ukraine, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, Qatar, New Zealand, China and Ireland.
There were also four individual Olympic quota slots on offer in Lima, one of which was earned by Argentina. Now that Argentina has obtained a team quota place through the reallocation, Canada will take one of the individual slots. Colombia, Dominican Republic and Chile earned the other individual quota places.
The Athlete Nicole Walker has the option to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Under the terms of Article 10.2.2 of the Panam Sports ADRs, responsibility for results management in terms of sanctions beyond the event itself is referred to the applicable International Federation, meaning that any period of ineligibility would be imposed by the FEI, not Panam Sports.
As this is still an ongoing legal process until the FEI Tribunal has ruled on any additional sanctions, in order to maintain the integrity of the process, the FEI will not comment further on this case at this time.
Details on this case can be found here.
The updated results of the Pan-American Games 2019 can be found here.
Information on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, including the Qualification System for Jumping is available here.
Notes to Editors:
* FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes Article 11.2.2: If a member of a team is found to have committed a violation of these Anti-Doping Rules during an Event where a team ranking is based on the addition of individual results, the Athlete’s results may be disqualified in all Competitions. Should this be the case, the Athlete’s results will be subtracted from the team result, to be replaced with the results of the next applicable team member. If by removing the Athlete’s results from the team results, the number of Athletes counting for the team is less than the required number, the team shall be eliminated from the ranking.
The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten showed the rest a clean pair of heels in a thrill-a-minute 13-horse jump-off to win the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier in La Coruña, Spain today.
There were 40 riders from 16 different countries chasing down points in the race for a place at the Longines 2020 Final in Las Vegas, USA next April. And this seventh round of the 14-leg qualifying series was a sizzler, with anything possible right to the very end.
Van der Vleuten clinched it however with an exhibition of pure partnership with the lovely Beauville Z, a gelding he has been riding since the middle of last year. Ace Spanish course designer, Santiago Varela, set them a jump-off track with multiple twists and turns and a long gallop to the last that tested trust and understanding between horse and rider every step of the way. And it was the double-Olympian who showed them all how it should be done.
Typically modest, the 31-year-old Dutchman said afterwards, “sometimes a jump-off doesn’t go as planned and you have to put in a waiting distance, but today it was all very smooth and we had a great rhythm all the way. My horse was very good, he stayed with me, and out of all the turns we got a nice forward distance.”
First against the clock, Ireland’s Michael G Duffy set the target when clear with Lapuccino Z in 39.95 seconds, but the lead kept changing until, seventh to go, Van der Vleuten came into the ring and clearly left them with very little to play with. The Dutch horse-and-rider partnership were in complete harmony as they found the tightest lines everywhere on the course and galloped through the timers to set a whole new standard in 36.94 seconds.
However there were still six to go, and plenty more excitement ahead. Pieter Clemens, one of three Belgians into the second-round decider, was ousted from runner-up spot by Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano and the extraordinary Chalou who stopped the clock on 37.66 seconds. And as they set off it seemed more than possible that, third-last to go, America’s Jessica Springsteen and the super-fast RMF Zecilie could alter the standings until they clipped the very first fence.
Then the Spanish crowd gasped in disbelief when their own star, Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, was jumped out of the saddle when his long-time faithful steed, Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot, went into orbit over the vertical third fence off a tight turn. And when Frenchman Olivier Robert (Vivaldi es Meneaux) left one on the floor it was a done deal, and a Dutch one at that….
Talking about Beauville Z which is owned by Spain’s Marta Ortega, Van der Vleuten said, “he’s still only nine and not at this level for long - I think he’ll grow into a great horse, he’s the kind of horse you need to be competitive at this level”.
The Dutch rider is now going to take a short break from the World Cup circuit until early in the new year. “I’m hoping I’ll get a few more chances to get my points for the Final - after today I think about 10 more should be enough” he pointed out, having moved his points tally up to 32 which leaves him lying fifth on the Western European League table ahead of the next leg at Olympia, London next Saturday (21 December).
Result here
WEL Standings after Round 7 at La Coruna (ESP) here
Watch highlights here
The Queen of international dressage, Germany’s Isabell Werth, continued her relentless march to the 2020 Final when winning today’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier at Salzburg in Austria.
As defending champion she only has to compete twice during the qualifying season with whichever horses she intends to take to the Final in Las Vegas, USA next April, and today’s result makes it a double of victories partnering the 13-year-old gelding Emilio in the current season.
At Lyon, France in October the pair pinned Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle into runner-up spot, having been pipped by the British duo in the previous day’s Grand Prix. But although they kept their German counterparts Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror at bay in both competitions at the Austrian fixture this weekend, their winning margin was a relatively narrow one each time out.
At the press conference afterwards Werndl said, “this is my favourite place….being so close to Isabell!”
But the five-time title-holder who is bidding to become the first-ever four-in-a-row FEI Dressage World Cup champion was quick to reply. “I’m very happy that Ben had such a good tournament here in Salzburg and is going so well. As long as he stays like that - in second place - that’s fine by me!” Werth joked.
In the early stages there were smart performances from Austria’s Stefan Lehfeliner and Fackeltanz who posted 73.360, and from Ireland’s Anna Merveldt partnering Esporim. At this summer’s European Championships in Rotterdam (NED) this inexperienced 10-year-old Lusitano helped the Emerald Isle to Olympic qualification, and on his Freestyle debut today posted a solid score of 73.310. A real eye-catcher was the lovely 12-year-old Robinvale ridden by Greek 18-year-old Theodora Livanos who put 74.455 on the board, but it was Swedish star Patrik Kittel who led the way at the halfway stage on a mark of 75.680 with Eddieni.
The target-score shot up to 78.150 when 2013 series champion, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg, took her turn with the lovely mare Annabelle. But their lead didn’t last long, Werth and Emilio setting a whole new standard with another of their power-packed tests when next into the arena. It wasn’t perfect, as Werth said afterwards “there was just a little second going into piaffe”, but, as only she can, this extraordinary competitor simply turned up the heat to throw down a new target of 85.905 which brought the crowd to their feet and put it up to the rest.
Werndl wasn’t intimidated however. He won with Daily Mirror at this venue last year, and as a partnership the pair have just been getting better and better. They finished second at the opening leg of this series in Herning seven weeks ago scoring 84.545, fifth at the third leg in Stuttgart with 80.900 and today racked up a personal-best 84.705 with a performance filled with freedom of movement, harmony and lightness. Only their piaffe was holding them back from a higher score that might well have challenged even closer for the win.
It looked set to be another German whitewash until, second-last to go, Victoria Max-Theurer and Benaglio snatched third place from Langehanenberg with a lovely performance that earned the Austrian duo a mark of 78.525 to the delight of the home spectators.
Werth is now planning to give Weihegold, the mare with which she has claimed the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title for the last three years, her second outing of the season at Amsterdam (NED) in January. And looking even further head, when asked today which of her rides she plans to take to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games she replied “the season will decide…but it’s no secret that my first choice is Bella Rose, then Weihe and Emilio”.
Today’s result has now bounced Werndl to the top of the league table ahead of Langehanenberg in second, The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud in third and French rider Morgan Barbancon into fourth place. The next leg, at London, Olympia (GBR) on 17 December, will bring the Western European League to the halfway stage.
Result here
WEL Standings here
Watch highlights here
Pret a Tout more than lived up to his name when carrying German ace, Marcus Ehning, to victory in today’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier at Madrid in Spain.
Fourth to go in a breathtaking nine-horse jump-off, the pair took the lead with a spectacular run that stopped the clock in 43.30 seconds and couldn’t be caught. Ehning’s compatriot and 2011 series champion. Christian Ahlmann. came a close second with his exciting nine-year-old stallion Dominator 2000 Z, while Belgium’s Pieter Devos and Espoir finished third. The crowd packed into the IFEMA Arena in the Spanish capital city were treated to a fabulous afternoon of sport.
Course designer, Javier Trenor, set the stage with a 12-fence first-round track in which almost every fence was on a related distance. Absolute accuracy was required to successfully navigate the roll-backs, dog-legs and tight turns in the small arena, and the 66 seconds time-allowed also played its part. But when it came to the jump-off then it was speed and courage that would count, with two exceptionally long runs in the closing stages. And Ehning was at his very best - so fast that he could take a check before the last and still set an unbeatable target.
He wasn’t quite so convinced himself however. “I thought maybe I had left a small gap, but as it turned out I didn’t!” he said afterwards.
Italy’s Emilio Bicocchi and Evita SG Z produced the first jump-off clear in 44.93 and then Devos and his big-striding gelding Espoir raised the bar with a flyer at the last to break the beam in 43.66. But Ehning and Pret a Tout shaved almost a quarter of a second off that when galloping through the finish in 43.30.
He then had to sit back and watch the five that followed him, only Ahlmann and his lovely nine-year-old Dominator seriously threatening when scorching home in 43.53. A little wobble on the gallop to the final oxer may have made all the difference - “I had a chance to win today but my last line was not the best!” admitted the man who lifted the coveted series trophy back in 2011. But he was still thrilled with runner-up spot on a stallion that is only nine years old and showing such immense promise.
Ehning was delighted with Ruth Krech’s 16-year-old gelding who clearly still loves his job. He’s an extraordinary horse because he shows the same enthusiasm and ability in a massive arena like Aachen (GER) where he won the Grand Prix in 2018 as he does in a much smaller arena like today’s venue in Madrid.
“He’s a very fast and experienced horse, and I also have a bit of experience!” said the double Olympian and three-time FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion who is one of the most admired horsemen in the sport.
He admires the clever and confident Pret a Tout because “he has his own style and it’s not classical but his mind is really, really good and he’s very flexible and that helps him a lot. He’s a real personality - he’s quite lazy, but he knows he’s a very good horse so he always feels very proud of himself!”, said the German star who is now targeting the WEL qualifier at Olympia in London (GBR) later this month.
Before that however there is one more visit to Spain, for the seventh qualifier that takes place at La Coruna. Pieter Devos will be holding court at the head of the Western European League when that gets underway on 15 December, and although today he didn’t repeat the win he posted at the previous leg in Stuttgart two weeks ago, he is feeling very pleased about his consistent results that have earned 55 valuable points and a definite place at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2020 Final next April.
“It is only halfway of the season and I’m very happy to know I’ll be going to Las Vegas! I’ve never ridden there and I’m excited to go!”, Devos said.
Result here
Standings here
Watch highlights here
Dorothee Schneider secured the third successive German victory in this season’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League when coming out on top with DSP Sammy Davis Jr. in Madrid, Spain today where Claudio Castilla Ruiz (Alcaide) lined up second for the host nation ahead of The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud (Glock’s Zinardi) in third.
At the opening leg of the 2019/2020 qualifying series in Herning, Denmark in October it was the home side’s Cathrine Dufour who reigned supreme, but Schneider’s compatriot’s Isabell Werth and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl dominated at the next two rounds. Today Schneider made it a back-to-back German hat-trick, but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the partnership whose record includes European team gold in 2017, World Championship team gold in 2018 and a fifth-place finish at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Paris (FRA) three years ago. Because Sammy was really on his toes this evening….
“He was very good in the Grand Prix yesterday, but in the beginning of the Freestyle today he felt really fresh and we made one mistake in the extended trot and then in the two-tempis. I know him so very long now, I’ve been riding him for five years and he has a lot of his own ideas about how we should be doing things! But that’s one of the reasons I love him - he has so much character, we have a great feeling together and he just keeps getting better all the time!”, Schneider said.
Spain was well-represented with five starters in the 13-strong field, and it was Jose Daniel Martin Dockx and Manchego Arb who were in the lead on a score of 73.265 at the halfway stage. But fellow-countryman Juan Matute Guimon steered Don Diego out in front as the final group of competitors took their turn, only for his mark of 74.460 to be immediately overtaken by Great Britain’s Richard Davison and Bubblingh who put 74.615 on the board.
Castilla Ruiz blew the competition wide open however with a spectacular ride on his handsome 14-year-old stallion Alcaide when fifth-last to go. When Madrid joined the Western European League series for the first time last year this pair wowed the home crowd with a really enjoyable performance to take runner-up spot behind Spanish legend Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Delgado. And they didn’t disappoint this time out either. Once again kicking off their floorplan with one-handed one-tempi changes, and consistently producing quality piaffe/passage, they completed with a confident final halt to raise the bar all the way up to 80.230.
That was always going to be challenging, and when Schneider’s average was hovering around 79 percent it wasn’t clear if her double of errors was going to leave the double-Olympian vulnerable in the final analysis. But the pure quality of Sammy’s work, including his grace and elevation in passage and his fabulous pirouettes along with strong artistic scores edged the pair up to a final tally of 82.295 which clinched it definitively.
Second-last to go, Dutch star and 2016 FEI Dressage World Cup champion, Hans Peter Minderhoud, was pleased that his 15-year-old grey stallion, Glock’s Zinardi, coped with the arena atmosphere. “It wasn’t easy for him because he’s a bit spooky, but it was great to be here for the first time in Madrid and with today’s points I’m now almost qualified for Las Vegas - I’ve been there three times before and I would love to ride there again!” he said after slotting into third place on 78.350 and moving up to the top of the Western European League table. Last to go, Morgan Barbancon Mestre from France (Sir Donnerhall) finished fourth which leaves her lying joint-fourth in the League moving on to the next leg in Salzburg, Austria next Saturday.
The top nine in the WEL rankings will qualify for the 2020 FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final and Schneider, now in joint-seventh after four of the 11 qualifying legs, has qualification clearly in her sights. But it’s not easy being German it seems, because as it stands her compatriots Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are ahead of her on the league table and they all want the same thing - to be one of the two Germans who will join defending champion Isabell Werth for the season finale in the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, USA next April.
“We have so many very good riders, and we all want to go!” said Schneider tonight.
Result here
WEL Standings here
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