Eric Lamaze, the Greatest Champion

The Grand Prix Rolex, the fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition, was won today by a rider who foremost wanted to show that indeed he is the best in the world. Fighting in a thrilling jump off against Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, amongst nine others, Olympic champion Eric Lamaze proved today in the huge Palexpo arena in Geneva that he and Hickstead can also win a big indoor Grand Prix against the best of the world.

The Rolex Grand Prix was this year’s sixth major Grand Prix victory for the illustrious pair that amazed the world at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, winning team silver and individual gold. The Geneva round of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition had great similarity to a showdown in a cowboy movie: the two heroes against each other, settling the score. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly, the winners of Stuttgart, were first to go. Their result in the jump off, 0 in 41.34 seconds, seemed impeccable. But this jump off course really suited Hickstead, Eric Lamaze’s small, hot tempered stallion who doesn’t like to make too many short turns and prefers to gallop around. Taking longer turns than his German adversary, Lamaze shifted his mount into highest gear and steeple chased from start to finish.

“The big arena in Geneva was to my advantage,” said the Olympic champion. “There was only one roll back. This was more like an outdoor type of jump off. Hickstead was relaxed and focused, I can ask him to do anything when he’s like this.”

Challenge

“I enjoyed the challenge,” said Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. “I would however have changed my plans if Eric would have been in front of me. He galloped the longer way to the double, I took the inside turn. And when I did, it felt as if it stopped us a bit. So if I could do it again I would also have chosen the longer way. Unfortunately my husband wasn’t here today to give me advise.”

A superb rider of a younger generation interfered in the duel of the Olympic champion against the European champion. Second last to go Steve Guerdat thrilled the home crowd, riding Jalisca Solier with supreme Swiss precision to 0 in 40.96 seconds, leaving ‘only’ third place for Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.

The open door

Still MMB was not complaining. “I’m celebrating the fact that Shutterfly has won over 1.5 million euros. If I manage him and Checkmate well, I can still enjoy these amazing horses for some time. And I have three very good 7 year olds coming up. Today I left the door open for great competitors.”

One of them was Steve Guerdat, enthusiastically cheered on by 8500 spectators. “There was not one moment in my jump off when I thought I could have been faster. Normally if you would beat either Eric with Hickstead of Meredith on Shutterfly, you would win. But today they were both there in the jump off. I think I can be happy being the runner up.”

Guerdat in the lead

There’s one more thing for Steve Guerdat to be happy about. After five legs, the Swiss is leading the Western European league. “Now that I’ve ensured a place in the final I can change my programme. I will skip Mechelen and Leipzig and return to the World Cup circuit in Zürich. Most important thing now is to go to Las Vegas with a fresh horse.”

Hickstead too will have some time off. Of jumping, that is. “We’re collecting semen now, that’s why he was a little bit hot,” said Eric Lamaze in the press conference. “This was his last show, he deserves a bit of rest. Today was a very important win, because I really want to go to Las Vegas. Hickstead competed in two legs, Toronto and Geneva, and won both. In Florida I’ll be riding younger horses. So these 20 points are great.”

Perfect course

Heiner Fischer and Rold Lüdi designed the perfect course for a beautiful Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition. A delicate long 4 stride from oxer 2 to vertical 3 really was a wake up call right in the beginning of the first round. The turn to the triple combination and a sharp turn to the FEI vertical demanded the optimum of accurate riding. In the last line, consisting of a big triple bar, a double combination at a short three stride distance and a rather normal six stride to the last vertical, horses had to prove their strength and fitness and riders had to show their concentration.

Swiss made

Eleven combinations made it to the jump off, no less than three riders were Swiss made. Werner Muff amazed his fans and all professionals doing an easy double clear aboard Quax II, only eight years of age. A week before in Munich, Muff rode this extremely careful son of Quincy Jones in the young horse classes. “No problem, this horse has sensors, he knows exactly where the poles are,” said Muff.

Niklaus Schurtenberger really gave it a shot, but asked a bit too much from Cantus in the long line to vertical number 3.

Obviously, Steve Guerdat was the great pride of the Swiss public. His second place with Jalisca Solier was the best Guerdat could do. “What can you do better, the next time?” a journalist asked referring to Steve’s victories in Geneva (first in the Champions Challenge, first in a World Ranking competition). “One can always improve,” said the darling of the Swiss public. “How about winning both the Table C on Friday and the Grand Prix on Sunday!”

Result of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Geneva:

1)            Eric Lamaze (CAN), Hickstead, 0/40.70 sec.
2)            Steve Guerdat (SWI), Jalisca Solier, 0/40.96 sec.
3)            Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly, 0/41.34 sec.
4)            Marcus Ehning (GER), Plot Blue, 0/41.83 sec.
5)            Werner Muff (SWI), Quax II, 0/41.98 sec.

The full results are available here.

Provisional standings after 5 Rolex FEI World Cup™ competitions:

1) Steve Guerdat                                51 (already qualified)
2) Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum            35
3) Rutherford Latham                          33
4) Geir Gulliksen                                 31
5) Daniel Etter                                    28
6) Ben Maher                                      26
7) Omar Bonomelli                              25
8) Thomas Velin                                  22
9) Ludo Philippaerts                             21
10) Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst          20
10) Gerco Schröder                             20
10) Nicolas Delmotte                           20
10) Max Kühner                                  20
14) Edwina Alexander                          19
14) Marcus Ehning                               19
16) Lars Nieberg                                 18
16) Tim Stockdale                               18
18) Leon Thijssen                                17
19) Alvaro Miranda                              15
19) Helena Lundbäck                           15
19) Sören Pedersen                             15
19) Michael Whitaker                           15
19) Rolf-Göran Bengtsson                    15

For more extensive information on the Rolex FEI World CupTM, please check www.feiworldcup.org