FEI European Jumping Championship: Second Gold for Marco Kutscher

The Individual medals were distributed today following exactly the same order as the Team medals last Friday, i.e. to Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

In the second round, the best five riders started with less then one fence separating them. A supernatural silence welcomed Marco Kutscher and Montender who were last to the ring, immediately after the Swiss new star Christina Liebherr, who had scored her second clear of the day on LB No Mercy. In the Nations Cup deciding for the Team medals last Friday, the Swiss combination had already scored the only double clear with Marco Kutscher and Montender. Neither Kutscher nor Montender lost their temper however, and the gold medal was theirs after an immaculate round. “I had a fantastic feeling with Montender today” said Kutscher afterwards. “He already jumped unbelievably well as a young horse. I started to ride him when he was seven, we won the German Championship when he was 9 and we had a wonderful Olympic experience last year. He is a very handsome horse, and he makes you look good on televion” he adds with a broad smile.

Christina Liebherr is the second woman to win a European medal for Switzerland, twenty years after Heidi Hauri. The 26 year old rider from Bulle, a small city North East of Lausanne, is trained by German Susanne Behring. She competed at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (14) and holds two bronze medals at Junior level. Her brown gelding LB No Mercy passed the five big courses at San Patrignano with only one pole down. “I called Heidi this morning”, explained a delighted Christina, “and she sent me her encouragements all day long by SMS. As I already had a medal with the team, I decided to simply enjoy my ride. No Mercy is a very attentive horse and we didn’t experience any problem on the course”.

Olympic champion Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED) and his ten years old stallion BMC Nassau, who were considered as outsiders, grabbed the bronze after Belgian Jos Lansink aboard Cavalor Cumano lost his chance for a third European Bronze medal with a fault at Number 7, the symbol fence of San Patrignano. Just before him, the title holder Christian Ahlman (GER)and Coster also had a pole down at the very last obstacle and lost any hope for a medal. “I was really not expecting a medal” declared Dubbeldam. “We had a very difficult season with the Dutch team. I was feeling a bit nervous after my mistake in the first round, but after the first two obstacles, I had a really good feeling with Nassau."

The second round proved a real disaster for Laurent Goffinet (FRA) and his little stallion Flipper d’Elle, who were placed third at the end of the first round. The brave French stallion of only 160 m completely lost confidence and was eliminated after two refusals on the triple.

Carried by a huge wave of sympathy from the Italian audience, Juan Carlos Garcia rode forward to sixth place with two clear rounds with Loro Piana Albin (17). Eleven riders rode the ten fence-course without mistakes, but Steve Guerdat, member of the Swiss silver team, got one point for time. The horses of the three medal winners are Dutch (KWPN).

FEI 1st Vice President Freddy Serpieri, joined by the President of the Italian Federation Ing. Cesare Croce, warmly congratulated the Organising Committee led by Giacomo Muccioli and all the volunteers of the Community, who organised what will be remembered at the “Championship of the Solidarity”.