IJRC Top-10 FINAL presented by Rolex

IJRC TOP-10 FINAL SPONSORED BY ROLEX

KUERTEN IS IN A CLASS OF HER OWN......

Ireland's Jessica Kuerten stormed to victory in convincing fashion at the seventh IJRC Top-10 Final sponsored by Rolex in Geneva tonight where defending World Cup champion Beat Mandli from Switzerland slotted into second ahead of Germany's Ludger Beerbaum in third.

It was a night of surprises, and none greater than another elimination for Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in the opening round in which only Ludger Beerbaum and Kuerten managed to keep a clean sheet.

The start-list had been amended earlier in the week when World No. 1, Markus Fuchs, decided to withdraw as both of his top rides, Nirmette and La Toya, have been very busy recently. In his fellow-countryman's absence Mandli was called into action and he took full advantage of the opportunity to join his peers in what has become a traditional end-of-the-year battle of the champions.

The 12-fence first-round track presented by Heiner Fischer and Rolf Ludi proved plenty challenging and clear rounds were hard to get.

Mandli led the way with a single error from his World Cup winning partner Ideo du Thot at the rustic oxer at fence six while, next to go, The Netherlands' Gerco Schroder and Eurocommerce Acapulco clipped the first element of the preceding double.

Britain's Michael Whitaker was furious with himself when picking up just one time fault in the opening round of this competition last year and, again riding Insul Tech Mozart des Hayettes, was determined not to do the same again but with the rustic at six and the final liverpool oxer on the floor it was not going to be his title this year either.

The bogey rustic fell for Germany's Marcus Ehning and Gitania too but America's Beezie Madden and Judgement were en route to what looked like the first clear when lowering the very last. Madden opted for the 16 year old gelding when her top ride, Authentic, was unsound at the beginning of the week and things were looking very promising indeed over the early part of the track. The pair lost their rhythm at the wall at fence nine however and never managed to re-establish it, arriving awkwardly at the last.

Holland's Albert Zoer has been enjoying an extraordinary run with the great Okidoki but it was the considerably less experienced eight year old Sam, a real novice at this level of competition, that he set sail and the Calvados stallion gave an excellent account of himself when coming home with just a single mistake at the vertical at four. There was nothing small about any obstacle on this formidable track, fence four standing a full 1.55m followed by both elements of the following double at the same height and then a 1.60m spread at the following 1.50m rustic oxer.

Spreads and height mean little to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum's star horses however and the American-born German rider, hot favourite to take her third Top-10 title, was giving the fences plenty of air as she set off with Checkmate. From the time he entered the ring the Contender stallion seemed to be pulling like a train however and when his rider curved away from the outgate and presented him at the wall he ducked out determinedly. At the third leg of the 2007/2008 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series in Verona, Italy last month he had done exactly the same thing at a similar obstacle, and when Meredith asked him a second time today he repeated his refusal and was again eliminated.

There were now just three left to go in the first round, and when Germany's Christian Ahlmann and Coster hit the middle-element of the triple combination at fence eight it was left to the final two to show that a clear round was possible. And it was, as Kuerten confirmed when Castle Forbes Libertina produced an effortless tour of the track in 75.71 seconds.

Time would decide the starting order in round two, so when Ludger Beerbaum, who survived a spectacular hind-leg paddle from Couleur Rubin at the third element of the combination, also left the fences intact he was lying in second place at the halfway stage when the clock showed 76.22 seconds.

Starting round two in reverse order of merit it was Checkmate who was first to go over the new track which did not include a wall this time, but carrying 100 penalties after their first-round drama this partnership were well out of the reckoning when going clear in 63.16 seconds.

Michael Whitaker was three seconds quicker when following suit but, hampered by his first-round double-error was not going to make a big impression and when Ehning's mare clipped the notorious rustic oxer his tally rose to eight faults also.

Two more fences down kept Schroder out of the running while Ahlmann completed his evening with eight faults on the board after hitting the former fence 12, now fifth on the track, but Mandli's stallion was much sharper and soared home with a lovely run in 56.95 seconds to take the lead carrying just his first-round four faults.

Madden faulted twice as did Zoer and then it was down to the final two once again. And as Ludger Beerbaum's Couleur Rubin rolled the top pole off the vertical three from home then Mandli still held the lead as his time had been quicker. But the door was wide open for Kuerten and she would take full advantage of it.

In Castle Forbes Libertina the Irish rider has found something very special indeed. She has often described the mare as "wild" but "a real tryer" and the 38 year old World No. 3 has harnessed that wildness to produce a superb athlete and a true competitor. When put under pressure the mare often produces her best work and as they set off the horse-and-rider combination looked full of confidence and Libby, as her rider calls her, never looked like making a mistake, galloping through the finish clear in 59.13 seconds to help her rider become undisputed champion.

When asked if she felt under huge pressure going last into the ring today Kuerten replied "there is a lot of pressure in these type of competitions because you are competing against the best in the world but when you go into the final round you can't think about making a mistake. I know my horse is good enough, although I sometimes wonder if I'm good enough, but she tries every time and I'll certainly sleep well tonight!" she pointed out delightedly.

Beat Mandli blamed himself for his first-round error although he admitted that Ideo du Thot was a bit nervous going into the electric atmosphere in the packed Palexpo Arena and that he was very aware that the Swiss supporters were right behind him. "I'm super-happy with my horse" he pointed out however.

Ludger Beerbaum was asked about the "petit" fault that cost him dearly in the second round and replied "It was not a "petit" fault, it was quite a strong fault actually!" but he explained that Coleur Rubin is "quite shy and I had to press him too much in the first round and then he went too forward in the second round. Also" he added, "he is not my No. 1 horse".

"The Top-10 competition is a child of the IJRC (International Jumping Riders Club) and we are very proud of what we have achieved here in Geneva for seven years now. But riders have to see how much power they have left in their horses at the end of the long season. Not all of us still have our top horses at this stage but we are happy to compete in the Top-10 final - we are all obliged to come here and so I am very happy with third place" said the rider who won the title in both the opening 2001 season and again in 2002.

Jessica Kuerten was even happier with first place, the €30,000 winners prize and her brand new Rolex watch - "I'm going to be feeling very posh now wearing this!" she quipped, but she was even happier with the performance of Castle Forbes Libertina who has helped her join the elite group who have claimed the title since its inception. All the previous winners have won twice, Rodrigo Pessoa heading the line-up in 2003 and 2006 and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in 2004 and 2006 so she'll be hoping to do the double too. With a horse like Libertina anything is possible - "nothing is too big, too high or too wide for her - she is a wonder-horse!" the rider said.....

RESULT:

IJRC Top-10 FINAL presented by ROLEX - 1, Castle Forbes Libertina (Jessica Kuerten) 0/0 59.13; 2, Ideo du Thot (Beat Mandli) Sui 4/0 56.95; 3, Couleur Rubin (Ludger Beerbaum) Ger 0/4 61.49; 4, Coster (Christian Ahlmann) Ger 4/4 56.44; 5, Gitania (Marcus Ehning) Ger 4/4 57.60; 6, Insul Tech Mozart des Hayettes (Michael Whitaker) GBR 8/0 60.03; 7, Sam (Albert Zoer) Ned 4/8 51.85; 8, Judgement (Beezie Madden) USA 4/8 56.65; 9, Eurocommerce Acapulco (Gerco Schroder) Ned 4/8 60.07; 10, Checkmate (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) Ger 4/8 60.07.

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