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Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping

Media updates
03 November 2008 Author: webmaster
Next stop: Verona… 
 

The third Rolex FEI World Cup™ qualifier is about to unfold at the Fieracavalli in Verona as the magical Italian city gets set to welcome a star studded line out from all around the globe from 7 to 9 November. For the Fieracavalli, which began as a simple horse market in 1898, this will be anything but a simple competition, with the world’s best vying the top spot, such as Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Marcus Ehning and Ludger Beerbaum, or Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker and Robert Smith, French contenders Roger-Yves Bost and Michel Robert, Switzerland's Daniel Etter and Steve Guerdat to name but a few…  

 

Last year, Albert Zoer (NED) produced a stunning victory with his great gelding Oki Doki, one of the most popular horses on the international circuit, and the brilliant partnership will be returning to defend their title again this season. Apart from the formidable talent already mentioned above, he will also have to contend with fellow-countrymen Gerco Schroder and Leon Thijssen. Not to mention that he is only recently back in the saddle after a long recuperation period having broken his leg in a riding accident just days after winning the prestigious Grand Prix of Aachen in July with his other top ride, Sam. It has been a long, hard road back to fitness, but the 33 year old rider believes he is ready to tackle the world’s best.

 

"My leg feels much stronger now so I hope I am ready" he said this week.  "Verona will be my first big test - I am bringing Oki and Sam and I am really looking forward to it because it is a fantastic show" he added. 

He was on the crest of a wave this summer before it suddenly all fell apart for the man who was hot-favourite for a medal at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong.  A fall while schooling a young horse left him with a shattered left leg as well as shattered Dutch hopes of adding Olympic gold to the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2007 FEI European titles. "Albert was one of the pillars of the Orange quartet for the Olympic Games" said the deeply disappointed Dutch Federation at the time. And, as it turned out, his absence was keenly felt.

 

But some competitors are made of sterner stuff than others, and that is what makes Albert and Oki the perfect partnership.  The 12 year old KWPN gelding also suffered a freak accident just a few weeks before his rider when, while playing around as he was being tacked up for a competition in Rotterdam in June, he dislocated his jaw and damaged his teeth when he caught his mouth on a metal bar in the stable. He recovered quickly enough, though, needing just a weeks rest following the accident.  

His trauma that weekend however opened the door for Albert's second horse, Sam, who got the opportunity to show just how good he could be when storming to success in the Rotterdam Grand Prix and, with that triumph under his belt, the nine year old then came out to do it again in Aachen a few weeks later.  Albert should have been travelling to Hong Kong bursting with confidence after this fantastic run of form, but fate had other plans and the last three months have instead been spent restoring his own good health. Now however, he is roaring to go and he has the Western European leg – Verona - of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ seriously in his sights.   

 

Press accreditation for the show is now open, and you are invited to apply.

 

For more information, visit website www.jumpingverona.it or check out the latest news at www.feiworldcup.org

 

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