RUNAWAY VICTORY FOR GERMANY, BUT IT'S FAREWELL TO FRANCE.......
The 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI final at Barcelona in Spain lived up to expectations today when, in a nail-biting thriller, Germany registered a second successive series title along with victory on the day.
But for France, champions over the first two seasons of this hugely popular and high-profile Nations Cup series, it was a case of so near and yet so far and luck played a big part as they were forced into relegation. A single fence separated them from the Swedish team who slotted into joint-second place with The Netherlands at the end of the day, and the Swedes owe a great deal to Holland's Gerco Schroder. Without his single second-round error they would not have shared runner-up spot and gained the extra two points that made all the difference in the final standings.
For the winning side it was a bit of a walk in the park. Christian Ahlmann and Lorenzo produced one of three double-clear performances - the other two coming from The Netherlands' Albert Zoer and Okidoki and Spain's Gonzalo Testa Ornat with Mme Pompadour. And Ahlmann could proudly say that he had not made a single mistake throughout the 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI this summer - "I had no faults with either Coster or Lorenzo" he pointed out with a big smile. It is his team-mate Marcus Ehning however who claims the €30,000 Leading Rider prize and today he did not even need to jump in the second round when, last to go, his services were surplus to requirements.
Ehning secured the German first-round zero score when foot-perfect with Sandro Boy after Ahlmann made it all look easy and Marco Kutscher's young grey stallion, Comet Obolensky, did likewise allowing them to dispense with errors for Thomas Muhlbauer and Asti Spumante at the water at fence 7 an the oxer at fence 10. The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and the USA shared second spot, each carrying eight faults at the halfway stage, while France was next in line with 12, Belgium and Switzerland each carried 20 and the British - having yet another of their topsy turvy afternoon's - already had 28 on the board.
The line from the FEI vertical at fence five to the water-tray oxer at six and the open water at seven proved pivotal for many as did the final run down the triple combination to the last of Frank Rothenberger's 12 cleverly-place obstacles. The distance from fence five to fence six asked for a carefully-executed seven strides and then a forward five to the following water, while the treble was big and tight and tested tiring legs to the limit.
Second into the ring, Britain's Robert Smith and Ronaldo fell victim to the FEI vertical and then clipped both the second and third elements of the penultimate triple and when Tina Fletcher, very much a newcomer to this level of the sport and clearly struggling to stay afloat with the mare Overa, collected 24 faults the eight picked up by both David McPherson with Pilgrim 11 and John Whitaker with the coloured stallion Cortaflex utah van Erpekom had to be taken into account.
The Dutch looked like giving the Germans a run for their money when Jeroen Dubbeldam and BMC Up and Down and Zoer and Okidoki were clear but when both Ben and Gerco Schroder double-faulted, with BMC Rupert and Eurocommerce Berlin respectively, they lost their edge. Berlin seemed to seriously lose his jump towards the end of the first round and backed right off the triple combination but the handsome grey stallion recovered dramatically in the second round.
The French made the perfect start with Florian Angot and First de Launay keeping a clean sheet, but Aymeric de Ponnat was fortunate not to collect even more than 16 faults, helped by some luck on his way around the track, and when Kevin Staut's Kraque Boom Bois Margot hit the middle element of the treble and Olivier Guillon and Ionesco de Brekka did the same having already lowered the second element of the double at fence nine they began to slip.
The Swedes were under no illusions about the fact that they were the underdogs and had a big job ahead of them. Lying last on the series leaderboard going into the competition they were gritting their teeth and hoping for the best but when the middle of the treble and the final oxer both fell for opener Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Esprit it was a shaky start. Helen Lundback however is clearly showing the benefits of some training with German start Ludger Beerbaum. Her seat is more upright giving her diminutive figure greater security on the big mare Madick who returned clear to raise Swedish hopes, and when Royne Zetterman and Isaac did the same it was looking very good indeed. However Rolf-Goran Bengtsson's eight faults with Ninja la Silla made them look vulnerable again.
For Belgium both Philippe Le Jeune (Vigo d'Arsouilles) and Marc Van Dijck (Verelst Goliath) registered only single errors while both Niels Bruynseels (Item de Quintin) and Jos Lansink (Al Kaheel Turbo R) picked up 12 but the non-Super League Spanish were impressive when, following Ornat's opening clear and just single mistakes from Sergio Alvarez Moya (Le Reve du Nabab) and Manuel Fernandez Saro (Jakomo 2), the 12 recorded by Ricardo Jurado (Procasa Julia des Brumes) could be dropped.
One down for both Theo Muff with Con Spirito R and Markus Fuchs with Nirmette was somewhat negated by 12 from Christina Liebherr and LB Robin Hood and 16 from Jane Richard with Jalla de Gaverie but the Americans enjoyed a well-balanced afternoon when Laura Kraut (Anthem), Christine McCrea (Vegas) and Todd Minikus (Olinda) all faulted just once while Beezie Madden and Judgement produced a very nice opening clear. The second fence, an oxer off a left-hand turn, proved a big of a bogey for the US riders however as the day progressed....and the pure honesty of McCrea's stallion who never flinched despite the heart-stopping bad stride that led to his error at the water-try oxer was quite remarkable.....
The British didn't get much better as the second round began, Fletcher retiring after putting another five on the floor and another 20 added to their tally to eventually finish last with a total of 49, while the Swiss added another 16 and had to settle for second-last place. Four fences down for Van Dijck forced the Belgians to count single-errors from his team-mates so they slotted into seventh in the final analysis while the Spanish secured sixth spot. The Germans had it all sewn up when Ahlmann produced his second clear and Muhlbauer and Kutscher faulted just once, but it was the Dutch result that played a huge role in the relegation battle. Not that they were in any danger themselves when Dubbeldam hit the second and Ben Schroder stood far too far off the water-tray oxer at six - a mistake made by many as the second round evolved. It was just that if they could produce two clears now, then they would finish second giving them 14 points to add to their tally. Zoer did go clear but Berlin and Gerco Schroder hit the middle element of the dreaded triple combination and this left them on level pegging with the Swedes.
Locked in mortal combat and with everything to lose the Swedes had gained a one-fence advantage over the French by the halfway stage but a clear from Guillon and de Brekka put a gun to their heads when ensuring de Ponnat's second-round eight faults could be discarded leaving only four each from Angot and Staut to be added to the French total. Baryard-Johnsson hit the second element of the double at fence nine second time out, Lundback hit the middle of the treble and Zetterman hit both the final element there and the vertical at five for eight faults so you could hear a pin drop when Bengtsson came into the ring with Ninja. The neat little 12 year old gelding had not looked entirely convincing first time out when clipping both the second and the final fences but Bengtsson produced a dream round, measuring each stride to perfection to return clear and this was enough to ensure joint-second - and therefore a half-share of 24 points - for the Swedish team. Third place would have only given them only 10 which would have left them trailing the French by 0.5 points. It was a cruel defeat for the French who finished level with the Americans in fourth, but one team was always going to lose their place and fate decided it would be them.....
"I can hardly believe it" said Swedish Chef d'Equipe Maria Gretzer as she prepared her team for the prize-giving ceremony. "It was all so close.....it could have gone either way" she pointed out. The Germans of course were very satisfied at having clinched a second consecutive title in the finest of style and Christian Ahlmann said "it's been a super day and we have enjoyed a really great season" while Marco Kutscher said "it wasn't that easy, and I'm really pleased with my horse because he is only eight years old and this was his first Nations Cup - I was very proud of him!" Marcus Ehning's recent run of luck has not been the best. The nightmare he endured when his mare, Noltes Kuchengirl, was eliminated throughout the European Show Jumping Championship in Mannheim has been a horrible experience but he was all grins today as he collected the Leading Rider prize and said "for me it has been a very good Super League season. I rode at six legs of the series and jumped eight clear rounds and today I didn't even have to go in the second round. It has been great to be part of this team". However he pointed out that he has been told by the German Federation that he is not a contender for next year's Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Not even with Sandro Boy he was asked? "No" he replied "everyone knows that Mannheim was bad for me and they don't think I have a horse for the Olympics" and when some people raised eyebrows in disbelief he muttered "life goes on".....
Life will go on for the French too. No doubt they will re-group and return to the world's premier Nations Cup series in the near future. But for now they must say farewell to the elite group of nations who will soon by joined by the winners of the FEI Nations Cup.....
RESULT:
1. GERMANY - 8 faults: Lorenzo (Christian Ahlmann) 0/0, Asti Spumante (Thomas Muhlbauer) 8/4, Comet Obolensky (Marco Kutscher) 0/4, Sandro Boy (Marcus Ehning) 0/DNS.
EQUAL 2. THE NETHERLANDS - 16 faults; BMC Up and Down (Jeroen Dubbeldam) 0/4, BMC Rupert R (Ben Schroder) 8/4, Okidoki (Albert Zoer) 0/0, Eurocommerce Berlin (Gerco Schroder) 8/4.
EQUAL 2. SWEDEN - 16 faults: H&M Esprit (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 8/4, Madick (Helena Lundback) 0/4, Isaac (Royne Zetterman) 0/8, Ninja la Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 8/0.
EQUAL 4. FRANCE - 20 faults : First de Launay (Florian Angot) 0/4, Jubilee d'Ouilly (Aymeric de Ponnat) 16/8, Kraque Boom Bois Margot (Kevin Staut) 4/4, Ionesco de Brekka (Olivier Guillon) 8/0.
EQUAL 4. USA - 20 faults: Anthem (Laura Kraut) 4/8, Vegas (Christine McCrea) 4/4, Olinda (Todd Minikus) 4/4, Judgement (Beezie Madden) 0/4.
6. SPAIN - 24 faults: Procasa Julia des Brumes (Ricardo Jurado) 12/8, Le Reve du Nabab (Sergio Alvarez Moya) 4/8, Mme Pompadour (Gonzalo Testa Ornat) 0/0, Jakomo (Manuel Fernandez Saro) 4/8.
7. BELGIUM - 32 faults; Vigo d'Arsouilles (Philippe Le Jeune) 4/4, Item de Quintin (Niels Bruynseels) 12/4 Verelst Goliath (Marc Van Djick) 4/16, Al Kaheel Turbo R (Jos Lansink) 12/4.
8. SWITZERLAND - 36 faults: LB Robin Hood (Christina Liebherr) 12/12, Jalla de Gaverie (Jane Richard) 16/8, Con Spirito R (Theo Muff) 4/4, Nirmette (Markus Fuchs) 4/4.
9. GREAT BRITAIN - 49 faults; Ronaldo (Robert Smith) 12/8, Pilgrim (David McPherson) 8/4, Overa (Tina Fletcher) 28/Ret, Cortaflex Utah Van Erpekom (John Whitaker) 8/9.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE WITH FEI - FINAL STANDINGS AFTER BARCELONA:
1. Germany - 67.75
2. The Netherlands - 37.50
3. Switzerland - 34.75
4. USA - 33.50
5. Belgium - 31.75
6. Great Britain - 31.50
7. Sweden - 28.50
8. France - 27.25.
The FINAL of the 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI series was staged in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday September 16. Show President is Joaquin Calvo Jaques, Show Director is Hans Peter Vogelsanger and Press Officer is Isabel Suter - email isuter@rcpolo.com. For further information check out WEBSITE www.csiobarcelona.com.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE WITH FEI - 2007 CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
ROUND 1 - La Baule (FRA) Friday 11 May; ROUND 2 - Rome (ITA) Friday 25 May; ROUND 3 - St Gallen (SUI) Friday 1 June; ROUND 4 - Rotterdam (NED) Friday 22 June; ROUND 5 - Aachen (GER) Thursday 5 July; ROUND 6 - Hickstead (GBR) Friday 27 July; ROUND 7 - Dublin (IRL) Friday 10 August; ROUND 8 and FINAL - Barcelona (ESP) Sunday 16 September.
FEI TELEVISION BROADCAST INFORMATION FOR SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE WITH FEI FINAL AT BARCELONA::
LIVE
RAI (Italy) - Check local service
Equidia (France) - Sunday 16 September 20.45, Monday 17 September 10.00
TV3 (Spain) - Sunday 16 September 19.00, Monday 17 September 10.00
Sport Espressen (Sweden) - Check local service
WCSN (USA) - Sunday 16 September 14.00
HIGHLIGHTS
CBC Country (Canada) - Saturday 22 September 14.00, 20.00, 23.00
CNBC Europe - Sunday 23 September 17.00
CNBC Asia - Saturday 22 September 15.00
ESPN Brazil - Check local service
ESPN Star (Pan Asia) - Check local service
Eurosport - Wednesday 19 September 20.00, Thursday 20 September 08.30
Finnish Sport TV - Saturday 29 September 18.25
Fox Sports (Middle East) - Check local service
M-Net (Pan Africa) - Friday 5 October 20.00, Saturday 6 october 06.30, Sunday 7 October 10.30,
Monday 8 October 09.00, tuesday 9 October 13.00, Wednesday 10 october 15.00
Sport TV (Portugal) - Check local service
Sport + (France) - Monday 24 September 22.15
You can access all the latest Samsung Super League with FEI news and information on website www.samsungsuperleague.com.
Want to know more? You can check the comprehensive MEDIA GUIDE for the series, which is available in print and for download at www.samsungsuperleague.com under "Media Guide" heading.
PHOTOGRAPHS - a Photo Gallery of pictures is available on the Samsung Super League with FEI website for use by professional media only. The gallery will be regularly updated with low and high-resolution photographs and is password protected. To obtain a password follow the simple instructions when clicking on the link.
The Samsung Super League with FEI consists of the eight most prestigious horse shows at which the world's eight best national teams compare their merit. The Samsung Super League with FEI is connected to the FEI Nations Cup series through a promotion/relegation system at the end of each season.
Samsung Electronics, one of the world's largest electronics companies, is committed to supporting international sporting events, thereby returning corporate profits to the public and working towards a more harmonious and equitable society.
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