Samsung Super League update

The 2005 Samsung Super League series draws to a climax next weekend in Barcelona, Spain and with the teams at both the top and bottom of the table bunched so closely together it promises to be a truly exciting finale to a great season of team jumping.

With double points up for grabs the leaderboard could look significantly different by the late afternoon of Sunday September 18th, but the formbook would suggest that the closing stages of the eight-leg series will come down to a fierce battle between the USA, Germany and Great Britain.

Following their convincing victory in Aachen two weeks ago, the Americans are in pole position once again but have only a four-point lead over Germany so they will need to stay on their toes. With so many of the top riders and horses competing at the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Canada this weekend some of the teams for Barcelona have been affected, but the US still looks strong with McLain Ward, who was so impressive in Aachen, joined by Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Aaron Vale and Jeffery Welles.

Strangely, there was nothing at all convincing about the all-conquering Germans who, on their home ground, only barely managed to squeeze in ahead of the last-placed Irish but that unexpected result is likely to prove just a momentary lapse when Pia-Louise Aufrecht, Markus Beerbaum, Heinrich Hermann Engemann, Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst and Ulrich Kirchhoff get down to business next Sunday

Lying two points behind the Germans, the British are still in with a real chance of taking the title. They have shown remarkable resilience this season when, despite a severe shortage of both man-power and horse-power, they have come out on top twice - in Rome and Dublin - but they will be feeling the absence of Nick Skelton who, with the brilliant Arko, has been the lynchpin of the squad for some time now. Michael Whitaker, his niece Ellen and his nephew Robert are included in the side for Barcelona along with Robert Maguire and newcomer Tim Gredley.

The Swiss, a full nine points further adrift in fourth place, are taking no chances when sending the best they have to offer in the shape of Markus Fuchs, European silver medallist Christina Liebherr, Lesley McNaught, Niklaus Schurtenberger and Pius Schwizer. Switzerland just lost out on qualification for the inaugural Samsung Super League season in 2003 and there is clear determination to stay in the series now that they have made the grade. They are likely to present formidable opposition at this closing leg.

Next in line are the French, just a half-point behind the Swiss having enjoyed a season of mixed fortunes including a win in St Gallen and poor performances in Hickstead and Dublin. However they really got their act together in Aachen when finishing equal-second with the Dutch and they are fielding the same team, once again with their top horses, so they should be a force to be reckoned with. The French line-up includes Eugenie and Florian Angot, Gilles Bertran de Balanda and Herve Godignon with Philippe Leoni as fifth man, but the dream of that hat-trick of Samsung Super League titles seems to have drifted away.

While a win at the final leg and overall victory in the series will create a great deal of excitement, there will also be plenty of interest in what happens at the other end of the leaderboard. The team finishing last after Barcelona drops down to the ordinary nations' cup series while another country takes their place and that is a painful prospect for any of the Super League sides. It is a fate that could befall any of the last three teams since there is only a difference of four points between the Belgians in sixth spot, the Dutch in seventh and the Irish in eighth as the final leg begins.

So Belgium is sending outs Kristoff Cleeren, Dirk Demeersman, Marc van Djick, Jean-Claude Vangeenberghe and Ludo Philippaerts with clear instructions to keep their heads above water and to ensure that, whatever the result, they finish ahead of the other two. There is no margin for error here as only a half-point separates them from the Dutch and a last-minute stumble could prove fatal.

The Dutch have an advantage of 3.5 points over the Irish and they are taking every precaution to ensure that they maintain it when sending out European bronze medallist Jeroen Dubbeldam, Piet Raymakers, Gerco Schroder, Harrie Smolders and Leon Thijssen but, although their tails may be up after their European team bronze medal success in July, their form has been patchy. They need to give this one last effort their full attention because, if they don't, there could be a very high price to pay.

Because the Irish may be down, but they are not yet out. Absolute underdogs, lacking the support of some of their top team members due to internal wrangling, and bruised and battered after a summer of controversy they will still come out fighting and they are totally committed to the job that lies ahead of them. They were hugely unlucky when finishing last in Aachen, denied runner-up spot due to a freak moment for Billy Twomey and his mare Anastasia when their normally symbiotic relationship suffered a momentary, and extremely expensive, crisis at the very last obstacle on the course. They send out the Aachen team of Twomey, world champion Dermott Lennon, Shane Carey and Shane Breen and had been hoping to add in the Olympic partnership of Cian O'Connor and Waterford Crystal but O'Connor's top ride has not fully recovered from a recurring splint problem so he travels with the talented but inexperienced eight year old mare Irish Independent Echo Beach instead.

They have a lot to do if they are to survive, but the stage is set for one last thriller and Breen, who on his Aachen debut produced a clear first round, said after the German fixture - "don't write us off yet, its not over until its over"......

A total of nine teams will compete in Barcelona as the host country will also be represented by Ricardo Jurado, Rutherford Latham, Sergio Alvarez Moya, Alvaro Munoz Escassi and Miguel Honrubia.

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE LEADERBOARD (after Round 7 in Aachen):
1. USA - 43
2. Germany - 39
3. Great Britain - 37
4. Switzerland - 28
5. France - 27.5
6. Belgium - 19
7. The Netherlands - 18.5
8. Ireland - 15

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE - NATIONAL PRIDE, INTERNATIONAL PASSION!

The final takes place at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona on Sunday 18 September. Show President is Joaquin Calvo Jaques, Show Director is Hanspeter Vogelsanger and Press Officer is Isabel Suter - contact isuter@rcpolo.com, tel:             +3493203 1008      , fax +3493205 5516, website www.csiobarcelona.com.