Second Consecutive Win for Invincible Jessica Kürten

Last week in Leipzig Jessica Kürten competed her top mare Castle Forbes Libertina for the first time in the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition of the season and won the full 20 points. Today in Zürich, in Libertina’s second qualifying competition, the Irish girl from Hünxe, Germany, jumped her way to the final in Las Vegas, winning the second Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in one week time. She left Mikael Forsten riding Isaac du Jonquet in second and Marcus Ehning aboard Plot Blue in third place. Having collected 40 points Jessica Kürten can book a flight to Las Vegas. But today Jessica took herself by surprise and now she has to rethink her calendar. At which, before Zürich, was no place for Las Vegas.

 “This is the beauty of the World Cup”, said Jessica, having a nice Mercedes MPV and a beautiful Rolex watch in her purse. “Anything can happen. I’ve had years when I was really trying to qualify for the final, but had a rail down every time. Today Hugo Simon went clear, with all due respect, in spite of his age. But Clarissa Crotta also went clear, on a young horse. When we were walking the course I really felt this was going to be tough. And then one after the other went clear!”

Course designer Rolf Lüdi commented: “Having 15 in the jump off one would think the competition was not very big. Nothing is further from the truth! The quality of riding today really was amazing.”

Terribly nervous

“As always, I was terribly nervous”, continued Jessica Kürten. “I saw Mikael Forsten and Marcus Ehning riding in the jump off. When Marcus was slower than Mikael, I thought: well, am I supposed to be faster than this!? I had considered leaving one stride out going to the Rolex oxer, but I thought that would be too risky. Although Libertina did her famous sprint to the last fence, I still was not sure that I would win when I jumped it.”

Mikael Forsten felt that he had lost it in that last line. “I could have done one stride less. But being second here today is fantastic, I’m very happy with this result.”

No plan for final

Indeed anything can happen in the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition. Take the numbers 1 and 2 of today, Jessica Kürten and Mikael Forsten. Kürten is already qualified for the final, but she may decide not to go to Las Vegas at all. “At first I didn’t plan to take Libertina to the final and Quibell flies really bad. After the trip to Doha I promised her that she would not fly again. But sometimes plans need to be revised, I didn’t expect to win two qualifiers in a row and have myself selected for the final. So we have to think and talk about this.”

Mikael Forsten takes the opposite position. The number two of the exciting Zürich leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition desperately wants to go to Las Vegas, but ranking 14^th and with Bordeaux, Vigo, Göteborg and ‘s Hertogenbosch still to go, the Fin can not sit back and relax. “I’m still looking for a couple of points, to make sure that I can compete in Las Vegas.”

Spectacular debut

The Rolex FEI World Cup™ was held in Zürich for the first time. The show made a spectacular debut to the World Cup calendar. Not many arena’s can compete with the beauty, size and hi tech equipment of the Hallenstadion. And not many events are as professional and able to guarantee superb sport. Zürich, with over a million Swiss francs in prize money the richest indoor event of the world, can be expected to stay on the FEI World Cup™ list. “This beautiful show enhances the World Cup competition”, said FEI-show jumping director John Roche. “And I don’t think the World Cup does any harm to the Mercedes CSI of Zürich.”

Rolf Lüdi is only one of the assets of the Mercedes CSI of Zürich. Lüdi put a lot of delicacy in his design for the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition. With options between 6 or 7 strides the Swiss course designer put the riders to the test of loosing their rhythm. Third to go Markus Fuchs, recovered from problems with his back, almost got caught in this trap, but fought his way to the finish aboard La Toya III in a clear round.

Four Swiss riders

No less than four Swiss riders with clean sheets gave their home crowd of 11.500 spectators a great time. Clarissa Crotta managed to stay clear for the second time, riding Westside van Meerputhoeve, the spitting image of her father Baloubet du Rouet (0/38.75 seconds). But Mikael Forsten raced the result of the Swiss lady rider to smithereens, galloping towards the Rolex oxer in five risky strides (0/33.86 seconds).

Rodrigo Pessoa tried hard aboard Rufus to win the keys of the big shiny Mercedes, but his short cut to the planks was penalised by four faults. Christina Liebherr thrilled the crowd attacking the second fence, but holding her spirited LB No Mercy for a six stride to the subsequent Rolex oxer, the hind legs of her horse hit the second rail.

Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue gave jumping lessons. This was a true demonstration of beauty, the rider adapting his horse to any distance by adding – or leaving out – a few meters or simply making his stallion jump from a straight or a more diagonal approach. It was fluent, it was excellent, but is was not fast enough: 0/34.60 seconds. “I thought the five strides to the Rolex oxer was too risky for my horse”, said Ehning. The German can reorganise his indoor season, after winning 15 points in Zürich. “Plot Blue will have a rest now, I will ride Leconte in Las Vegas.”

Spot on

Contrary to her own mental state Jessica Kürten was invincible. She attacked the two strategically placed verticals where time could be spared, the turn to the planks was spot on, the last line could not be faster. “Ludger Beerbaum, Edwina Alexander, Pius Schwizer and Albert Zoer still had to go, so I wasn’t to sure”, said Jessica. But the audience had already seen the winner, Jessica’s 0 in 32.17 seconds could not be beaten.

And indeed, Beerbaum, Alexander and Schwizer had faults and Zoer’s horse Sam even had a refusal, picking up a total of 9 faults for his rider.

Results of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition in Zürich:

1) Jessica Kürten (IRE), Castle Forbes Libertina, 0-0/32.17 sec
2) Mikael Forsten (FIN), Isaac du Joquet, 0-0/33.86 sec
3) Marcus Ehning (GER), Plot Blue, 0-0/34.60 sec
4) Jos Lansink (BEL), Valentina van ‘t Heike, 0-0/37.25 sec
5) Clarissa Crotta (SUI), Westside van Meerputhoeve, 0-0/38.75 sec
6) Edwina Alexander (AUS), Late Night, 0-4/34.15 sec
7) Christina Liebherr (SUI), LB No Mercy, 0-4/34.71 sec
8) Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), Rufus, 0-4/34.72 sec 

Standings after 9 of 13 competitions:

1) Edwina Alexander (AUS), 56
2) Steve Guerdat (SUI), 51
3) Gerco Schröder (NED), 47
4) Daniel Etter (SUI), 45
5) Marcus Ehning (GER), 44
6) Ludo Philippaerts (BEL), 41
7) Jessica Kürten (IRE), 40
8) Thomas Velin (DEN), 39
9) Ben Maher (GBR), 39
10) Geir Gulliksen (NOR), 39
11) Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER), 35 (already qualified)
12) Max Kühner (GER), 34
13) Rutherford Latham (ESP), 33
14) Mikael Forsten (FIN), 33
15) Jos Lansink (BEL), 33
16) Helena Lundbäck (SWE), 30
17) Albert Zoer (NED), 30
18) Lars Nieberg (GER), 29