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FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2006/2007 - 's-Hertogenbosch (NED)

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24 March 2007 Author: webmaster
Zetterman creates a Swedish shockwave
 
Even at the final qualifying leg of the 2006/2007 FEI World Cup Jumping series at 's-Hertogenbosch there were still surprises in store as, after 12 thrilling competitions earlier in the season, the thirteenth qualifying round produced a great winning performance from the unassuming Swedish rider Royne Zetterman and his big gelding, Isaac.

On a very tough afternoon of jumping only four horse-and-rider combinations went through to the second-round jump-off and the result was unpredictable to the very end. But at last the questions about who will make the cut to jump at the final in Las Vegas next month are answered. A total of eighteen riders have earned their places from the Western European League along with Australia's Edwina Alexander and the defending champion from Germany, Marcus Ehning. Today's winner is only on the reserve waiting list however, but he wasn't complaining. "This is my first ever World Cup victory so I'm very, very happy!" Zetterman said with delight this afternoon.

Course designer Frank Rothenberger certainly didn't make it easy to earn those decisive, last-minute qualifying points. His first-round test was over a spectacular course that presented challenges at every turn. The dog-leg line from the vertical at three to the following triple combination proved the undoing of many, and one of the most surprising victims was the ultra-experienced Isovlas Pialotta, who slammed to a halt when arriving in a bad spot in front of this one. The mare's absolute honesty was apparent by her willingness to pop it easily when asked again by Edwina Alexander who finished with just five faults on the board despite the momentary drama. The next line was a real rider-frightener with a 1.60m triple bar followed by four strides to the flimsiest of blue wavy planks over water, and then either three long or four short strides to the 1.60m FEI vertical. The genuine nature of many of world's best show jumping horses was tested here, but one that drew a gasp from the crowd was Marco Kutscher's clever, clever Controe who defied his rider's instructions and opted for an extra one down the second distance. Kutscher, who eventually finished third, was amused himself at the end of the day. "I wanted to go on three to the vertical but Controe jumped too high over the water planks. I still asked him for just the three but he decided he knew better - and he was right!" the 2005 European champion said afterwards.

Another tricky line from the oxer at fence 11 to two drunken rustic verticals at fence 12 saw poles fall time and again and clear rounds were hard-earned, with 13 through the finish before Zetterman found the key. Another 11 toured the track before Austria's Thomas Fruhmann and The Sixth Sense made it look a bit easy as they joined the Swedish partnership in the jump-off and then Kutscher and Controe followed suit for Germany but only one more, the home side's Albert Zoer and Okidoki, could do likewise. On a day that created some unusual results Britain's Michael Whitaker, who was second-last into the ring, picked up an uncharacteristic 12 faults with Suncal Portofino while last into the ring, the super-efficient German duo of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly clipped the first element of the triple combination for four faults to miss out on a place in the dramatic finale.

Zetterman's 11 year old gelding caught the front bar of the oxer three from home to kick off the deciding round with four faults in 40.81 so didn't seem likely to complete at the head of affairs but Thomas Fruhmann's The Sixth Sense arrived unbalanced to the same fence and, having clipped that, also knocked the following two for a total of 12 faults in 41.93 seconds to leave the door still wide open. Kutscher then set off with Controe and had made a clear plan. "I decided to go for a slow clear" he said afterwards, "but it didn't work out". Controe left all the fences intact until hitting the penultimate vertical and with the clock showing 49.46 seconds and four faults on the board it was the Swedish rider who was still out in front. No-one could have expected however that the final partnership would fault at the very first fence. Albert Zoer's World Championship winning partner Okidoki arrived deep at the opening triple bar and the home crowd gasped with horror when, despite their best efforts, the Dutch duo crossed the line with four faults and trailing the Swedish leaders by almost two seconds to slot into runner-up spot.

Zoer had taken a very nasty fall from Lincoln during the previous evening's Grand Prix jump-off when the pair seemed to lose the plot a bit and, getting wilder and wilder as they galloped round the track, missed badly at the oxer at fence 10 which Lincoln paddled through before crash-landing. "He was a bit stiff and bruised this morning, and so was I" the Dutch rider pointed out this afternoon, but he was not using that as any excuse for his performance today. "I'm actually very satisfied with Okidoki, he has had two months off and I think he is jumping really well" he said, unperturbed by the fact that he could not provide a win for his home fans at this, the 40th anniversary show at the Brabanthalle in 's-Hertogenbosch.

On Saturday he joined fellow WEG gold medallists Gerco Schroder and Piet Raymakers to accept the Dutch Rider of the Year Trophy at a special afternoon ceremony during which Dutch Chef d'Equipe Rob Ehrens was also honoured, and with over 70,000 spectators over the weekend the 2007 's-Hertogenbosch fixture was declared another great success. For Royne Zetterman it certainly was a day to remember. He won the Grand Prix in Stockholm last December, but his most recent major individual victory prior to that had been the Grand Prix in Luxembourg in 1997, so today was a real cause for celebration. And he was full of praise for Isaac. "He is not the fastest horse in the world, but he is one of the scopiest" he pointed out, "and today the track suited him because it was big".

The FEI's John Roche dismissed any suggestion that Frank Rothenberger had set too tough a test, saying "this was the last qualifying round before the final and it was a fair preparation for that. To build anything else would not be doing the horses and riders any favours. In Las Vegas the courses will be technical and horses will be competing in a small ring - today's track was a very good one". So now the show jumping world has its sights set on the show-biz city in Nevada desert where, in four weeks time, the 2006-2007 FEI World Cup™ Jumping title will finally be decided.

RESULT: 1, Isaac (R Zetterman) Swe 0/4 40.81; 2, Okidoki (Albert Zoer) Ned 0/4 42.26; 3, Controe (Marco Kutscher) Ger 0/4 49.46; 4, The Sixth Sense (Thomas Fruhmann) Aut 0/12 41.93; 5, Upsilon D'Ocquier (Daniel Deusser) Ger 4/64.51; 6, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) Ger 4/65.08; 7, Couleur Rubin (Ludger Beerbaum) Ger 4/66.23; 8, Van Schijndel's Curtis (Piet Raymakers) Ned 4/66.38; 9, Van Schijndel's Rascin (Piet Raymakers Jnr) 5/66.71; 10, Gitania (Marcus Ehning) Ger 4/67.37; 11, Audi's Alpapillon-Armanie (Vincent Voorn) Ned 4/68.21; 12, Camiro (Tony Andre Hansen) Nor 4/68.33; 13, Al Kaheel Spender S (Jos Lansink) Bel 4/68.57; 14, SIEC Concept (Cameron Hanley) Irl 4/68.6; 15, Cigale du Taillis (Eugenie Angot) Fra 4/70.01; 16, Isovlas Pialotta (Edwina Alexander) Aus 5/74.96; 17, Peu a Peu (Daniel Etter) Sui 8/65.35; 18, Fresh Direct Corlato (T Stockdale) GBR 8/66.17; 19, Rohodos (Henk Van de Pol) Ned 8/66.32; 20, Gran Corrado (Yves Houtackers) Ned 8/67.42; 21, Galopin du Biolait (Jessica Kurten) Irl 8/67.71; 22, Blauwendraad's O'Brien (Angelique Hoorn) Ned 8/67.96; 23, Audi's Naomie (Maikel Van der Vleuten) Ned 8/68.18; 24, Caitano (Taizo Sugitani) Jpn 8/69.13; 25, Carola (Tina Lund) Den 8/69.41; 26, Eurocommerce Milano (Gerco Schroder) Ned 8/70.18; 27, BMC Octavia (Jurgen Stenfert) Ned 8/71.69; 28, Kira Bell (Rene Tebbel) Ger 9/74.53; 29, Butterfly Flip (Malin BaryardJohnsson) Swe 12/66.54; 30, Loro Piana Albin (Juan Carlos Garcia) Ita 12/66.75; 31, Thesaura (Mark Armstrong) GBR 12/68.11; 32, Suncal Portofino (Michael Whitaker) GBR 12/69.63; 33, Exquis Oliver Q (Harrie Smolders) ned 12/70.63; 34, Opium (Marc Houtzager) Ned 12/71.23; 35, Ever Mury Marais Z (Patrick McEntee) Bel 12/71.58; 36, Sea Coast Canan (Kristof Cleeren) Bel 13/72.08; equal 37, VDL Gr. Kwidanta VD Laarse Heide (Mathijs Van Asten) Ned, Audi's Pitareusa (Eric van der Vleuten) Ned, 37, VDL Groep Fleche Rouge (Leopold Van Asten) Ned, Grande Dame (Judy-Ann Melchior) Bel Retired.

FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING 2006/2007 - WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 13 AT 's-HERTOGENBOSCH:

RIDERS QUALIFIED FOR THE FINAL:

1. Christian Ahlmann - 98
2. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum - 91
3. Albert Zoer - 73
4. Beat Mandli - 64
5. Michael Whitaker - 59
6. Steve Guerdat - 50
7. Marco Kutscher - 48
8. Eugenie Angot - 48
9. Leopold Van Asten - 47
10. Tony Andre Hansen - 47
11. Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst - 46
12. Markus Beerbaum - 45
13. Thomas Fruhmann - 45
14. Judy-Ann Melchior - 44
15. Gerco Schroder - 42
16. Rene Tebbel - 42
17. Daniel Deusser - 42
18. Patrick McEntee - 42
19. Edwina Alexander - 42
20. Marcus Ehning - 41

Reserves in order of merit:

21. Ludger Beerbaum - 40
22. Malin Baryard-Johnsson - 40
23. Michel Robert - 34
24. Royne Zetterman - 33
25. Jos Lansink - 31
26. Juan Carlos Garcia - 30
27. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson - 29
28. Dirk Demeersman - 28

For further information on the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifier at 's-Hertogenbosch contact Press Officer Cindy Velstra at Tel (mobile) +31 654674396 or email cindy@head2tail.nl . Show President at the Dutch fixture is Gerrit Van Swinkels, Show Director is Frank Kemperman and Sport Secretary is Joyce Lebon. WEBSITE: www.indoorbrabant.n..

The next event in the 2006/2007 FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING series is the FINAL which takes place in Las Vegas, USA from 19-22 April. Show President is Pat Christenson, Show Director is Robert Ridland, Show Secretary is Stephanie Wheeler and Press Officer is Marty Baumann, Tel: +1 5086986810 or email marty.classic@verizon.net. WEBSITE www.worldcuplasvegas.com.

2006/2007 FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING SERIES - CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE:
1. Oslo (Norway) 13-15 October: 2, Helsinki (Finland) 19-22 October; 3, Verona (Italy) 10-12 November; 4, Stuttgart (Germany) 15-19 November; 5, Geneva (Switzerland) 7-10 December; 6, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 12-18 December; 7, Mechelen (Belgium) 26-30 December; 8, Leipzig (Germany) 18-21 January; 9, Amsterdam (The Netherlands) 25-28 January; 10, Bordeaux (France) 2-4 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 8-11 February; 12, Gothenburg (Sweden) 22-25 February; 13, 's-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands) 22-25 March. Final - Las Vegas (USA) 19-22 April.

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE RULES FOR THE FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING RIDERS FROM FEI WEBSITE www.feiworldcup.org

FEI World Cup™ Jumping has entered its 29th season. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 132 preliminary competitions will qualify for the final in Las Vegas, USA which takes place from 19 to 22 April 2007. The title-holder is Germany's Marcus Ehning.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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