Germany’s Wilhelm Genn Puts On a Show in Sacramento to Notch First Longines Victory

By Catie Staszak

Less than three hours from the city of Columbus, which hosted its first ever Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ qualifier this weekend, is German rider Wilhelm Genn’s Rheinland Farm. Genn wasn’t there, but found himself on top in the World Cup competition, more than 2,400 miles away.

Genn (GER) and his mount Bugatti topped a nine-horse jump-off to win the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Sacramento, their first victory in a World Cup event. With a clear jump-off in 36.88 seconds, the duo topped Karrie Rufer (USA) and Georgie d’Auvray EC (37.31 seconds) by just under a half-second. Karl Cook (USA) and Caillou finished third, crossing the timers with a clean round in 38.47 seconds.

“I was hoping I got a chance to run for it today, and it worked out,” Genn said. “[Bugatti] likes the footing, and he likes the crowd—it gets him a little excited, and that makes him better, because normally he’s a very lazy horse. It all kind of played a little bit in my favor.”

The stands were packed to capacity Saturday night at the Murieta Equestrian Center as 25 combinations lined up to take on Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s (GER) 1.60m course. The first clear round did not come until the 14th horse in the order, but eight others quickly followed suit.

“My horse felt great,” Genn said. “I like to plan things, so before we came here, we showed in Kentucky, because they have a grand prix Friday night under the nights [indoors]. That was our warm-up, and we jumped very well there, so I felt pretty confident.”

Genn had not originally planned to compete on the west coast, but when his son Theo, who also jumped Saturday night with Taylor Reid’s Boucanier, elected to make the journey, he decided to join him. The decision proved to pay off in spades.

“I really came here for my son,” Genn said. “And then I thought, ‘I’ll bring my two horses.’”

Two New Leaders

New names sit atop the standings in both the east and west coast sub leagues of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League. Genn, who is declared on the east coast, now leads those standings. He is tied at the top with Molly Ashe Cawley (USA), who earned her first Longines victory in New York. Both have 20 points.

Rufer may have finished second in Sacramento, but she also ended the night a winner, going to the top of the west coast standings with 21 points. She earned 17 points for her runner-up finish, combined with the four points she received in at Vancouver (CAN) in August, the first qualifier of the 2018-2019 season.

The North American League continues with a double-header weekend. On the east coast,  Columbus, OH (USA) hosts its first World Cup qualifier on 07 October 2018 at 1:00pm ET.

Result:

1. Bugatti, Wilhelm Genn (GER) 0/0 36.88

2. Georgie d’Auvray EC, Karrie Rufer (USA) 0/0 37.31

3. Cailou, Karl Cook (USA) 0/0 38.47

4. Chameur, Georgina Bloomberg (USA) 0/0 39.25

5. Quirado RC, Richard Spooner (USA) 0/0 39.57

6. Luebbo, Jamie Barge (USA) 0/0 44.06

7. Catypso, Eric Navet (FRA) 0/4 39.78

8. Campitello, Shawn Casady (USA) 0/4 45.02

9. H5 Sunshine, Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX) 0/8 36.52

10. Colicchio, Kenneth Vinther (DEN) 1 67.02

Full results can be viewed here

Wilhelm Genn (USA) – 1^st

“[Bugatti] was imported as a hunter as a 4-year-old. The hunter people didn’t like him, because he was too lazy, and they couldn’t keep him in the canter. It’s ironic, but that’s the way it was! [Owner Eduardo Leon] had some jumpers with me, and I saw a picture of him free-jumping, and I saw his breeding, and I said, ‘Eduardo, that’s the horse you need to send me.’ He said, ‘If the hunter people don’t like him in six months, I’ll send him to you.’ I got him in the spring of his 5-year-old, and we’ve been together [ever since].”

Karrie Rufer (USA) — 2^nd

“My horse, Georgie, is amazing. A year ago was our first 1.60m World Cup qualifier together, and he’s come such a long way in the past year. This is the best result we’ve had so far in a World Cup qualifier. He’s great. He’s just so game. He goes out there, and he loves the crowd. That was what was fantastic about tonight. In the last line of the jump-off, you could hear the people getting so excited for the last jump. It’s a beautiful thing, because you don’t experience it very often in a small venue like this.”

Karl Cook (USA) — 3^rd

“You’re always more positive when things go your way. This was my horse’s first World Cup qualifier class. It was the first time we stepped him up into the leading role, and I couldn’t be prouder of how he did. I was very happy with how I could execute the plan that we had walked. I’m so happy with how it came together tonight for me.”

Standings: Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League — West Coast

1. Karrie Rufer (USA) 21

2. Uma O’Neill (USA) 20

3. Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX) 17

4. Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado (MEX) 15

4. Karl Cook (USA) 15

6. Richard Spooner (USA) 12

6. Zazou Hoffan (USA) 12

8. Eve Jobs (USA) 11

8. Jamie Barge (USA) 11

10. Eric Navet (FRA) 10

10. Lorenza O’Farrill (MEX) 10

Full standings can be viewed here

Standings: Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League — East Coast

1. Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) 20

1. Wilhelm Genn (GER) 20

3. Conor Swail (IRL) 17

3. Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) 17

5. Mattias Tromp (USA) 15

6. Georgina Bloomberg (USA) 13

6. Lucy Davis (USA) 13

6. Vanessa Mannix (CAN) 13

9. McLain Ward (USA) 12

10. Leslie Burr-Howard (USA) 11

Full standings can be viewed here