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Federation
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FEI
World Cup Jumping News ; Ludger Supreme In s'Hertogenbosch...
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On
his sixth start in the 2003/2004 FEI World Cup Jumping series
Ludger Beerbaum at last made his mark when victorious today with
Goldfever at the penultimate qualifier in s’Hertogenbosch,
Holland.
It
has been a strange season for the German ace who had only picked
up eight points on his previous outings at Berlin, Geneva, Leipzig,
Vigo and Paris but it came together for him at the Dutch fixture
at which spectators enjoyed a thrilling seven-horse jump-off.
Ludger
was first to jump against the clock and he said afterwards "I
had to set the pace but I feel I had luck on my side today because
I only won by 100th of a second and one other rider was faster
than me".
He
threw down a strong challenge when steering Goldfever home and
clear in 31.81 seconds and fellow-countryman Otto Becker presented
no real danger when following with two mistakes from Dobel’s
Fiala.
However
Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, winner at Mechelen in December, had the
hand-brake off as he galloped through the finish more than a second
faster with Mackinley but a single error cost the Swede dearly.
Dutch
riders had been extremely dominant throughout the show and Leopold
Van Asten, representing competition-sponsors VDL Groep with Think
Twice 11, had the crowd behind him as he galloped across the line
clear but almost one second off the target-time in 32.67 seconds
while Germany’s Franke Sloothaak also left all the timber
intact but could not match Ludger’s time when breaking the
beam in 32.55 seconds.
Markus
Fuchs was second-last to go but the Swiss rider is clearly still
suffering considerable pain from the leg-problem that has been
dogging him for some time now. Due to the difficulties he has
been experiencing, the FEI agreed to give him a wild-card qualifying
spot for the final in Milan next month if he could earn his place
in an FEI World Cup competition jump-off and, having done that
today, he decided to retire with Tinka’s Boy leaving only
Bruno Broucqsault to challenge Ludger for pole position.
And
the Frenchman proved well up to the challenge, keeping the crowd
on the edges of their seats as he produced a superb round from
the 14 year old mare Dileme de Cephe who stopped the clock just
a frustrating 100th of a second off the German rider’s time
in 31.82.
Commenting
on the length of time it has taken him to make any real impression
on this year’s series Ludger said "it’s difficult
to know why it has been like this but you know life is a bit like
that sometimes don’t you think? You can’t explain it,
it just happens, but things are better now and I will travel to
Gothenberg to see if I can qualify for the final – that’s
my goal".
He
must feature prominently in the line-up again at the final qualifying
leg if he is to make the cut as, despite today’s success,
he still only has 28 points on the board and approximately 40
will be required to firmly secure his place.
Ludo
Philippaerts remains at the head of the FEI World Cup leaderboard
but Otto Becker has improved from seventh position to runner-up
spot while Rolf-Goran Bengtsson joins Rodrigo Pessoa in fourth
behind Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in third after today’s
competition.
It’s
still all to play for at the final qualifier in fourteen day’s
time and, with luck now back on his side, Ludger Beerbaum will
have all guns blazing when he lines out in Gothenberg for what
promises to be a tense and exciting battle for those precious
last-minute qualifying points.
RESULT:
1, Goldfever (Ludger Beerbaum) Ger 0/0 31.81; 2, Dileme de Cephe
(Bruno Broucqsault) Fra 0/0 31.82; 3, Sundance K (Franke Sloothaak)
Ger 0/0 32.55; 4, VDL Groep Think Twice (Leopold Van Asten) Ned
0/0 32.67; 5, MacKinley (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) Swe 0/4 30.72;
6, Dobel’s Fiala (Otto Becker) Ger 0/8 33.07; 7, Tinka’s
Boy (Markus Fuchs) Sui 0/Ret; equal 8, Granni-G (Yves Houtackers)
Ned, Eurocommerce Montreal (Wim Schroder) Ned, Cigale du Tallis
(Eugenie Angot) Fra, Oliver Q (Harrie Smolders) Ned, VDL Groep
Roofs (Jan Tops) Ned, Fein Cera (Peter Wylde) USA, Parco (Ludo
Philippaerts) Bel, Checkmate (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) Ger,
Glenn (Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst) Ger, Non Plus Ultra (Antonis
Petris) Gre, ET Royal Volo (Tony Andre Hansen) Nor, Adlantus As
FRH (Lars Nieberg) Ger, Quibell (Jessica Kurten) Irl, De Sjiem
(Jeroen Dubbeldam) Ned, Van Schijndels Now or Never (Piet Raymakers)
Ned, H&M Butterfly Flip (Malin Baryard) Swe 4 faults; equal
24, Marius Claudius (Robert Smith) GB, Audi’s Jikke (Eric
Van der Vleuten) Ned, Eurocommerce Monaco (Gerco Schroder) Ned,
Carry (Lars Bak Andersen) Den, Lowina (Albert Zoer) Ned, Portofino
(Michael Whitaker) GB, Cheers Cassini (Richard Davenport) GB 8
faults; equal 31, Joel (Gert-Jan Bruggink) Ned, VDL Groep Hermes
Rouge (Steve Guerdat) Sui, AK Highvalley Z (Jos Lansink) Bel,
Miss Speed (Sebastian Numminen) Fin, Granie (Lesley McNaught)
Sui 12 faults; equal 36, VDL Oranta (Angelique Hoorn) Ned, S&L
11th Bleeker (Gerfried Puck) Aut 16 faults; 38, Linor (Jerry Smit)
Ita Ret.
FEI
WORLD CUP JUMPING LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 13 IN S’HERTOGENBOSCH:
1.
Ludo Philippaerts - 66
2.
Otto Becker - 63
Meredith
Michaels-Beerbaum - 59
Rodrigo Pessoa, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson - 58
6. Bruno Broucqsault, Jos Lansink - 57
Thomas
Velin - 56
Helena Weinberg - 53
Toni Hassmann - 52
11. Eric Van der Vleuten - 51
12.
Marcus Ehning, Marco Kutscher - 50
Michael
Whitaker - 49
Peter Wylde - 45
16. Hubert Bourdy - 43
17.
Wim Schroder - 42
18.
Christophe Barbeau - 40
19.
Jeroen Dubbeldam, Malin Baryard - 39
21.
Lars Nieberg - 38.
2003/2004
FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING SERIES – CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
1,
Helsinki - 19 October; 2, Oslo - 26 October; 3, Verona - 9 November;
4, Berlin - 16 November; 5, Geneva - 7 December; 6, Olympia, London
- 21 December; 7, Mechelen - 30 December; 8, Leipzig - 25 January;
9, Amsterdam - 1 February; 10, Bordeaux - 7 February; 11, Vigo
- 14 February; 12, Paris - 6 March; 13, s'Hertogenbosch - 28 March;
14, Gothenburg - 11 April. Final in Milan - 21-25 April.
BIOGRAPHIES of riders competing in the FEI World Cup series are
available
at http://bios.horsesport.org.
YOU
CAN DOWNLOAD THE NEWLY REVISED RULES for the World Cup for Jumping
Riders from FEI website: www.horsesport.org.
FEI
World Cup jumping has entered its 26th year. The series, created
in 1978, today comprises 12 leagues on all continents. The best
riders from over 100 World Cup preliminary competitions will qualify
for the Final in Milan (ITA) from 21 to 25 April 2004. The title-holder
is Markus Ehning (GER). The Federation Equestre Internationale
(FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian
sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
and includes 130 National Federations.
Equestrian
sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three
disciplines - Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the
very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms.
It is also the only sport which involves two athletes - horse
and rider - and the FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with
the welfare of the horse.
www.horsesport.org
.
