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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
FEI World Cup Jumping : The Flying Dutchman Does It In Helsinki
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Holland’s
Eric Van der Vleuten claimed the first FEI World Cup honours of
the 2003/2004 season at Helsinki in Finland today with a superb
performance from Audi’s Jikke.
Last
to go in the 12-horse jump-off the Dutchman was almost three-hundredths
of a second faster than runner-up Helena Weinberg from Germany
riding Kasting Horses Gavi while Frenchman Bruno Broucqsault slotted
into third with Dileme de Cephe.
Toni
Hassmann, winner at the Hartwall Arena in 2001 and again last
year, was firm favourite to make it a hat-trick following victory
in both Friday’s Pre-Qualifier and Saturday’s Grand
Prix with Meurer’s Le Patron but the German rider’s
luck ran out when Camirez B made just one mistake in today’s
opening round.
Olympic
champions Jeroen Dubbeldam and De Sjiem were pathfinders against
the clock and set the target when clear in 46.31 seconds but Helena
Weinberg immediately shaved almost three seconds off that when,
next into the ring, she galloped through the finish with Kasting
Horses Gavi in 43.39.
Malin
Baryard and H&M Butterfly Flip were challenging strongly until
hitting the very last fence in the fast time of 42.60, while the
quickest jump-off time was recorded by Frenchman Olivier Guillon
with Baladine du Mesnil who crossed the line in 41.29, but this
partnership had to settle for 12th position in the final analysis
having left three fences on the floor.
Helena’s
target was now looking very difficult to beat. Sixth to go, Bruno
Broucqsault was closest in a time of 44.14 ahead of fellow-Frenchman
Michel Hecart who broke the beam with Quilano de Kalvarie in 44.56
seconds when tenth into the ring. The penultimate rider, Germany’s
Franke Sloothaak, was no threat when opting for a careful clear
with the 10 year old grey mare Sheila, but the best was yet to
come.
"There
was a TV screen in the warm-up arena so I watched and knew how
much risk to take when I went into the ring" Eric Van der
Vleuten said afterwards.
"I
made up time over the first three fences and I really went for
it - my mare is quick but sensitive – only a short time ago
I could not push her so fast but she has improved even more this
year so I can ask her for more– she was great today"
he added.
The
12 year old Audi’s Jikke, by Concorde, raced through the
finish in 43.10 seconds to claim the 25,000 Euro first prize for
her 40 year old rider who is based near Eindhoven in Holland while
Helena had to settle for the runner-up prize 20,000 Euro.
"It’s
been a good season for myself and the mare" Eric said. "I
rode her on four Super League teams – in Rotterdam where
we won and in La Baule, Dublin and Barcelona and she has been
very consistent. I have another horse also for the World Cup series
and I am looking forward to getting a new horse in my yard over
the next few weeks so I should have three to choose from and I
want to do some more World Cup competitions – definitely
Oslo next week. I intend to make it to the Final!" he added.
With
the maximum 20 points on the leaderboard after today’s result
Eric could book an early ticket to Milan next April if he can
do the double and win again in Oslo next Sunday.
RESULT:
1, Audi’s Jikke (Eric Van der Vleuten) Ned 0/0 43.10; 2,
Kasting Horses Gavi (Helena Weinberg) Ger 0/0 43.39; 3, Dileme
de Cephe (Bruno Broucqsault) Fra 0/0 44.14; 4, Quilano de Kalvarie
(Michel Hecart) Fra 0/0 44.56; 5, De Sjiem (Jeroen Dubbeldam)
Ned 0/0 46.31; 6, Sheila (Franke Sloothaak) Ger 0/0 52.36; 7,
Isovlas Socrates (Steve Guerdat) Sui 0/4 42.24; 8, H&M Butterfly
Flip (Malin Baryard) Swe 0/4 42.60; 9, Hofgut Liederbach’s
Ingmar (Pia-Louise Aufrecht) Ger 0/4 44.97; 10, Leonardo B3 (Thomas
Voss) Ger 0/4 45.00; 11, Calimbo (Karl Wechselberger) Ita 0/8
47.11; 12, Baladine du Mesnil (Olivier Guillon) Fra 0/12 41.29;
13, Controe (Marco Kutscher) Ger 1flt 86.33; equal 14, Equest
Carnute (Thomas Velin) Den 4 flts 80.53, Diamant du Gaty (Camilla
Enemark) Den 4 flts 81.95, Kilian (Guiseppe Rolli) Ita 4 flts
82.94, Questro 2 (Oleg Krasyuk) Ukr 4 flts 83.96, Qualite (Robert
Whitaker) GB 4 flts 81.52, A La Ballerina (Katharina Offel) Ger
4 flts 81.49, Richmond Park (Royne Zetterman) Swe 4 flts 81.60,
Camirez B (Toni Hassmann) Ger 79.44, Marius Claudius (Robert Smith)
GB 4 flts 84.68, Gustel 11 (Eliza Shuford) USA 4 flts 81.16.
2003/2004
FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING SERIES
THE
TOP-TEN ON THE LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 1 AT HELSINKI
1.
Eric Van der Vleuten - 20
2.
Helena Weinberg - 17
3.
Bruno Broucqsault - 15
4.
Michel Hecart - 13
5.
Jeroen Dubbeldam - 12
6.
Franke Sloothaak - 11
7.
Steve Guerdat - 10
8.
Malin Baryard - 9
9.
Pia-Louise Aufrecht - 8
10.
Thomas Voss - 7
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 – 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 to 25 April.
THE
WEBSITE for Helsinki is www.helsinkihorseshow.fi. Contact PRESS
OFFICER Kati Hurme-Leikkonen at Mobile ++358 40 514 47 53 or Email:
kati.1.hurme@kolumbus.fi.
The
next leg will be staged in Oslo, Norway on Sunday 26 October 2003.
Website: www.oslohorseshow.com. Press Officer Ingjerd Eriksen,
Siri Klevaas – Mobile ++ 47 951 687 97. Email: iserikse@online.no.
The
third FEI World Cup Qualifier takes place in Verona, Italy on
Sunday 9 November 2003. Website: www.fieracavalli.com. Press Officer
is Caterina Vagnozzi – Tel: ++39 06 321 8857, Fax: ++ 39
06 361 0419. Email: c.vagnozzi@iol.it.
BIOGRAPHIES
on riders competing in the FEI World Cup Jumping 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 competition will qualify
for the Final which will be held in Milan (ITA) from 21 to 25
April 2004. The title-holder is Markus Ehning (GER) with Anka.
FEDERATION
EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE (FEI)
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 where 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
.
