 |
Federation
Equestre Internationale News
FEI
World Cup Jumping News: Shutterfly Soars to Victory in Amsterdam….
|
Great
riding by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and superb jumping from Shutterfly
sealed Germany’s fourth victory in the 2003/2004 FEI World
Cup series in Amsterdam today.
After
a two-year absence from the international calendar the Dutch fixture
made a successful and welcome return, and the spectators in the
RAI Holland Complex were treated to a thrilling jump-off which
went right down to the wire.
Course
designer Rob Janssen enjoyed a busy few days because he also fills
the role of Show Director but he found enough time and inspiration
to come up with a clever World Cup track to which only five riders
found all the answers.
"It
was difficult today" Meredith said afterwards. "I estimated
six clears – it was technical, big and long – and I
believe all World Cup classes should be like that so riders can
be prepared for what they will meet at the Final – it asked
lots of questions, it was set perfectly – especially for
me!" she added.
A
total of 11 starters were obliged to share sixth place when making
just one mistake in the first round and it was the home side’s
Jan Tops who was first into the jump-off with VDL Groep Roofs
who hit the oxer at fence two and lowered the second-last for
eight faults.
The
Schroder brothers were in excellent form all week, Gerco winning
Saturday night’s Grand Prix with Eurocommerce Monaco, but
it was Wim who was chasing World Cup points when next into the
ring with Eurocommerce Montreal who set the target with a lovely
clear round in 36.10 seconds.
Wim’s
tight turn from the penultimate upright to the final oxer looked
very good indeed but Switzerland’s Christophe Barbeau and
Querly Chin were considerably faster when, however, picking up
four faults at the second-last in 33.76 seconds.
Wim
still held the advantage as Meredith rode into the arena with
Shutterfly but as the German partnership set off at a tremendous
gallop they always looked threatening and the ease with which
Shutterfly took on his fences, without any visible interference
or instruction from his pilot, was a joy to watch.
Last
to go, Nick Skelton looked set to give the German partnership
a run for their money and, taking an excellent line to the upright
at fence three was challenging for the lead but the clock showed
33.65 seconds as the British duo crossed the line and Nick said
afterwards "I didn’t get the stride I wanted to the
last fence so I think I lost it there" and he had to settle
for runner-up spot behind Meredith with Wim in third, Christophe
fourth and Jan slotting into fifth spot.
Meredith
said – "I new Nick was coming after me and he is such
a great rider but I also knew I had done the best job I possibly
could and it was not possible to do better than that. Today my
horse was jumping brilliantly and, as it turned out, my best was
good enough to win".
As
she was climbing into the brand new Audi A4 awarded to the winning
rider, news was coming in that her brother-in-law Ludger had won
the Grand Prix in Zurich so there were celebrations all round
in the Beerbaum camp and for Meredith today’s result was
truly encouraging.
A
broken collarbone two years ago and a broken leg last year has
severely hampered her competitive career but her third-placing
in Leipzig last weekend and today’s victory have put her
right back on track and she now intends to compete in just one
more World Cup event, in Bordeaux next Saturday, before resting
Shutterfly in advance of the Final in Milan in April. "I
am also shorted-listed for the Olympics and I hope I can put the
bad luck of the last few years behind me now" she said.
Nick
Skelton also has Athens very much on his mind. Britain can send
two individual riders to the Games and he is on the short-list
for those two places along with William Funnell, Robert Smith,
Michael Whitaker and Richard Davenport. He has no intention of
trying to qualify for the World Cup Final and instead is putting
his focus on performing well in La Baule, Rome, Lucerne and Rotterdam
which are the chosen selection venues for the British squad.
Meredith
however has Milan in her sights – "it was a late decision
to come her but a good one" she said and with 20 points to
add she now holds seventh place on the FEI World Cup leaderboard
behind Michael Whitaker in sixth, Marco Kutscher in fifth, Eric
Van der Vleuten in fourth, Thomas Velin in third, Helena Weinberg
in second and Jos Lansink who holds pole position going into the
tenth of the 14 qualifying rounds in Bordeaux next weekend.
RESULT:
1, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) Ger 0/0 33.24; 2, Arko
111 (Nick Skelton) GB 0/0 33.65; 3, Eurocommerce Montreal (Wim
Schroder) Ned 0/0 36.10; 4, Querly Chin (Christophe Barbeau) Sui
0/4 33.76; 5, VDL Groep Roofs (Jan Tops) Ned 0/8 37.88; 6, Van
Schijndels Now or Never (Piet Raymakers) Ned, De Sjiem (Jeroen
Dubbeldam) Ned, Candy (Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst) Ger, Norit
Joint Venture (Peter Geerink) Ned, Cinderella (Maria Gretzer)
Swe, Kasting Horses Gavi (Helena Weinberg) Ger, Joel (Gert Jan
Bruggink) Ned, Mondriaan (William Funnell) GB, VDL Groep Eve (Hubert
Bourdy) Fra, Equest Carnute (Thomas Velin) Den, Delon VA (Cayetano
Martinez de Irujo) Esp 4 faults; 17, Hofgut Liederbach’s
Ingmar (Pia-Luise Aufrecht) Ger 5 faults; 18, Clinton (Dirk Demeersman)
Bel, Gran Corrado (Yves Houtackers) Ned, Heritage Transmission
(Marion Hughes) Irl, Camirez B (Toni Hassmann) Ger 8 faults.
FEI
WORLD CUP LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 9 IN AMSTERDAM:
Jos
Lansink - 57
Helena Weinberg – 53
Thomas Velin – 52
Eric Van der Vleuten – 51
Marco Kutscher – 50
Michael Whitaker – 45
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum – 44
Ludo Philippaerts – 42
Peter Wylde – 38
Marcus Ehning – 37
Bruno Broucqsault, Christophe Barbeau, Hubert Bourdy, Malin Baryard
– 36
15. Lars Nieberg, Wim Schroder – 35
17.
Rolf-Goran Bengtsson – 34
18.
Otto Becker – 30
19.
Jeroen Dubbeldam, Pia Luise Aufrecht 29.
For
further information on the show in Amsterdam visit website: www.jumpingamsterdam.nl.
Bordeaux
hosts the next FEI World Cup Qualifier in six days time on Saturday,
7 February, at the Parc des Expositions
One
week later, on Saturday 14 February, the 11th leg of the series
takes place in Vigo, Spain.
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 on 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
.
