The FEI World Cup Final proper gets underway with the Table C class, a competition over a Table A course with conversion of penalty points into seconds and added to the time taken. It is a 1.50 m course.
The first competitor out is Syed Omar Almohdzar, the hometown favourite. The Belgian based professional is riding Lui, a 12 year old by Locato. They start well till they get to the first double, a two-striding pair of orchid fences. Lui gets long and has part B down. The same happens in the treble. They are lucky to survive with only C down. The home country will not be embarrassed by their round with two fences down for an adjusted time of 82.89 seconds.
Pia-Luise Aufrecht of Germany is second to go. She sets off on a faster gallop than Omar with Hofgut Liederbach’s Abrisca. They are going very well and are clear despite rolling the ninth, the narrow wall back into the cups. The last, the Masjid Jamek fence heartbreakingly comes down for Pia-Luise and Abrisca. Their time is adjusted to 65.93 secs.
Joie Gatlin is the first of the Americans into the arena. She has treble trouble and finishes with three down with SunCal’s King for an adjusted time of 75.81 secs. Geir Gullikson of Norway also has three down for a time of 79.00 secs.
Leopold Van Asten is the first Dutchman in the arena. The Dutch won’t be happy as VDL Groep Think Twice II stops out at the 6th and 7b for the first elimination of the class. California-based Iranian Ali Nilsforushan and Cellist can’t put on a challenge. They have four fences down to drop their time to 81.09 secs.
Heinrich Hermann of Germany and Aboyeur W give it a good go. They are traveling well and even a mistake at the narrow wall is not enough to prevent them taking the provisional lead with a time of 64.71 secs.
The very next rider out however takes the lead straight off them. Michael Whitaker and Insul Tech Portofino 63 are in fine form. They go out at a good pace and are always quickly away from their fences. They keep a steady rhythm and even add a sixth stride from the penultimate Palm fence to Masjid Jamek last fence. Their time of 63.14 seconds takes them easily into the lead for now,a nd what will surely be a decent finishing position in the class.
Alison Firestone of USA and Secret Love go out very fast but have two down, the Swedish Oxer and the small wall for a 66.18 time.
Saudi Arabia’s Ramsy Al Duhamy and Fall Khaaer have a forgettable start to their World Cup. They have 5 down to drop to the bottom of the completions so far.
Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst and Candy are in very good form. The German attacks the course and is rewarded with a super clear round and the lead in 61.68 seconds. They have staked their claim in these finals as they are jumping very well.
Beezie Madden of USA and Judgement start decisively. They are on fire and are the first to take three strides from the Swedish Oxer to the Liverpool. But 7c comes down and it is followed by the narrow wall. It drops their time back to a decent 67.09 secs.
Sweden’s Rolf Goran Bengtsson has a stylish round with MacKinley 3. They are smooth and never seem to be travelling very fast. Yet their time of 64.95 will keep them in the business end of this final.
They are followed into the arena by Alberto Michan of Mexico who has three down with Lavita 7. Their time of 77.81 secs will not be good enough to be in the top half today.
Philippe Leoni of France has Cyrenaika FRH jumping very well at the start. They tap the Swedish oxer then roll the Terengganu Boats. Their time of 67.01 secs will however keep them in the game.
Argentina’s Guillermo Obligado is careful with Millar. He rides for the clear round and almost gets it but for the first part of the treble. The finish with a time of 74.76 seconds.
Estonia’s Gunnar Klettenberg of the Central European League has Novesta jumping very well. They look very sharp and produce the third clear of the evening. Their time of 64.59 puts them into provisional 3rd place. A fantastic result for them.
Kent Farrington’s round with Madison looks good through the first seven fences, then as he comes away from the treble, the FEI World Cup Final fence comes down. It is followed by the last two down as well, for an adjusted 71.67 secs time.
Markus Beerbaum is out there operating from the start with Constantin 24. They turn up tight to the third and Constantin puts in a dirty stop and the fence has to be rebuilt. Not a good start for one of the favourites. Constantin then puts in another stop at the same Tourism Malaysia fence set just after the in-out gate. It is all over for the German for another year.
Saudi rider Abdullah Al Sharbatly and Quatro have 4 down for a 78.25 seconds. Richard Spooner rides Camaron Hills Shanroe very well and is unlucky at the small wall. They finish in 68.11 secs and we get the feeling that their World Cup will only improve.
The Philippines Michelle Barrera and Kayak van het Gravenhof are never really in contention from the first. They have 6 fences down and finish in an adjusted 97.32 secs.
Canadian Jill Henselwood has a stop with Special Ed at 4a. They get going again but the narrow wall comes down. Then they find a very long spot to the last, which also comes clattering down.
Then it is time for one of the favourites. Ireland’s Jessica Kuerten doesn’t disappoint with Castle Forbes Libertina. The Westfalian mare is jumping extravagantly well. They are jumping so high over the fences you’d think they were spending too much time in the air. Despite a missed opportunity to turn inside they shoot to the lead with a clear round in a time of 61.25 seconds.
Beat Mandli and Ideo du Thot make it look very easy. They are jumping very well and Beat has superb control. They make it inside the turn from the double to the Swedish, then are the first to take the option inside to the last line. They steal the lead from Jessica with a super time of 60.28 secs.
Jean-Marc Nicolas goes for it with JPC Modesto Equifoam. The Frenchman knows this is his chance to shine. They are going very well till they roll the narrow wall. Jean-Marc doesn’t miss a beat, and if anything steps up the pace. They turn very well to the last line but it’s a long five for Modesto and the last comes down for them. It’s very costly as it makes their time 69.32 secs.
Juan Carlos Garcia of Italy has the 18 year old Loro Piana Albin flying around the course. They have one of the fastest times and with only the World Cup fence down at No. 8, gives them provisional 5th place in 63.46 secs.
The ladies have been impressive so far. Russian Ljobov Kochetova has Illion Kileh jumping very big. They have only the 6th fence down, but as they haven’t chased the time finish in 76.03 secs.
Gerco Schroeder and Eurocommerce Milano are another of the favourites. They go out like they mean business. The third fence comes down but they don’t even miss a beat. They keep on rolling down to the fences. Unfortunately the 10th comes down and it is a 66.10 sec round for them. Not a good day for the Dutch.
World No. 1 Marcus Ehning really looks the part with the magnificent Sandro Boy. The 13 year old Oldenburg stallion is jumping with amazing power. They make it look so easy as they just cruise to the lead with a super time of 60.06 secs.
Great Britain’s Robert Smith and Kalusha are quickly away. It is always going to be a fast round for the Yorkshireman. But the Terengganu Boat fence comes down. Their time is still fast enough at 63.75 secs to keep them very much in the World Cup game.
Laura Kraut and Anthem go very well but it is the Swedish Oxer that comes down for them for an adjusted time of 67.06 seconds.
Grzegorz Kubiak of Poland has a difficult time with Ritus. They miss their spot to the Swedish and have to turn away, costing them valuable time. With a fence down, it drops them out 77.59 secs.
Margie Goldstein-Engle is USA’s last hope to win this class. She gives Quervo Gold a technically brilliant ride. She coaxes the 13 year old by Jus de Pomme around the course, sometimes asking for a whoa, at other times moving up to the fences, then daring it down the last line. It’s a clear round in 61,86 seconds, not quite the lead but certainly at the business end of the class.
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum comes into an arena full of expectation. The defending champion does not disappoint. Checkmate looks super sharp and is jumping huge and clean. They get their rhythm and attack the course. It’s a superb display of jumping to take 3rd place in 60.62 secs.
So Marcus Ehning shows why he is the world’s No. 1 rider by easily winning the class to lead the World Cup Final. Swiss rider Beat Mandli slips into second place, ahead of the favourite ladies, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Jessica Kuerten. Germany has a third rider in the top five in Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst. USA’s best is Margie Engle. Great Britain have to settle for 7th and 9th for Michael Whitaker and Robert Smith respectively. It’s 8th place for Juan Carlos Garcia riding for Italy, while Gunnar Klettenberg suprises for 10th place.
Results
1 Sandro Boy Marcus Ehning GER 35000.00 CH 60.06 seconds
2 Ideo du Thot Beat Mändli SUI 23000.00 CH 60.28 seconds
3 Checkmate Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER 12000.00 CH 60.62 seconds
4 Castle Forbes Libertina Jessica Kürten IRL 8000.00 CHF 61.25 seconds
5 Candy Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst GER 7000.00 CHF 61.68 seconds
6 Quervo Gold Margie Engle USA 6000.00 CHF 61.86 seconds
7 Insul Tech Portofino Michael Whitaker GBR 5000.00 CHF 63.14 seconds
8 Loro Piana Albin III Juan Carlos Garcia ITA 4000.00 CHF 63.46 seconds (59.46)
9 Kalusha Robert Smith GBR 3000.00 CHF 63.75 seconds (59.75)
10 Novesta Gunnar Klettenberg EST 3000.00 CHF 64.59 seconds
11 Aboyeur W Heinrich Hermann Engemann GER 3000.00 CHF 64.71 seconds (60.71)
12 Mac Kinley Rolf-Göran Bengtsson SWE 3000.00 CHF 64.95 seconds (60.95)
13 Hofgut Liederbach’s Abrisca Pia-Luise Aufrecht GER 2000.00 CHF 65.93 seconds (61.93)
14 Eurocommerce Milano Gerco Schröder NED 2000.00 CHF 66.10 seconds (58.10)
15 Secret Love Alison Firestone USA 2000.00 CHF 66.18 seconds (58.18)
16 Cyrenaika FRH Philippe Leoni FRA 2000.00 CHF 67.01 seconds (63.01)
Other, non-placed competitors
17 Anthem Laura Kraut USA 67.06 seconds (63.06)
18 Judgement Beezie Madden USA 67.09 seconds (59.09)
19 Camaron Hills Shanroe Richard Spooner USA 68.11 seconds (64.11)
20 JPC Modesto Equifoam Jean-Marc Nicolas FRA 69.32 seconds (61.32)
21 Madison Kent Farrington USA 71.67 seconds (59.67)
22 Millar Guillermo Obligado ARG 74.76 seconds (70.76)
23 Suncal’s King Joie Gatlin USA 75.81 seconds (63.81)
24 Illion Kileh Ljubov Kochetova RUS 76.03 seconds (72.03)
25 Ritus Grzegorz Kubiak POL 77.59 seconds (73.59)
26 Lavita Alberto Michan MEX 77.81 seconds (65.81)
27 Quatro Abdullah Al Sharbatly KSA 78.25 seconds (62.25)
28 Cattani Geir Gulliksen NOR 79.00 seconds (67.00)
29 Cellist II Ali Nilforushan IRI 81.09 seconds (65.09)
30 Special Ed Jill Henselwood CAN 81.26 seconds (73.26)
31 Lui Syed Omar Abu Bakar Almohdzar MAS 82.89 seconds (74.89)
32 Fall Khaeer Ramsy Al Duhamy KSA 84.06 seconds (64.06)
33 Kayak van het Gravenhof Michelle Cojuangco Barrera PHI 97.32 seconds (73.32)
34 VDL Groep Think Twice II Leopold van Asten NED eliminated
34 Constantin Markus Beerbaum GER eliminated
how shocking !! 3 german riders in the top five !!
toulouse - April 27th, 2006 at 5:50 pmYou must be logged in to post a comment.