Winner of the 11th leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series in Vigo, Spain, Michel Robert (FRA), receives his Rolex watch from Anthony Schaub, Rolex SA. Photo: Paco Rey/FEI.
French riders reigned supreme in Vigo, Spain tonight where quintessential horse-master Michel Robert pipped fellow-countryman Kevin Staut to win the eleventh leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European League series. In a contest that challenged mental strength and strategy as well as jumping ability, it was Robert who kept the coolest head to capitalise on his late draw. And his delight in the success of his mare Kellemoi de Pepita was something he couldn't suppress. "She jumped fantastic in both rounds - I'm so very happy with her, she was super!" said the 62 year old veteran.
Kevin Staut (FRA) riding Silvana de Hus- 2nd place. Photo: Paco Rey/FEI.
Staut, who continues to hold the No. 1 spot on the Rolex World Rankings list, steered his Geneva winner Silvana de Hus into runner-up spot while Sweden's Malin Baryard-Johnsson finished third with H&M Tornesch.
Spanish course designer, Avelino Rodriguez Mirvalles, got more than he bargained for when 17 of the 35 starters found the key to his first-round track. The 13 fences were big and scopey, but the distances in general were kind although the triple combination claimed a notable number of victims. And with four of the 11 Spanish representatives through to the jump-off, the home crowd had plenty of reason to stay glued to their seats.
First to return to the ring was Baryard-Johnsson who again kept a clean sheet with her 11 year old stallion to set the standard in 48.15 seconds. Spain's Jesus Garmendia Echevarria was next to go, but hit the vertical fence 15 - formerly fence 1, but now jumped in the opposite direction and the fifth obstacle on the new course. However team-mate Manual Anon Suarez was clear all the way with his mare Rackel Chavannaise as the clock showed 49.14 seconds while another Spanish contender, Cristina Toda, left just one on the floor with Cashmire.
Malin Baryard Johnsson (SWE) riding H&M Tornesch 3rd place. Photo: Paco Rey/FEI.
Baryard-Johnsson's lead looked threatened when Marco Kutscher and Cornet Obolensky produced a super-tight rollback after fence 15, but the grey stallion threw in an objection en route to the following two elements of the triple combination and returned with 12 faults on the board so it was still all to play for.
Lars Nieberg and Lord Luis kept Germany in the frame when home without incident in the competitive time of 48.95 seconds but Kevin Staut then burst into the lead with a great run from Silvana de Hus that bettered the target-time by under a second. As Switzerland's Pius Schwizer (Ulysse) and Germany's Ludger Beerbaum (Chaman) left fences on the floor it seemed the Frenchman had possibly raised the game as far as it could go. But Sergio Alvarez Moya set the arena alight with a thrilling run from the Frenchbred Mme Pompadour who was well up on the clock coming to the last. The Spanish partnership angled the final oxer however and caught the right-hand wing which brought the fence down with a sickening thud. The Spanish fans were aghast as their last-chance hero left the ring despondently.
Switzerland's Steve Guerdat, Great Britain's Michael Whitaker, Ireland's Denis Lynch and last weekend's winner Germany's Philipp Weishaupt all left two fences on the floor while Frenchman Simon Delestre saw his chances slip away with three down. There would be no mistake as Robert set to work however, balancing his mare beautifully on the turn at 15 and racing through the finish in 45.88 seconds to throw down the gauntlet to last-man-in Jeroen Dubbeldam from The Netherlands whose mistake at the penultimate triple bar settled the matter.
Robert was delighted with his result. "That turn at fence 15 was very difficult but I felt a win today was a real possibility for my horse" he said afterwards. He analysed his jump-off round. "I tried to go quickly between the first two fences and then more carefully, I took two short turns and on the last part I was very fast. I had a good feeling about things today" he added.
For further information on the eleventh leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series at Vigo go to website www.csivigo.com or contact Press Officer Alejandra Mier Rodriguez at Email amier@csivigo.com/Tel +34 669 718 736. The next leg of the series takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday 27 February 2011. For all information on the Swedish fixture go to website www.goteborghorseshow.com or contact Press Officer Mayvor Thorin at Email mayvor.thorin@gotevent.se / Tel: +46 705 828 420.
17, Cornet Obolensky (Marco Kutscher) GER 0/12 56.39.
Course designer was Spain's Avelino Rodriguez Miravalles.
Michel Robert - "My horse finished third in a big class yesterday and I felt she was in good form and that we were working well together today"
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE: 1, Oslo (Norway) 14-17 October; 2, Helsinki (Finland) 21-24 October; 3, Lyon (FRA) 27 Oct-1 November; 4, Verona (Italy) 4-7 November; 5, Stuttgart (Germany) 17-21 November; 6, Geneva (Switzerland) 9-12 December; 7, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 14-20 December; 8, Mechelen (Belgium) 26-30 December; 9, Zurich (SUI) 28-30 January; 10, Bordeaux (France) 4-6 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 10-13 February; 12, Gothenburg (Sweden) 24-27 February; 13, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands) 24-27 March; FINAL - Leipzig (Germany) 27 April-1 May.
FEI World Cup™ Jumping has entered its 33rd season. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 123 preliminary competitions will qualify for the final in Leipzig, Germany which takes place from 27 April-1 May 2011.
The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 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. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.