FEI Rolex World Cup: Swedish Victory in Lyon’s WC qualifier

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:29:27 +0100

The European Champion won the FEI Rolex World Cup stage in Lyon. What a fantastic way to end 2011! This was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s first major win since his title in Madrid in September. The Swede was the most agile competitor in a jump-off with eight other contestants: two Swiss, one Brit, one Irish, one German, two Frenchmen (Kevin Staut and Michel Robert) and, the only woman in the jump-off, the Ukrainian Katarina Offel (who actually has German origins but changed her nationality in order to make her selection for the Championship easier). She finished as the runner-up and this was her best result yet on the French circuit:
“Cathleen is in a good shape at the moment, she finished second in the Riders Tour of Hannover last week and today I was not far away from victory.” In fact, she was only 7 hundredths of a second behind Rolf-Göran Bengtsson: “But I cannot see where I could have improved my round so I don’t feel any regret. Rolf-Göran was terrific today and to be the runner-up to the European Champion in such an important class is a fantastic result.”

The winner explained: “Casall made all the difference by taking the turns really sharply today, I didn’t dare go too fast on the long lines because that’s how I made a mistake last week.” Yet the Swede remained pragmatic when asked about his victory: “It’s my job. Life does not stop once you have a title, you have to keep winning and make sure that the horses keep putting in good performances.”

Steve Guerdat (a loyal EQUITA fan) and Frenchman Kevin Staut finished third and fourth respectively. Their common point was that they were riding horses that had with a little less experience at the very top level, or too little to take all the risks necessary in such a jump-off: “Nino des Buissonets did not perform too well in Scandinavia and if it hadn’t been Lyon, I would not have come. I was already happy to be in the jump-off and it’s true that I did not take all the risks, but Nino is naturally fast. I knew that my time would put pressure on the others.” For Kevin Staut, his fourth place in Lyon means that he finishes fourth in the overall ranking of the World Cup, and he had a slightly different take on the situation: “I feel I gave everything I could with Zeta, but the mare just does not really accelerate. To be more serious, this result puts me in a position to be able to give my leading horses, Sylvana and Crack, a bit of a break. I am particularly happy that this happened in Lyon, which is considered by all riders to be the best indoor competition in the world. I do not want to make Sylvie Robert blush, as she still has a lot of work in store to prepare the World Cup finals that she and her team will be organising in 2014, but it’s true that Lyon is an event that’s perfect in every respect.”
As proof of this perfection, Hall 66 was completely sold out, meaning approximately 25,000 spectators were present. A delighted Sylvie Robert added: “We already have reservations for the 2014. I take it as a sign of acknowledgement for all the work we have put in ever since the competition became international, and of course boosted by the FEI Rolex World Cup label.”

Photo : ©Kit Houghton/FEI. Vidéo : ©Aurélie Covini/R&B Presse

Prix Sommer: Pénélope Leprévost is irresistible

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:40:50 +0100

With almost 70 horses participating in the Prix Sommer this Sunday morning, it was always going to be a tough battle. The courses increased in height and speed, notably with Pénélope Leprévost’s performance on Oscar des Fontaines. The French rider from Normandy took first place in masterful style, finishing more than a second and a half ahead of her rivals, notably Marcus Ehning with Harley 86 and the French riders Clément Boulanger and Patrice Delaveau.
“Oscar jumped in the Prix Mérial, the major class before the Equita Masters yesterday. It was the first time that he had dealt with jumps of that height and he did a very good job apart from one small mistake. Today, the level was a little bit lower so it was easier for him. We really gave it our best shot, and it worked! Oscar is very well-trained, he is still in good shape despite participating in successive rounds, and I think the idea of three weeks holidays after this competition in Lyon spurred him on,” confided the French rider, who is one of the Lyon crowd’s favourites.

Equita Masters by Equidia: Mrs Tops and her debutant

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:44:51 +0200

This is not the story of an “old couple”: Edwina Alexander (now Mrs Tops since 17 September) and the young Vleut have only known each other since August, but they have already achieved some fabulous results. As of tonight they can proudly claim to being the winners of one of the two major classes in the 5* show-jumping events in Lyon, the Equita’ Masters by Equidia. Thirteen riders started this high-level class, the twelve best riders of the show based on the FEI Rolex world seeding, as well as the current World Champion, the Belgian rider Philippe Le Jeune and Boyante de Muze, who finished in fourth place having knocked a pole down in the first round.
In order to win tonight, the riders had not only to jump clear rounds; they also needed to be quick. Only two of them successfully made it through the first round with all the poles still in their cups: the Irish star Denis Lynch and the Australian Edwina, both of them riding very young horses aged 8 and 9 years old. Denis Lynch could not to take all the risks, but ensured a second clear round with his spectacular horse Contflex (55.85). Edwina just had to do exactly the same thing, but a tiny bit faster: “At first I did not know which horse I was going to jump, but then I decided to save Itot du Château for tomorrow, for the World Cup. It’s my first Grand Prix with this horse and at the age of 9 he is still quite young. He already participated in a few Grand Prix at two or three stars level, some with Maikel van der Vleuten and some with Eric van der Vleuten, but this was his first class at 1,60m. Both van der Vleutens bred the horse and brought him up. I was very fortunate as we bought him just after Valkenswaard and I think this is my fourth or fifth show with Vleut, I am not even sure – there haven’t been too many so far (laughs). I have only had him for about three months. The course today was rather delicate than massive… there were some big jumps and big, wide oxers… I had several options for some lines, and for me it was great, I’m very happy with the result.”

Interview of the day: Hans-Dieter Dreher, winner of the Prix Mérial

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:56:55 +0200

He was the first of eleven riders who made it into the jump-off with clear rounds in the first trials of the Prix Mérial. And with Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) the game was up from the start. Thanks to his extremely fluid and fast round with the bay son of Contendro, Constantin B, he finished in front of the Swiss rider Beat Mändli on Colore and the pretty Swedish rider Malin Baryard Johnsson on Rêveur de Hurtebise.

Based at the Grenzland Stud-framin Eimeldingen, Germany, the 39-year-old German was eye-catching in Italy at the beginning of the season, but also during the CSIO in Aix-la-Chapelle in July, putting in some great performances. He jumped from number 386 to 231 in the FEI Rolex Rankings in June – gaining 155 places and making him the “Rolex One to Watch” of that month. (The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative that identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings from the previous month).

Hans-Dieter Dreher was born in Schopfheim in February 1972 and grew up on his parents’ riding farm in Adelhausen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He started riding as a six-year-old and was trained by his father, Horst Dreher, who was himself a successful rider in the region at that time.
Hans-Dieter began show-jumping at the age of nine, and by the age of 13 he had won his first title as junior champion of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
After his studies, he concentrated on his equestrian education for three years, riding in the French stables of Pierre Baldeck –commercial stables, through which a certain Kevin Staut would later pass… Hans-Dieter currently rides and trains at the Grenzland Stud-Farm in Eimeldingen (in the south of Germany), owned by Dr. Carmen Vogt-Brändlin.

Have you been keeping track of your number of international wins this year?

I have to admit I haven’t!

This is your 28th victory! Among “insiders” you’re anything but a dark horse, and yet it’s the first season in which you have put together so many significant victories, in “five star” competitions, in which you participated for the first time in Aix-la-Chapelle et cetera; proving you are the Rolex One to Watch. How would you explain such sudden success?

This year I have been really lucky to ride a lot of amazing horses that are at the top level.

You used to live in France and now you’re based in Germany. What’s your set-up today?

I’m based at my employer’s place, Hans Brändling, close to Basel, and I have a group of private proprietors who support me. The horses I am riding have different private owners.

How long have you had these brilliant horses?

Magnus Romeo, my lead horse, who is not at Lyon due to injury, has been with me for 6-7 months; I’ve been riding Embassy for 5 months and Constantin, the horse that I just won with, for a bit more than a year.

It’s your first time in Lyon and you’ve already won first prize. How does that feel?

It’s amazing. This is a competition where the best riders in the world come together in front of a great audience, which is one of the many reasons why this event is so impressive.

What is your objective in the World Cup: The final, or is just participating in the circuit already enough?

My main objective is to not make any faults tomorrow and we’ll see what happens next!

Let’s have a look at today’s performance: You were basically one second faster than Beat Mändli – that’s some reference!

Yes, unbelievable! I really took a lot of risks in this jump-off and my horse really gave everything so it worked out well.

How did Constantin find his way into your stables and who does he belong to?

Constantin’s owner is a veterinary, a good friend of mine, and I saw the horse for the first time in 1.30m competitions. I liked him, so we bought Constantin and I started working with him.

Are you going to keep the horse or is he going to be on the market?

No, actually right now he’s not for sale, I don’t think so. But nothing is sure nowadays, it’s always a question of money and when you get a really good offer it probably becomes difficult to refuse it at some point.

Constantin, Embassy, Magnus Romeo and Petit Prince… they are all dark bays, almost black: Is that a criterion for you to choose a horse?

(laughs) No, not at all, that’s really just coincidence.

Constantin’s jump-off:

Fantasia in the Prix Automotion

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:33:37 +0200

The performance of the young Spanish rider Manuel Anon in the Prix Automotion on Saturday morning was truly outstanding. The class had increasingly difficult obstacles, with a last vertical that sorted out quite a number of the audience’s favourite riders. Manuel Anon’s mare Fantasia was as fast as the wind over the course and improved the time by a second and a half.
“It’s the first time that I have been to Lyon. My mare is only 11 years old but I always ride her for speed trials, as she has a lot of experience with that type of course, which shows in her gallop as well as her jumps. I know that the more I drive her on, the more cautious she gets, especially on the verticals, and so I was confident about the last fence. With my other horse I was even more cautious but I still I had a fault, so this time I did not want to make the same mistake again. I am really happy about this victory, as I am not qualified for the World Cup Grand Prix on Sunday, and it’s so nice to win here”, explained the young Iberian rider after finishing the course. He finished first ahead of Rik Hemeryck and the beautiful son of Darco, Quarco de Kerambars, and followed by Edwina Tops Alexander with her scintillating Mel d’Argences.

(Photos © PSV Jean Morel)