FEINEWS Historic Double <strong>The</strong> Swiss rider was already out in front going into today’s final decider, but had to leave all the fences on Santiago Varela Ullastres’ brilliant course standing in both rounds in order to complete his historic double. As the first round began the sport’s biggest stars were all lining up behind him, three-time FEI World Cup Jumping champion Marcus Ehning from Germany just two points adrift after the first two days’ results were converted into points, and Deusser and Smolders carrying just 3 points apiece while Belgium’s Nicola Phillipaerts was one fence adrift of the leader carrying four. <strong>The</strong> first track was enormous but jumped really well, the double at fence nine proving the bogey with its water trays under each element. Austria’s Max Kuhner produced the first clear with the fabulous nine-year-old grey, Chardonnay and next to leave all the timber intact was Dutch star Maikel van der Vleuten with VDL Groep Verdi. Germany’s Christian Ahlmann with Taloubet and Ireland’s Denis Lynch with All Star kept their scorelines at eight points apiece when also foot-perfect and that began to put the pressure on the remaining 10 of the 26 starters. Germany’s Marco Kutscher and Chaccorina were fault free to hold on a sixpoint tally and Penelope Leprevost from France did likewise with Vagabond de la Pomme to remain on five, but Philippaerts dropped out of contention with two fences down. Breezed In Both Smolders’ stallion, Emerald NOP, and Deusser’s gelding Cornet d’Amour with which he won the 2014 title in Lyon France, breezed in without incident but Ehning would pay a high price for a single error at the second element of the bogey double at nine. So when Guerdat added nothing to his scoreline Smolders and Deusser were still stalking him closely. <strong>The</strong> second track was another colossal test and again definitely not for the faint-hearted. But this Final has produced spectacular sport and continued to highlight extraordinary horses and super-talented riders, with the audience loving every moment of it. When Australia’s Chris Chugg jumped clear in the second round with the beautiful mare, Cristallina, who is only eight years old, the spectators jumped to their feet to give them a standing ovation and, always the showman, Chugg produced a lovely bit of theatre as he accepted their appreciation. And America’s Callan Solem, almost unknown across the European circuit, also drew huge applause for her brilliant second-round clear with VDL Wizard. In the end it was a case of whether the three at the top end of the leaderboard would crack, but none of them did, Smolders throwing down yet another jumping exhibition with Emerald before Deusser followed suit with Cornet d’Amour. Fever-Pitch <strong>The</strong> atmosphere was at fever-pitch as Guerdat rode back into the ring for the last time knowing that, although he could afford a few time faults, a falling pole would put paid to his chances, leaving the Dutchman and the German battling it out for the title in a third-round jump-off. <strong>The</strong> Swiss rider set off with his jaw set and his adrenalin running, and the crowd rode every fence with him and his horse, wriggling in their seats with concern and anticipation only to burst into an explosion of sound as the pair galloped through the finish with a zero score still on the display screen. Guerdat admitted that the memory of last year’s Final still haunted him despite his victory, so his main concern was to get things absolutely right this time around. “It was important to me to ride better than last year - I won, but that was the only reason to be happy that day! I didn’t ride very well and that stays always in your head” he insisted. He was also concerned about his 10-year-old gelding, Corbinian. “I didn’t want to put too much pressure on him, I wasn’t sure how he was going to react over the championship because he doesn’t have that much experience. But he felt very good already when I rode him before the class and powerful again, after a day off yesterday. Today I thought he was really fighting with me which is not always the case. Sometimes it’s more that we are not fighting against each other but that we are trying to look for each other, and its just not that smooth. But today...it felt that the horse was really with me and fighting with me, and that gives you confidence along the course” he explained. > 90 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Stable</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> www.thestablemagazine.com
Longines FEI World Cup Final Steve Guerdat & Corbinian Photo: © Hippo Foto - Dirk Caremans/Fei <strong>The</strong> <strong>Stable</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> www.thestablemagazine.com 91