Kent Farrington and Voyeur (FEI/Arnd Bronkhorst/Pool Pic)
Lyon, France – Valuable World Cup points were at stake Saturday evening in the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final as riders vied for a place in Monday’s final competition. Thirty-eight riders took on Frank Rothenberger’s 13 obstacle track in the Lyon Eurexpo with a total of 21 returning for the jump-off. Riders within the top 30 placings following Saturday’s round qualified to jump in Monday’s final competition and of those entries eight will be representing the United States.
All 11 Americans riders put forward determined efforts in the 2014 Final’s second leg of competition looking to climb the leaderboard following Friday’s Speed Leg. Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden, Charlie Jayne, Leslie Burr-Howard, Katie Dinan, and McLain Ward all posted fault-free efforts on Saturday evening to join the jump-off list that included many of the world’s best.
In the jump-off, Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) and Amalaya Investments’ 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood Voyeur were one of 11 pairs to leave all the rails in the place in a time of 39.69, which would prove unassailable by the remainder of the field. The 2011 Pan American Games Team Gold medalist utilized Voyeur’s natural speed and rode extremely efficient lines to seize the 41 World Cup points that were up for the taking on Saturday.
“My horse was really special tonight. I treated it like an individual Grand Prix,” said Farrington of his jump-off strategy. “I just try to stay smooth because he’s naturally a fast horse. His speed is his speed; the more I leave him alone, the better he goes.”
Farrington stands in equal tenth place overall on six faults heading into Monday’s final.
Finishing in third place on Saturday night were reigning World Cup champions Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) and Abigail Wexner’s Simon with clear effort in a time of 40.35. In the jump-off, the 15-year-old KWPN gelding demonstrated why he has earned top placings in many of the sport’s most prestigious classes with a blazing round. Additionally, the two-time Olympic Gold medalist showed her experience as she shaved the turn to the third to last, jumping the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final vertical at a drastic angle and saving valuable time.
“It’s easy to say now that it was maybe a little soft, but I think also there were some really good riders and really good horses on form tonight,” reflected Madden of the large field that qualified for Saturday’s jump-off. “Obviously it was a championship course, and to have that many clear, maybe says a lot for the horses and riders that are here too.”
The pair now stands tied for fourth in the overall standings on four faults, within reach of claiming their second consecutive title.
“I feel good and hopefully if he can stay on form for Monday; maybe I can claw my way up a little higher,” said Madden of her chances of retaining her title. “I’ve dug out of deeper holes before!”
Ward, Howard, and Jayne also climbed the standings with their strong performances in the second leg of World Cup competition, to all stand inside the top 15 overall. Former World Cup champion Howard (Darian, Conn.) and Jane Clarke’s Tic-Tac looked on target to produce a fault-free round in the jump-off until the 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding lowered the rail at the second to last vertical to finish the class in 13th place. The talented combination stands in 12th overall after two legs on 10 faults.
Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) chose to ride Sagamore Farms’ 13-year-old veteran Warmblood gelding Rothchild on Saturday lowering two-rails in the jump-off to finish Saturday night’s class in 18th place. The 2009 FEI World Cup Final runner-up lies 13th heading into Monday on 13 faults. Jayne (Elgin, Ill.) stands 14th overall on 14 faults after producing a clear jump-off with Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher’s 11-year-old Zangersheide stallion Chill R Z on Saturday in 42.52 seconds to finish seventh in the second leg.
Heading into Monday’s final competition in 20th place are Dinan (Wellington, Fla.) and Grant Road Partners LLC’s 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding Nougat du Vallet on 17 faults. They looked to challenge the leaders in Saturday’s jump-off with a quick pace but with two rails coming down for eight faults they completed round two in 17th place.
Rounding out the American contingent heading into Monday’s final are Lucy Davis and Charlie Jacobs in equal 28th on 25 faults. Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Old Oak Farms’ 11-year-old 2004 Belgian Warmblood gelding Barron produced a four-fault round on Saturday to finish in 25th place. Jacobs (Boston, Ma.), who is making his World Cup Final debut in Lyon, looked to repeat his clear round from Friday with CMJ Sporthorse, LLC’s 15-year-old Irish gelding Flaming Star but it was not to be as they collected 12 faults for three rails down on Saturday to finish the round in 35th place.
On Saturday, the U.S. also sent Ashlee Bond Clarke (Hidden Hills, Calif.), Saer Coulter (San Francisco, Calif.), and Jenni Martin-McAllister into competition. While all three did not have the rounds they hoped for in order to qualify for Monday’s final, they gained valuable experience competing at the 2014 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final.
Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and France’s Patrice Delaveau lead the overall standing on zero faults, with Germany’s Daniel Deusser third on two faults.
By Helen Murray
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