Tag Archives: Jumping Championship

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 15 Jumping Championship

Belgium's Philippe Le Jeune was crowned Jumping World Champion following a flawless performance in the Rolex Final Four competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA tonight.

FLAWLESS LE JEUNE CLAIMS THE JUMPING WORLD CROWN by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 9 October – Belgium’s Philippe Le Jeune won the thrilling Rolex Final Four to claim the Jumping World title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA tonight.  The 50 year old rider was not the favourite going into the competition.  He would have to see off the efforts of the reigning individual Olympic gold medallist Eric Lamaze from Canada, former World and Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil and the exciting new talent of Abdullah Al Sharbatly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who, despite his relative inexperience, scooped silver tonight ahead of Lamaze who took bronze.

But in the end the quiet horsemanship skills of a man whose life is totally devoted to his horses won the day.  It has been said that the best thing you can do on a strange horse is as little as possible, and his ability to allow four of the greatest jumpers in the world to do what they do best, with minimal interference, clinched the supreme accolade.  “I had no difficult moments with any of them,” he said afterwards reflecting on the rides on his rival’s mounts – “I decided to go their way and not to try and make them go my way, and it paid off.”

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 14 Jumping Championship

Olympic champions Eric Lamaze and Hickstead from Canada have qualified for tomorrow's Final Four competition that will decide the new Jumping World Champion at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

AL SHARBATLY SPRINGS A SURPRISE TO JOIN LAMAZE, LE JEUNE AND PESSOA IN FINAL FOUR by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 8 October – Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly sprang a big surprise today when, riding the brilliant mare Seldana di Campalto, he produced two more amazing clear rounds to earn his place in the Final Four competition which will decide the individual Jumping medals at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA tomorrow night.  The 28 year old will join three giants of the sport in the exciting contest which tests horsemanship skills to the limit as the riders exchange horses.  But Al Sharbatly has no fear of competing against the reigning Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze from Canada, former World Champion Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil and Belgium’s Philippe Le Jeune.

After securing the coveted top-four qualifying spot tonight the Saudi rider said, “You never know what’s going to happen. Even if you ride perfectly well tomorrow you need a little luck and I think we will see a big surprise!”

SCRATCHED
With America’s Laura Kraut and her Olympic gold medal winning ride Cedric scratched from the startlist after this morning’s veterinary inspection there was a 29-strong field in today’s first round in which course designer Conrad Homfeld once again tested control and accuracy.  Home hero McLain Ward produced the first clear with Sapphire when seventh to go and only four others would follow suit in this round in which the faults were evenly spread around the 12-fence course.  However it was the penultimate triple combination which proved the bogey, the middle oxer in particular claiming a large number of victims, and it was here that Germany’s Carsten-Otto Nagel’s great run with Corradina came unstuck with four very expensive faults that dropped them from overnight third down to sixth.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 11 Jumping Championship

Saudi Arabia's Khaled Al Eid jumped into the individual lead with Presley Boy today in the Jumping Championship at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

GERMANY JUMPS AHEAD ON TEAM LEADERBOARD, SAUDI ARABIA’S AL EID HEADS INDIVIDUAL RANKING by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 5 October – As the American team lost their grip on pole position, Germany snatched the lead in the Jumping Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  And, lying fifth overnight, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al Eid rocketed to the top of the individual leaderboard when all those ahead of him faltered.  The 41 year old Saudi rider added just a single time penalty to his tally in an otherwise flawless performance from his stallion, Presley Boy, but the 2000 Olympic bronze medallist has his tutor, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, breathing down his neck going into tomorrow’s next Championship leg.  It’s going to be a hard-fought battle for the 2010 individual title, with only a fence dividing the top 13 riders heading into the third day of competition.

Brazil lies second in the team standings, less than a fence behind the leading Germans, while only fractions further in arrears in third, the host nation holds a narrow advantage over Canada, with France and Saudi Arabia in fifth and sixth places.  Perhaps not the biggest surprise of the day was the success of the strong Australian foursome who produced two of just 17 clear rounds to move up from 14th to seventh position. Belgium lies eighth, Sweden ninth and Great Britain holds tenth spot, and only the top ten teams from today’s competition go through to tomorrow evening’s second round team medal decider.

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