Tag Archives: Nicola Philippaerts

Competitions, Show Jumping

Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen Takes Final FEI Win at WEF in $50k CabanaCoast Grand Prix CSI2*

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Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen and Forever SFN. © Sportfot.

Wellington, FL – April 3, 2022 – The final day of the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded 13 weeks of competition on Sunday, April 3, with the last international jumper class of the circuit on the Derby Field at Equestrian Village as well as the closing classes across all divisions at Wellington International. Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA) emerged as the last international victor as she and Forever SFN won the $50,000 CabanaCoast Grand Prix CSI2*.

Guilherme Jorge (BRA) built one final challenging effort for the 45 two-star competitors in the class. He tested the entries with an early triple combination, but the efficient time allowed of 74 seconds was only the deciding factor for two duos. Thirteen more had their hopes dashed with the fault of a single downed obstacle. As the first round concluded, the returning line-up consisted of 11 representatives from four different nations prepared to battle it out over the jump-off track.

Cruciotti Vanderveen was the second to return for the short course and established the first clear round over the track with Springpaarden Fonds Nederland’s 12-year-old KWPN gelding Forever SFN (Azteca VDL x Non Stop) in a time of 38.18 seconds. Five other horses would go clear over the track, but none would come close to the leader’s blazing time.

Fabio Leivas Da Costa (BRA) and Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s Ilex put in another top effort to take second place in the class. Da Costa skillfully navigated the nine-year-old KWPN gelding (Baltic VDL x Chin Chin) through each obstacle but fell still two seconds shy of Cruciotti Vanderveen’s top time to finish in 40.14 seconds. The USA landed in both the first and third positions as Katherine Dinan galloped into third place with Dijon Terdoorn Z. Dinan piloted the Grant Road Partners LLC’s 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Diamant De Semilly x Lord Z) to a final time of 40.19 seconds just behind Da Costa.

Nicola Philippaerts Closes Out WEF with Victory

The final class in the International Arena was the $50,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m National Grand Prix. With 51 entries in a starting order stacked with six Olympians and riders from 13 countries, course designer Ken Krome (USA) had his work cut out for him. He set a formidable test that only brought back six for the jump-off. Rising to the top of the class was Belgian Olympian Nicola Philippaerts riding his own Gijs.

Philippaerts came back third in the jump-off, chasing a time of 44.446 seconds set by Darragh Kerins (IRL) and Intuitive, owned by Eve Jobs, which would hold up for third place. Philippaerts and Gijs brought the winning time down to 41.421 seconds. Second place went to 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games individual gold medalist Ben Maher, who rode Point Break, owned by Maher, Pamela Wright, and Charlotte Rossetter, to a clear round in 43.344 seconds.

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, Tryon

Philippaerts Jumps to Victory in $35,000 Horseware Ireland Jumper Stake CSI 3*

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Nicola Philippaerts and Inouk P. Photo Credit ©Sportfot.

Mill Spring, NC – October 27, 2017 – The $35,000 1.45m Horseware® Ireland Jumper Stake CSI 3* saw Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Inouk P prevail over a field of 38 entries on Friday afternoon at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), stopping the short-course timers at 36.934 seconds to claim top honors. Second place went to Sydney Shulman (USA) aboard Wamira, a 2003 Dutch Warmblood mare (Oklund x Kamira) owned by Jill Shulman, posting a jump-off time of 37.234, while Shawn Casady (USA) and Wyndmont Inc.’s Zephyr, a 2004 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Landor S x Tobelia) secured third after their 37.48 second short course time.

Philippaerts and the 2008 Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve x Donna) owned by Ludo Philippaerts, are a relatively new pairing, he explained. “I actually haven’t had her that long. This is only the fourth show I’m riding her in now. We’ve actually had her for a long time, but it was always an owner that was riding her. I think she looked very good today and hopefully she can still do a few good things in the tour I’m having in the States,” he commented.

The course, set by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA), was a good one to test the 38 entries, said Philippaerts. “I think the six walked a little longer to the double for the first round, and so I did seven, but for the rest it walked how it was standing. It was a good course.” Sixteen pairs returned to test the short course and nine finished the day double clear.

“I think Inouk P jumped really well in the first round, better than yesterday,” Philippaerts elaborated. “There were quite a lot clear, and I had to go a bit in the beginning [of the jump-off], so I tried to go as fast as I could. In the end, she was fast enough. I was lucky that a few had one rail down in the jump-off, because they were quicker, but she jumped well and I’m happy for today.”

Philippaerts will not be riding Inouk P in the highlight class, but will instead call upon 2006 Zangersheide gelding (Accardi x Corrado I) Aikido Z, owned by Stal Bijloos Bvb. “He was third in the big class last week on Sunday, and I’ve actually been saving him a little bit so he can jump tomorrow in the Grand Prix.”

Despite his busy schedule including competitions around the world, Philippaerts explained that he made sure to spend some extra time in Tryon this year. “This is my last week in Tryon, and then next I go to Kentucky, and then after that Toronto, and then I fly back home for Stuttgart. I came here for the first time last year, but I only did the five-star, so it was good in the plan to come for three weeks this year,” he concluded.

Jason Berry and Belle Glos Conquer $25,000 Hunter Showcase

Later in the day, Jason Berry of Verona, VA and Belle Glos, owned by Emo Stables, championed the $25,000 Hunter Showcase, topping 25 riders with a total score of 175. Berry also captured the second place position after both rounds earning a 174 aboard Lee Cesery’s Credence. Caroline Weeden of Lake Forest, IL rounded out the top three aboard Glory Days Farm, LLC’s Just Because, completing their day with a score of 167.5.

Berry piloted both mounts over the courses, designed by Andy Christiansen of Wellington, FL, and ultimately put in the best rounds of the afternoon. “I thought that both of my horses were great today,” commented Berry. “The mare that won, Belle Glos, she’s a phenomenal mare. The second place horse Credence is a six-year-old and this is the first time he’s ever done anything like this!”

“The course rode perfectly. This is the best grass I’ve ever ridden on,” said Berry. “The footing here is perfect. My horses didn’t need any studs and it was great for them.”

Berry competes at TIEC whenever he can. He concluded, “This place is phenomenal. We come here at least twice every year. It’s really a hard show to beat.”

For more information on TIEC, please visit www.tryon.com.

Competitions, Show Jumping, Tryon

Nicola Philippaerts and H&M Harley VD Bisschop Win Rolex CSI 5* Grand Prix at Tryon

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Nicola Philippaerts and H&M Harley VD Bisschop. Photos ©Sportfot.

Mill Spring, NC – October 22, 2016 – On a historical and spectacular evening at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) featuring a special performance by Grammy award-winning country music legend Lee Greenwood, Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) guided H&M Harley VD Bisschop to victory in the $380,000 Rolex CSI 5* Grand Prix. The duo secured the win in front of an enthusiastic crowd, stopping the timers at 40.575 seconds. Jessica Springsteen (USA) and Cynar VA earned second place honors with a time of 41.291 seconds, while Lauren Tisbo (USA) and Coriandolo DI Ribano rounded out the top three with a time of 42.299 seconds.

Fans from the western region of Foothills filled the George H. Morris Arena, creating an electric atmosphere for a class featuring Olympic veterans and many of the sport’s rising stars. Philippaerts and H&M Harley VD Bisschop were the final pair to qualify for the jump-off, as they were the last to go in the star-studded lineup. The first round track set by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA) asked several technical questions, keeping the riders on their toes with a tight time allowed of 80 seconds. The first round track only produced six combinations that advanced to the jump-off round.

“I think it was a really nice course. There were not so many clear as I actually thought there would be because there were many good ones here competing tonight. Unfortunately, McLain [Ward] and Kent [Farrington] and a few others had one down leaving only six in the jump-off,” Philippaerts said.

“I had the advantage of going last, and I knew Jessica was very quick, so I had to go quick. I was lucky enough the last rail stayed up,” he detailed, explaining his strategy for the jump-off round.

Philippaerts was pleased with H&M Harley VD Bisschop, a 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Dulf Van Den Bisschop x Coronado) owned by Ludo Philippaerts and Ben Beevers, and how the talented gelding settled into the class after having a six-week vacation from competition. He explained, “The first few days he was a bit nervous, but today was a lot better. Hopefully next week he will be a good as well.”

At the age of 23, this win serves as a major career victory for Philippaerts, who is a lifelong equestrian and has dedicated many years training and learning into the sport. Philippaerts participated in the Rolex Young Rider Academy, which has helped to develop the rising stars of equestrian sport, both in the saddle and in the classroom.

“This show fit perfectly with our schedule and had phenomenal prize money, which is why I added it to our fall tour. It is really nice place here and I was a bit surprised to see how big the venue is,” commented Philippaerts. “You can see that they have put a lot of effort into the rings being good and the courses being challenging for riders. The organization is extraordinary. I think that more Europeans are going to come show here after they see it and the best American riders are already here.”

Springsteen and Cynar VA recently captured the win in the HITS Saugerties $1,000,000 Grand Prix at the beginning of September, before earning themselves a well-deserved second place in their first class under the lights at the TIEC.

Jessica Springsteen and Cynar VA
Jessica Springsteen and Cynar VA

Springsteen commented on the technical aspects of the course, saying, “The time allowed caught a couple of riders and it ended up being a bit trickier than it walked. My horse jumped great after having a month off and tonight we were just trying to put in a nice round. He was really good.

“I heard about the fall series while I was in Wellington last year and we made it a priority to come. Everything is indoors this time of year, so it is nice to have an outdoor option. It is a fantastic venue, which was a lot of fun, and I was really happy I could come,” Springsteen smiled.

Lauren Tisbo, a veteran to competitor at TIEC piloted Coriandolo Di Ribano to third place. Tisbo and Coriandolo Di Ribano went second in the jump-off order and explained their strategy of her plan early on.

“It was a little hard being the second one in the jump-off. My horse is still pretty new at this level and tonight was his first CSI 5* grand prix. I just tried to give him the best round I could and that was as good as we could do tonight,” Tisbo said.

Tisbo is spending her third consecutive fall season competing at the TIEC and commented, “I have watched TIEC develop and I know there are plans to continue developing in the future. It is a great location and offers a lot of different options for competitors. It’s convenient for people to get to as they are leaving Florida in the spring and traveling to Florida in the fall.”

Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners (TEP), went on to speak of the special atmosphere surrounding the class and elaborated on the growth of the venue.

“Despite the cooler temperatures, we are very pleased with the outcome of the crowd tonight. We had a great field of riders and a number of Olympians who brought their top horses. There was great field of competitors for this group to emerge as the top three, which is an impressive feat. We had McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, Todd Minikus, and just a whole group of horses and riders who are competitive at the top levels.

“Next year we are going to add another CSI 5* before this week to create a four to six week tour,” Bellissimo explained further. “We want to provide a number of options for people who are ready for a change. The weather is good, there is top sport, and we will give the riders an option to stay in this country with a number of FEI shows.”

Marta Masocco received the $500 Groom’s Initiative Award presented by Mark Bellissimo and the Tryon Equestrian Partners (TEP), recognizing her efforts as the main care provider for Philippaerts’ winning mount H&M Harley VD Bisschop. Marsocco is responsible for the daily care and well-being of the incredibly talented gelding.

Among several other awards, Springsteen accepted the Leading Lady Rider Award presented by Meg Atkinson of Town & Country Realtors, honoring and recognizing her success and performance in FEI classes throughout the week.

The 2016 Tryon Fall Series presented by Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District offers six weeks of hunter and jumper competition, including three weeks of internationally recognized FEI show jumping featuring two FEI CSI 3* weeks and an FEI CSI 5*. For more information on Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) and surrounding amenities, please visit www.tryon.com.

Competitions, Show Jumping

Nicola Philippaerts Wins $50,000 Weston Canadian Open at 2015 Royal Horse Show

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Nicola Philippaerts riding H&M Harley vd Bisschop. Photos by Ben Radvanyi Photography.

Toronto, Ontario – Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts scored victory in the $50,000 Weston Canadian Open on Friday night, November 13, at the Royal Horse Show®, held as part of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in downtown Toronto, ON.

British course designer Richard Jeffery set a challenging speed track for the starting field of 21 entries. With high speed came great risk, and only two riders managed to cross the finish line with all the rails still intact. Philippaerts did it in the fastest time, coming home in 59.83 seconds riding H&M Harley vd Bisschop while U.S. veteran Leslie Howard opted for a more conservative approach, stopping the clock in 64.04 seconds riding Utah. By comparison, fellow American McLain Ward, winner of Wednesday night’s $132,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto, posted the evening’s fastest time, a blistering 55.82 seconds riding HH Carlos Z, but at the expensive of a rail to finish third.

“The course was pretty big for a speed class,” said Philippaerts, 22. “There were only two clears and many were fast. There were a few that were faster than me but had one down. There were some difficulties, like the combination and the skinny vertical, but I was lucky enough to leave the rails up.”

Fellow Belgian competitor Francois Mathy, Jr., was another rider who produced a faster round in 58.34 seconds riding Polinska des Isles but had four faults to place fourth. American Charlie Jacobs was also faster than Philippaerts, clocking in at 59.58 seconds, but again failed to leave all the jumps in place to take fifth with Cassinja S.

Leslie Howard of the United States placed second riding Utah
Leslie Howard of the United States placed second riding Utah

“I didn’t think I was fast enough,” continued Philippaerts, who has been partnered with H&M Harley vd Bisschop, a grey Belgian Warmblood gelding, since last year. “I was halfway through the class and my horse is quite fast naturally, but he’s only eight and he doesn’t have all the experience yet. He did great today and I’m super happy with him. I think it’s a great horse. I hope it’s going to be one of my good horses in my future.”

Philippaerts and his twin brother, Olivier, are both competing in the international division of the Royal Horse Show®. Their father, Ludo, is a four-time Olympian for Belgium, and was ringside in Toronto to help the twins as they carry on the family name in the sport of show jumping. He was not only the proud father of the winning rider, but also the proud owner of the winning horse, as he owns H&M Harley vd Bisschop in partnership with Ben Beevers.

“I think the Royal is fantastic!” said Nicola Philippaerts. “There is so much culture and history at this show. It’s always nice to come here. The crowd not only cheers for the Canadians, but for anyone who rides well.”

Saturday’s Royal Horse Show® features the crowd-friendly $15,000 Canine-Equine Challenge, presented by the Toronto Star, as the matinee performance. The sold-out $75,000 Big Ben Challenge, presented by Hudson’s Bay Company, will close out the international show jumping division on Saturday night.

For more information on the Royal Horse Show, the marquee event of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, please visit http://www.royalfair.org/horse-show.

To purchase Royal Horse Show tickets, please visit Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.ca/venueartist/131553/986584.

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

About The Royal
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. This year, the 93rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 6-15, 2015 at Exhibition Place, Toronto. For competition schedules, live webcasting, results and to purchase tickets, please visit www.royalfair.org.

Contact: Jennifer Ward
Jump Media
Cell: (613) 292-5439
jward@jumpmediallc.com

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Philippaerts Snatches a Surprise Place in Longines Final with Last-Chance Win at Gothenburg

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Kalle Sternberg, Brand Manager for Longines, Sweden, presents a Longines watch to Nicola Philippaerts. Photo: FEI/Roland Thunholm.

Gothenburg (SWE), 2 March 2014 – Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts produced a career-defining win at the last qualifying round of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Western European League in Gothenburg, Sweden today.  Lying well outside the top-18 qualification zone as the class began, his result sent him rocketing all the way up the leaderboard from 31st to 14th place and into a place at the Final in Lyon, France in seven weeks’ time.

“I’ve almost no words for this; it’s unbelievable!” said the 20-year-old rider who was filled with excitement after an extraordinary performance that saw him pip three-time FEI World Cup Jumping champion Marcus Ehning from Germany by two-hundredths of a second while The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten slotted into third.  Son of Belgian jumping star Ludo Philippaerts, and twin brother of Olivier Philippaerts who also competes successfully at international level, Nicola was one of ten who made the cut into today’s jump-off against the clock.  And with the 11-year-old mare Donatella-N, he scorched home with what proved to be an unbeatable round when third-last to go.

Seemed very straightforward

Course designer, Frank Rothenberger, made his Gothenburg debut this weekend and presented a track that initially seemed very straightforward.  But the German ace placed his fences so cleverly that the key to a clear round was forward riding and anticipation of what was around the next corner as well as clean jumping.  The long, oval shape of the Scandinavium Arena always presents quite a unique challenge from a course-building perspective. And while some faults were registered early on the track, including at the triple combination at fence six, the majority came later on the course, particularly at the last two obstacles.

The opening vertical was followed by an oxer before swinging right-handed to another oxer and right again to a double – vertical/oxer – at fence four.  One of the tests of the track was the rider’s ability to allow horses to have sight of the next fence, as their view was often blocked by another obstacle if they didn’t take the correct line and fence four was an example of this.  After the narrow yellow wall at five, located beside the entrance to the arena, there was a left turn to the triple combination of two oxers and a vertical before swinging right to the vertical at seven that came up very quickly on the turn.  Three strides separated the next two big oxers demanding a big stretch at eight and nine, then horses circled back to fence ten, leaving just three more to jump.

The oxer at fence eleven hit the floor a few times but the location of the following vertical was such that horses only saw it at the last moment and this proved a real bogey as did the final vertical located in the centre of the arena.

The time-allowed of 77 seconds was generous, and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander was the only rider to fall foul of it due to a fairly leisurely tour of the arena with Ego van Orti.

There were a few first-round surprises, but none bigger than that which saw Ludger Beerbaum lose his chance of clinching a place at the Final when pulling up Chiara after losing his right stirrup on the turn to the triple combination.  He was five places off a qualifying spot going into today’s competition and seemed more than likely to collect enough points to make the cut.  The Final won’t seem quite the same without the man who lies third on the current Longines World Rankings and who was the first German to clinch the FEI World Cup Jumping title when winning through with the great mare, Ratina Z, at Gothenburg in 1993.

Led the way

The home side’s Malin Baryard Johnsson led the way in today’s ten-horse jump-off, and produced another sparkling run from the stallion H&M Tornesch who has really bounced back to his best following last year’s operation to remove an eye.  Their time of 40.30 seconds remained the target when fellow-Swedes, Douglas Lindelow and Casello, also produced a lovely clear but almost a half-second slower, Norway’s Geir Gulliksen and his tidy little mare Edesa Banjan had one down and the third of the Swedish contingent to get through, Niklas Jonsson, was clear but more than three seconds off the pace when fourth to go.

The Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling looked a serious contender with the brilliant VDL Bubalu who had pulled hard during the opening round, but this pair also hit the oxer, formerly fence nine, that was third on the new track. Dutch team-mate, Wout Jan van der Schans, went clear with the 11-year-old gelding Capetown but didn’t threaten the lead when crossing the line in 41.13 seconds, so Baryard-Johnsson was guaranteed at least fifth place with four more left to go.

Maikel van der Vleuten and the brilliant grey mare Sapphire with which he galloped to victory at the qualifying round in Olympia, London in December re-set the target when foot-perfect in 39.52 seconds, but Philippaerts shaved 0.22 seconds off that with a fabulous run from Donatella-N who broke the beam in 39.30 seconds.  Success never seemed assured however with two of the quickest men in the sport following the young Belgian into the ring.  Marcus Ehning’s turning skills with his horses is legendary, and as he set off with the 17-year-old veteran Plot Blue he looked as if he would surely have it in the bag.  But as he cruised through the timers the clock showed 39.32 – two-hundredths of a second slower than Philippaerts – and when Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer brought the class to a close with a fence down with Quidam du Vivier the celebrations had already started in the Belgian corner.

Excitement and pride

Ludo Philippaerts could be seen jumping up and down with excitement and pride at his son’s victory in such prestigious company.  “Yes, my father was pretty pleased all right; he was jumping nearly higher than me!” said Nicola Philippaerts afterwards.

Success is no stranger to this young man who was a member of the European gold medal winning team at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 before going on to become European Young Rider Champion at Comporta in Portugal the following year.

He has enjoyed some significant results with Donatella-N since taking up the ride on this daughter of Vigo d’Arsouilles, the horse that carried Philippe Lejeune to the individual title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky four years ago.

“I took her (Donatella-N) from my brother (Olivier); she was quite hot and quite hard to ride at the beginning but we have come together over the last few months.  Today was her first World Cup and I can hardly believe she has won it!  But she has been feeling so good for the last while; she was fifth in the Grand Prix at Bordeaux a few weeks ago and she has really been on form,” Philippaerts explained.

When asked if he thought he had a chance of winning the jump-off, he replied, “My father said we can do it and he was right!  She is really fast and keen, but I was lucky Marcus was two-hundredths of a second slow than me!” He was grateful for the fact that the jump-off track came up right for him. “My strides were good, my distances were good and that makes all the difference!” he said.

Expectation

And when asked if he felt under pressure with his father filled with expectation on the sidelines he answered, “No, it is an advantage to have him here with me; he has had 30 years to learn about this sport and he knows all the details about how to ride the course.  He is always there giving me instructions, and he taught me how to ride from the very start – it’s great to have him here!”

Reflecting on his second-place performance, Marcus Ehning said, “Actually I am quite happy with my horse.  He is 17 now but he is in great shape. Last year he won the Grand Prix and I think he likes Sweden as well! I am very, very happy!”  He added that he plans to take his Bordeaux winner, the fabulous grey stallion Cornado, to the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final.

Third-placed Maikel van der Vleuten said he was very happy with the way VDL Groep Sapphire jumped today, but added, “I am not so happy with myself to be honest. I didn’t start quick enough and was just two tenths of a second too slow – today was a bit my fault to be honest.”

Having finished fifth on the Western European League table at the end of this qualifying series, however, he can comfortably look forward to the prestigious Final where he will compete alongside today’s young winner from Belgium.

Gothenburg’s Event Director, Tomas Torgensen, described today’s competition as “great sport”, and said, “And I want to thank the riders for giving their best today. I want to thank Longines in what is their first appearance in Gothenburg and look forward to a very nice partnership for the future – I am so pleased to have them here.”

For more information on the last qualifying leg of the Western European League at Gothenburg, Sweden, check out website www.goteborghorseshow.com or contact Press Officers Matilda Hjertstrand Email matilda.hjertstrand@ridsport.se, Tel + 46 709 79 56 31 or Mayvor Thorin, Email mayvor.thorin@gotevent.se, Tel +46 705 82 84 20.

The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final will take place in Lyon, France from 17-21 April 2014.  For all information on the French fixture, contact Press Officer Pascal Renauldon, Email p.renauldon@rbpresse.com, Tel +333 44 620 621.

Full result here.

Full standings here.

Facts and Figures:

Gothenburg in Sweden presented the 10th and last qualifying leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League today.

The winning rider was 20-year-old Nicola Philippaerts from Belgium, son of Belgian jumping star Ludo Philippaerts and twin-brother of Olivier Philippaerts who also competes at top international level.

He was riding the 11-year-old mare Donatella-N, which is by the stallion Vigo d’Arsouilles which carried Philippe Lejeune to individual gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA in 2010.

37 horse-and-rider combinations started in today’s competition.

Sweden was represented by 10 riders including sisters Helena and Nicole Persson.

The oldest horse competing was the 17-year-old stallion Plot Blue, who finished a close second for Germany’s Marcus Ehning.

Course designer was Germany’s Frank Rothenberger.

10 qualified for the jump-off against the clock.

The top 18 riders from the Western European League qualify for the Final.

Today’s second-place finish has returned Germany’s Marcus Ehning to the top of the Western European League leader board, while today’s win has rocketed Nicola Philippaerts from 31st place all the way up to 14th and well within the qualified group of riders.

The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final will take place at Lyon, France in seven weeks’ time – from 17-21 April.

Quotes:

Nicola Philippaerts BEL: “This is my biggest win together with Falsterbo in 2012 – for sure it is my biggest win. It looks like I like it here in Sweden and my horse likes to jump here as well so I would love to come back next year!”

Frank Rothenberger GER, Course Designer: “I was expecting something between 3 and 15 clear rounds (joke)! No, but in all honesty, I was expecting around 8 clear rounds and we were just on the ‘right side’ with 10 in total. It worked very well. It is my first time as a course designer here in Gothenburg but my first ever appearance at the show was in 1981. I came back in 2006 to attend the event as a spectator. I love Sweden. The arena is of good international size. The curves on the long sides make it a bit special – as opposed to being rectangular – but it is more or less easy to build a course in this arena.”

Maikel van der Vleuten NED: “I will have a bit of a break for the next couple of weeks, as will my horse, before I attend the next show in s-Hertogenbosch which will be my last show before the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Lyon.”

Nicola Philippaerts BEL: “For sure it was a surprise (to win) but she (Donatella-N) felt super all week and I thought I just had to give it a try.

She will go to Den Bosch (NED) now and then to the Final in Lyon.  Before that, next week I will compete in Dortmund with the stallion I rode in Bordeaux, then I go to Doha and then Den Bosch.”

FEI TV: don’t miss a hoofbeat – www.feitv.org.

Longines Live Timing Jumping application: available free for download from The App Store (iPhone) & Android Markets. Combining precision and performance, this is a detailed and exclusive application designed especially for Jumping fans – follow live results, see latest Longines Rankings, view competition schedules, obtain exclusive information and alerts on your favorite riders and get all the latest FEI news.

Rider biographies: view online and download from http://fei.org/fei/your-role/media/biographies.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when it produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and its mount. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1912, Longines was proud to partner with its first Jumping event, the Grande Concurso Hippico Internacional, in Portugal.

Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Gothenburg:

Matilda Hjertstrand
matilda.hjertstrand@ridsport.se
Tel + 46 709 79 56 31

Mayvor Thorin
mayvor.thorin@gotevent.se
Tel +46 705 82 84 20

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Longines:

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Nicola Philippaerts Wins $50,000 Triumph Project Welcome Stake at Alltech National Horse Show

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Philippaerts and Cortez. Photos By: Rebecca Walton/PMG

Lexington, KY – October 31, 2012 – The 2012 Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, greeted the Open Jumper riders with an inviting $50,000 Triumph Project Welcome Stake, sponsored by The Davis McCullough Foundation, for their first day of competition. Speed was the name of the game and Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts was right on point with his new mount Cortez. The pair blazed around the track in a clear time of 61.370, which would prove unbeatable for the win. McLain Ward was close on his heels aboard Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve, while a fault-free round while Palm Sunday helped Aaron Vale round out the top three.

Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, presented riders with a technical speed track that 35 entries tackled. It opened with a bending line from the in gate and also included an oxer-vertical and a vertical-oxer double combination. The first combination, a wide oxer by the gate, and a slick turn to one of the final fences, proved to be the most challenging areas. Ten riders managed to cross the finish line with all the rails in their cups.

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