Tag Archives: Daniel Deusser

*Featured/Spotlights, Show Jumping

Daniel Deusser Signs Off on Winning Note

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The final day of Olympia, The London International Horse Show, saw Daniel Deusser, an Olympic bronze medallist in Rio, win The Olympia Grand Prix in a nail-biting final against some of the world’s best Show Jumpers.

Earlier in the afternoon, the sell-out crowd watched over as Darragh Kenny cruised to the top of the leader board in the Holly Speed Stakes, supported by Olympia. Jodie Hall McAteer took control in a lightning round in the Mince Pie Stakes, and Britain’s Leading lady rider Laura Renwick shared the Six Bar title with Geir Gulliksen.

Daniel Deusser (GER) capitalised on a late draw to win the Olympia Grand Prix in splendid style, Longines FEI World Cup™ hero Scott Brash (GBR) finished third and Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) hung onto the top spot in the H&M Leading Rider of the Show rankings at the culmination of a week’s thrilling equestrian sport at Olympia, The London International Horse Show.

The Grand Prix, the final class of the show, attracted a high-class field but only six riders managed to go clear over another brilliantly executed Kelvin Bywater track.

Olympic gold medallist Laura Kraut (USA), first to go in the jump-off, was nearly jumped off Cavalia at the last fence, having hit three rails; German maestro Marcus Ehning had an unexpected two rails down on Gin Chin van het Lindenhof; and both Steve Guerdat, eventual fourth on Corbinian, and Scott Brash, third on Hello Guv’nor incurred four faults.

Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) was masterful with a clear round on the inexperienced bay mare California but her time of 52.33 seconds looked infinitely beatable, and so it proved when last to go Daniel Deusser executed a beautifully accurate round on the 12-year-old Equita van T Zorgvliet.

“I had plenty of time to think and I knew exactly what I had to do,” said a visibly elated Daniel, who also won the opening jumping class of the show on Thursday. “I thought it was a difficult class – the fences came up quickly and the jump-off course was tricky, just as in the World Cup yesterday.”

Edwina Tops-Alexander, who has a punishing Christmas schedule ahead, said, “My mare is only nine and this is only her fourth or fifth indoor show, and there’s a lot to contend with, what with the tight arena and snowflakes falling, etc. It was a really technical course, not massive, but tricky.”

Earlier in the day, Laura Renwick and perennial Norwegian visitor Geir Gulliksen made it through to the fifth and final round of the Six Bar, at which point they opted to share the spoils rather than jump again.

The temperature in London might be colder than Irishman Darragh Kenny is used to – he’s mainly based in Florida – but he found a warm welcome on his first visit to Olympia and notched up a second victory here, in the Holly Speed Stakes on the 11-year-old mare Fixdesign Funke van’t Heike with a clear in 46.78 seconds.

William Funnell, riding Billy Angelo, was the first to break the 50-second barrier with a smooth round in 47.92 seconds, and managed to hold on to second place with none of the 11 riders after Darragh managing to trouble the two leaders.

“This show is amazing,” said Darragh. “The mare has gone really well for me this week. She has a big stride so there were a couple of places where I could do one less stride than William, such as coming down to the last where he did seven strides and I did six.”

Jodie Hall McAteer took no prisoners in the Mince Pie Stakes by setting a tough target from first draw in the competition for 148cm ponies with Tixylix. The 16-year-old, who was riding in her penultimate pony competition, encouraged all of those who followed her to chase her time, and all paid the price for their risks with poles on the floor.

“We know each other so well. I completely trust her,” said Jodie. “Even if I miss, Tixylix will still try and jump the fence. If I am able to find a horse like her, I’ll be away.”

And the Nick Skelton story was kept alive when Clare Whitaker presented him with the Ryan’s Son Trophy in the main arena, the perfect climax to five days of sell-out show jumping sport.

Having only been competed under saddle since last year, Uphill James Fox took the Blue Chip Native British Show Pony Society Supreme Championships, the first Welsh section A to do so.

The eight-year-old stallion scored a total of 181 marks out of a possible 200, given by four judges – two marking out of 50 for conformation (Mr Price Jones and Mr Stephen Howard), and two marking out of 50 for performance (Mrs Sharon Thomas and Mr Kevin Walker).

His rider and producer, Katie Marriott-Payne, was also victorious in this championship in 2003 with Stowbrook Jenny Wren – the first Exmoor Pony to take the title – so this competition was a particular aim.

“I set myself a goal of winning this with him,” said Katie, who is based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. “It’s been a dream come true because you can only see how they react to the atmosphere when they get here; it’s not something you can recreate.”

The Reserve Supreme Champion, the home-produced Highland stallion Benbreac of Croilla, owned by Mrs Mel Stanford and ridden by Matthew Cooper, caused some pre-show stress for his owner as his coat took a bit of preparation.

“We’ve had thermometers under his rug connected to an app on my phone and all sorts,” said Mel, who has been hacking him out to keep him fit after the end of the outdoor show season. “It wasn’t quite looking right, but all came good about 48 hours ago.”

Further highlights of the day include The Kennel Club Medium Dog Agility Finals, Sian Illingworth and her partner AG CH Arnpriors Made of Honour, were cheered on by the crowd as they took home the victory.

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Telford, Revolution Sports + Entertainment
gayle@revolutionsports.co.uk
0203 176 0355
www.olympiahorseshow.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Driving, FEI, Show Jumping

Christmas Comes Early for Holly in the Cayenne Puissance

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Olympia, the London International Horse Show had crowds sat on the edge of their seats, as the Cayenne Puissance took flight. Holly Smith (GBR) and Christopher Megahey (IRL) both went clear in the 5th round to take home the title in front of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Olympic Gold Medallist Nick Skelton, was also in attendance as he took part in a Q&A session with some lucky fans.

Holly Smith, who had never ridden in a puissance competition until this year, and the teenager from Ireland, Christopher Megahey, 18, a first-timer at Olympia, The London International Horse Show, shared the spoils in a thrilling finale to the Cayenne Puissance.

With The Duchess of Cornwall, who was paying her annual visit to the show, looking on, the pair both cleared 7ft 1in in the fifth and final round.

Holly (nee Gillott), riding the huge bay Irish sport horse Quality Old Joker, showed all her experience from the hunting field, saw the perfect stride and cleared the massive wall in superb style.

But then the young Irishman matched her for nerve and pinged over on another Irish-bred horse, his brother’s former eventer Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier, in a result that will thrill fans of horses from the Emerald Isle.

Norwegian rider Rebekka Lie Andersen finished third, having retired in the third round on Want To Do, and Britain’s Laura Renwick, who withdrew from the third round, was fourth on Top Dollar Vl.

“It’s fantastic,” said Holly, 27. “All my friends are here to watch. I tried to treat it as a normal show, but it’s just got such an amazing atmosphere. The first three rounds didn’t actually go that well, but then I managed to see a forward stride in the fourth and he jumped brilliantly.”

Christopher was equally thrilled. “I loved it – it didn’t faze me at all. It’s just brilliant being here, being around top riders like Marcus Ehning and Scott Brash.”

Earlier on in the day the Stephex Stables enjoyed a fantastic start to the show, with its riders claiming the first two international Show Jumping classes.

The initial victory came from Germany’s Daniel Deusser, who took the Santa Stakes with nine-year-old stallion Hidalgo VG.

“It’s great to start with a win as it gives you confidence for the rest of show,” said Daniel, who beat 11 rivals in the jump off and relegated Britain’s Ben Maher (Don Vito) to second.

Italian rider Lorenzo De Luca took the Christmas Pudding Stakes, a speed class, riding Halifax van het Kluizebos, one of the Belgium operation’s nine-year-old stallions.

“He’s a very good horse now, having continued to improve and become more competitive in bigger classes,” said Lorenzo, who is an Olympia first-timer. “Getting the invitation to compete here was a dream come true,” he said. “To win on the first day is just fantastic.”

Preceding the first round of the FEI World Cup™ competition, the Dodson & Horrell Extreme Driving at Olympia saw all seven competitors representing five countries. But it was the world’s leading driver, current reigning World Champion both indoors and out, Boyd Exell (AUS), who snatched victory.

Over a challenging course set by course designer, Johan Jacobs from the Netherlands, Exell was the last to go in the first round and was fastest at the midway point. However, the brakes locked on his carriage as he drove over the bridge in the centre of the arena, making for a difficult turn into the first gate of the second obstacle. A resulting knockdown gave him penalties and put him into third place behind Koos de Ronde from The Netherlands and Jozsef Dobrovitz from Hungary. Dobrovitz, whose son is also competing in the competition, was the only driver to post a clear round at this stage, giving him the top slot.

In the second round, in which the top three placed drivers compete again for first to third place, Exell set the bar high with an excellent round despite one knockdown. Even with 5 penalties added the other two were unable to better his score and he claimed the win again, repeating last year’s success in this competition.

“I’ll be making a few changes in my team for the World Cup competition tomorrow,” Exell remarked. “But today’s competition was outstanding. This Show produces an amazing atmosphere and really allows us to showcase our sport. To compete to such an enthusiastic crowd and a full house spurs us all on.”

Course designer Jacobs commented, “I expect all the drivers to make fewer mistakes tomorrow – there are always difficulties in the first competition. They will be competing over a different course although the obstacles are in the same place – I don’t plan to make it any trickier than today though!”

Along with the evening’s Show Jumping and the Dodson & Horrell Extreme Driving, a special presentation took place as Tim Wilks was awarded the Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy, presented to young riders demonstrating potential for future success in the forthcoming season.

The Kennel Club ABC Dog Agility Final thrilled the crowd, but Jo Gleed and her dog Bonvivant With Extra Zoom were too quick for fellow four-legged competitors to clinch the victory.

Olympic champion Nick Skelton spent the day being feted by journalists and the crowd, who will no doubt be voting in their thousands for him on Sunday night in BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Speaking of his Olympic Gold Medal, Nick said, “I never thought it would happen – I’d tried and failed so many times, but I think it means more to me winning a gold medal at my age than it would have done if I was younger.”

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Telford, Revolution Sports + Entertainment
gayle@revolutionsports.co.uk
0203 176 0355
www.olympiahorseshow.com

*Featured/Spotlights, FEI, Show Jumping

Deusser Wins Drama-Filled Longines Leg at Lyon

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Daniel Deusser and Equita van T Zorgvliet. (Pierre Costabadie/FEI)

Lyon (FRA), 30 October 2016 – A brilliant bit of last-minute decision-making helped Germany’s Daniel Deusser clinch victory in the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League at Lyon in France. The 35-year-old rider who won the World Cup title at this venue two years ago found the fastest route home in the dramatic eight-horse jump-off with the mare Equita van T Zorgvliet to pin last weekend’s winners, Romain Duguet and Quorida de Treho from Switzerland, into runner-up spot.

Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca finished third with Ensor de Litrange ahead of Irishman Denis Lynch and All Star in fourth, while Frenchman Olivier Robert slotted into fifth with Quenelle du Py.

Massive

Course designer Frank Rothenberger tested the 40 starters with a massive first-round track that began with a maximum-height vertical that claimed a large number of victims including three-time World Cup champion Marcus Ehning from Germany riding Pret a Tout.

Robert set the jump-off target in 44.96 seconds only to be overtaken by Lynch in 44.57 and then Duguet in 43.68 as the gallop down to the final oxer got faster and faster. With three French into the closing stages it seemed a home win could still be on the cards, but it all went wrong for Simone Delestre on the rollback to the double at the halfway point, his stallion Chesall slamming on the brakes and decanting the world no. 2 rider after a mistake at the first element.

Short-cut

Third-last to go, Deusser spotted a short-cut as he entered the arena. “I decided that if I had a good jump at the vertical (second fence) then I’d cut inside (the double), and that would give me time to get control going down to the last!” he explained after thrilling the crowd as he snatched the lead with a thrilling run in 42.93. Final French contender, Kevin Staut, was 0.28 seconds quicker but left a pole on the floor while last man, de Luca, went clear in 43.80.

Deusser admitted, “I didn’t feel I was the man to win today because, to be honest, this whole weekend didn’t go according to plan! I had two down in the qualifier and I was lucky in first round, but my mare likes to go fast and today she just wanted to win!”

Duguet now tops the Western European League leaderboard ahead of the fourth leg of the series at Verona in Italy in two weeks’ time.

Full result here

Quotes:

Daniel Deusser GER (1st): “I have been jumping young horses in Belgium for the last three weeks so I just started the World Cup here in Lyon. My plan now is to go to Verona, Stuttgart and Madrid, and I will also be competing with First Class and Cornet D’Amour over the next few weeks. In December I will then make a new plan but I’m definitely hoping to get to Omaha for Final!”

Romain Duguet SUI (2nd): “I used to like Daniel, but not anymore! Lyon is a fabulous show and I’m very happy with second place today. My horse is in super form at the moment!”

Lorenzo de Luca ITA (3rd), when asked if he walks the course and discusses things with Daniel Deusser since they both work for Stephex Stables: “Yes, sometimes we do, but Daniel didn’t share all the good advice today!”

Frank Rothenberger, Course Designer: “I was worried about getting too many clears because there were a lot in the jump-offs at the first two legs in Oslo and Helsinki. So for the first time I put the first obstacle at 1.60m; it’s not technically difficult but it’s big for a first fence. I was aiming for less than 10 in the jump-off off and we had eight so I was happy. The infrastructure here at Lyon is very good, the warm-up by the stables and another warm-up beside the competition arena – the actual arena is big for an indoor show so horses jump well here and that makes my job more difficult!”

Olivier Robert FRA (5th): “In Helsinki I had one down in the jump-off but today we had only eight (in the jump-off), so I was in a better position. Because I was first in in the jump-off I had to be a bit careful but it looks good for coming season. My next competition will be at Stuttgart and then we will see. I’ve had quite a difficult year and had to take time in September to have a think about things. Philippe Guerdat has helped me a lot and Michel Robert also.”

Sylvie Robert, Show Director Lyon: “Thank you to Frank for his great courses and to the FEI for having the confidence in Lyon to stage a World Cup qualifier. And thank you to Longines for supporting the World Cup and for helping the sport to develop and get more media attention.”

Full Standings here

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Watch it all LIVE on www.feitv.org.

Social media: #FEIWorldCupWEL #RidetoOmaha #FEIWorldCupFinals #TwoHearts #Longines @LonginesEq

Rider biographies: view online and download from www.fei.org/bios.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Lyon:

Daniel Koroloff
Press Officer
presse@equitalyon.com
+33 478 17 3073

At FEI:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

Daniel Deusser Wins the Rolex Grand Prix at Knokke Hippique

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Daniel Deusser ©Scoopdyga.

Germany’s Daniel Deusser described his win in the Rolex Grand Prix, presented by Porsche, at Knokke Hippique as “my greatest victory” and the thousands of spectators enjoying the sunshine of the coastal town of Knokke in Belgium were hard pushed to disagree.

Deusser, riding the Stephex Stables owned Equita van het Zorgvliet, was one of 19 competitors who successfully navigated the first round to go into the jump-off. Ben Maher riding Boomerang set the early target, with a second clear round in a time of 40 seconds, and despite the best efforts of the many who followed him into the arena, no one could come close to this quick pace.

But this competition included many of the top riders in the world, and as the final three combinations lined up to enter the arena, Maher must have known that his time would be under threat. It was the Frenchman, Philippe Rozier riding Rahotep de Toscane, who showed that 40 seconds could be beaten when he posted a blistering clear round in 39.39 seconds. He was followed by Deusser, who had already enjoyed success on the Friday afternoon when he won the 1.50m class aboard Equita van het Zorgvliet, and the in-form partnership posted a time of 39.32 seconds to race into first place.

It was left to the last remaining horse and rider combination to enter the ring to knock Deusser off the top spot, but despite going clear aboard the magnificent bay gelding Nino des Buissonnets, the reigning Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat could only manage a time of 39.96, and had to settle for third place.

This is a remarkable win at 5* level for Equita van het Zorgvliet, who a year ago won her first 3* Grand Prix when ridden by Jonna Ekberg for the Stephex Stables. Deusser took over the riding duties on Equita only two months ago, with the plan to campaign the horse at 5* level throughout the summer. Following good showings at Saint Tropez, Cannes and Rotterdam, this is the first victory at 5* level, and has all the signs of being a partnership to watch for the future.

Speaking after his victory, Deusser said, “As a rider you are always hoping for a result like this, but you don’t even dare to dream of it. This victory is the perfect finish of a perfect show. Even if I am part of the Stephex team I have to congratulate all the team for what they are doing. It is only the second edition but looks already like one of the best shows in the world.”

And commenting about his plans for the future, Steve Guerdat said, “It was my last big Grand Prix before the Olympics with Nino; he will maybe do a small show before, but I am really happy and he looks in a really great shape.” He also added his praise to the organisers of the Knokke Hippique. “Congratulations to Stephan (Conter) and his team plus all the sponsors for such an amazing show.”

This is only the second edition of Knokke Hippique but with the show offering over €570,000 prize money and able to attract many of the world’s Top 10 riders including six Olympic gold medallists, it has quickly established itself as one of the top CSI5* events of the summer.

The second show of the year to be organised by the Stephex team, the Brussels Stephex Masters, will take place from 31 August to 4 September – for further information, please visit http://stephexmasters.com.

For further information, please contact: press@stephex.com or Gayle Telford, Revolution Sports E: gayle@revolutionsports.co.uk T: +44 207 592 1207.

Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Double H Farm Delivers Incredible Results in North America and Abroad

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Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour at the 2014 CHIO Aachen. Photo copyright World of Show Jumping.

Wellington, FL – July 25, 2014 – The horses and riders of Double H Farm have had great success in the last few months competing on different continents around the world. Quentin Judge (USA) and McLain Ward (USA) had great wins at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB, Canada, while Daniel Deusser (GER) continued a fantastic summer in Europe, specifically excelling at the CHIO in Aachen, Germany. Ward also recently had a great win in Saugerties, NY.

Owned and operated by the Harrison family, Double H Farm has locations in Wellington, FL and Ridgefield, CT. With riders Quentin Judge, Cayce Harrison, McLain Ward, and Daniel Deusser, the horses of Double H Farm show at the best competitions around the world, and have made owner Hunter Harrison incredibly proud in 2014.

“The sport of show jumping can be extremely rewarding for an owner, and when great horses come together with great riders, the results speak for themselves,” Harrison stated. “I congratulate all of the horses and riders at Double H Farm on an amazing season so far. I am very proud of everyone, and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the year plays out.”

Continuing a phenomenal year as the reigning 2014 Longines FEI World Cup Champion and back-to-back German Champion (2013-2014), Daniel Deusser traveled to the world-renowned CHIO Aachen to compete in July. Deusser and Double H Farm and Stephex Stable’s Cornet d’Amour, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Damiani), finished fourth in the prestigious €1,000,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. Deusser was then presented with the award for best performing rider of Aachen, taking home the prize of the Federal Minister of the Interior.

Along with Deusser’s success, Double H Farm congratulates Lauren Hough (USA) on her fifth place finish in the Grand Prix of Aachen riding Ohlala as well as her clear round contribution in the Nations Cup. The incredible little mare is by Double H Farm’s great stallion Orlando.

McLain Ward and HH Cannavaro. Photo copyright Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
McLain Ward and HH Cannavaro. Photo copyright Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

While Deusser enjoys success in Europe, McLain Ward has had a great summer showing many of Double H Farm’s talented horses in North America after returning to his partnership with Hunter Harrison this year. Most recently, Ward guided the 14-year-old Hanoverian mare HH Ashley (Acorado x Chasseur) to an exciting victory at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY. The pair made some very impressive turns in the jump-off to win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis. Ward also finish third in the class with HH Fleur.

Ward and HH Carlos Z proved to be a fantastic pair right from the start this winter in Wellington, FL, and fans have not been disappointed. The duo was on fire in Calgary, winning three big classes and finishing second in three more. HH Cannavaro also had his time in the winner’s circle and had great success.

Ward kicked things off during the National Tournament with back to back wins on the same day. First, HH Carlos Z won the $33,500 Back On Track Cup 1.45m. Later, HH Cannavaro won the $33,500 Bantrel Cup 1.50m. ‘Carlos’ followed that up with a second place finish later in the week in the $40,000 ATCO Structures & Logistics 1.45m.

During the North American Tournament, Ward and HH Carlos Z finished second in the $85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m, then jumped to victory later in the week in the $85,000 TD Cup 1.50m winning round competition.

The pair concluded a wonderful summer in Calgary with the Pan American Tournament, where they won the $33,500 Ashcor Technologies Cup 1.55m, then finished second in the following day’s $83,000 Investors Group Cup 1.50m.

“I’m just thrilled with the way this horse is going,” Ward said of the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire). “Carlos has always been a horse thought of as the utmost in quality. We were really, I think in the end, very lucky to be able to purchase him in the beginning of this year. I think with a little luck, the next few years are going to be really a lot of fun with this horse because I think he is going to do this week in and week out.”

HH Cannavaro proved his talent this summer as well. He followed up his win in week one by jumping with Ward in the $125,000 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ presented by Scotiabank during the Continental Tournament, where they finished second with team USA. The stallion also finished eighth in the $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup during the North American Tournament.

Ward has only ridden HH Cannavaro, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion by Caplan x Caretino, since March, but they have connected quickly. They won the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show in May, and Ward has been teaching the talented horse to be faster in jump-offs.

“He’s a big jumper, and he really likes to take his time,” Ward pointed out. “Just like Sapphire years ago, they have to learn to be a quicker horse. But he really allows you to ride him. He’s older than when I had Sapphire at first; she did the [Olympic] Games at nine. I got him as a 10-year-old. He had a lot of experience and was ready to be pushed a little bit. We’re thrilled with what he’s doing now.”

Ward was happy to be back at Spruce Meadows with a top string of horses under the renewed partnership with Double H Farm. “Spruce Meadows is an incredible event, and the prize money is fantastic. We’re really excited about all our horses, and being back together with Hunter Harrison is very exciting for us,” he confirmed. “He really provides us with some great stock. The results always show. When you have the best horses, it helps.”

Quentin Judge and HH Copin van de Broy. Photo copyright Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Quentin Judge and HH Copin van de Broy. Photo copyright Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Along with his own success, Ward was ringside for several great top finishes with Quentin Judge throughout the summer. Judge is riding better than ever and had a summer that he will never forget.

The highlight of Judge’s summer was his biggest individual win ever in the National Tournament’s $210,000 CNOOC Nexen Cup Derby with HH Dark de la Hart, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Nonstop). The pair also went on to finish second in the North American Tournament’s $210,000 Cenovous Energy Classic Derby a few weeks later. Both derbies are an incredible test of endurance and stamina for horse and rider.

During the CNOOC Nexen Cup Derby, Judge and HH Dark de la Hart won the competition with the fastest double clear round in a jump-off against Angel Karolyi (VEN) and Indiana 127. That day, they had each completed the first round course with the best scores of eight faults to result in the tie-breaking round.

In a remarkable turn of events, Judge and Dark ended up in the same two-horse jump-off against Karolyi and Indiana a few weeks later in the Cenovous Energy Classic Derby. The two riders completed rarely seen clear rounds over the difficult derby track to advance to their second head-to-head jump-off. In the 29-year history of the derby competition at Spruce Meadows, Karolyi and Judge were only the 18th and 19th riders to ever go clear over the course out of 615 entries overall.

In the jump-off, the two riders returned in the same order as week one of the Summer Series. This time, Karolyi and Indiana jumped double clear over the short course while Judge and Dark had eight faults. The pair settled for second, but were still enormously thrilled with their success and two incredible derby finishes.

Judge had been working on Dark’s fitness this year and felt his horse was more than ready for the derby the first week out. With the second great finish, the pair solidified their derby talent.

“He’s really fit right now. I had a really good feeling about it for the last couple of weeks,” Judge said after week one. “I had never done a derby on him, but he’s playful and he’s brave, and he really seems like he enjoys what he does. We’re lucky enough at home on our farm to have a slide bank, double liverpools, all those things. I tried to school him out there a couple of weeks ago, and he was pulling me down to everything. I thought if I was looking for a good derby horse, this might be the one.”

HH Dark de la Hart has been “unbelievable” for Judge. The pair won the $35,000 Husky Energy Cup 1.50m in the Meadows on the Green at last year’s ‘Continental’ Tournament, and they have been on two winning Nations Cup teams for the United States. The CNOOC Nexen Cup Derby was Judge’s first International Ring win at Spruce Meadows.

“For sure, it’s my biggest victory. That horse is really special to me,” Judge said.

In addition to their derby talent, Judge and HH Dark de la Hart showed their skill with a fourth place finish in the $35,000 PwC Cup 1.50m during this year’s North American Tournament. They also finished seventh in the $85,000 Husky Energy Classic 1.50m during the Continental Tournament.

Judge had a great summer competing with his other horses for Double H Farm as well, including his newest mount, HH Copin van de Broy. The 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Darco x Brownboy) had lots of experience jumping with Germany’s Marcus Ehning, and things went even better than hoped as he and Judge got to know each other.

The pair finished third in the prestigious $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup during the North American Tournament with just four faults in a big jump-off. They also had a fourth place finish in the $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex on the final day of the summer series, once again qualifying for a difficult jump-off, and jumping double clear. They began the summer with a ninth place finish in the $400,000 RBC Financial Grand Prix presented by Rolex, and improved with each round from there.

Judge rode HH Donnatella to a fourth place finish in the $33,500 Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m during the Canada One Tournament. They also placed seventh in the $85,000 TD Cup 1.50m during the North American Tournament. He and HH Whiskey Royale had a great sixth place finish in the $50,000 LaFarge Cup 1.50m during the North American. Judge and HH Casallo also finished fourth in the $8,000 Friends of the Meadows Cup 1.45m during the Continental Tournament.

The horses and riders of Double H Farm look forward to continuing a wonderful 2014 season around the world. For more information, please visit www.doublehfarm.org.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com
803.240.7488
jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Deusser Holds His Nerve to Clinch Longines Title

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All mine! Germany’s Daniel Deusser looks with delight at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping trophy which he won today following a superb performance with Cornet d’Amour. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Lyon (FRA), 21 April 2014 – Daniel Deusser steered the 11-year-old stallion Cornet d’Amour to victory in today’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2013/2014 at Lyon, France, pipping fellow-German and former FEI World Cup champion, Ludger Beerbaum, by a narrow margin. For 32-year-old Deusser it was a real test of nerve after moving into pole position at the end of the first round after Olympic champion, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, lost his grip at the head of the leaderboard.

Just four horse-and-rider combinations produced double-clear rounds today, and they earned the top four places, with Longines World No. 1 rider, Great Britain’s Scott Brash, slotting into third while Germany’s Marcus Ehning just missed the podium in fourth place while Guerdat lined up fifth.

“When I went into the second round I knew I had to be clear and you see could at fence number one – I nearly knocked it straight away! But I got my concentration and tried very hard, although I have to admit I was happy when I was finished!” said new Longines FEI World Cup Jumping champion who has brought the German tally of wins in this series to ten.

Withdrawal

Following the withdrawal of joint-leader Patrice Delaveau from France yesterday, Guerdat was heading the leaderboard on a zero score as the competition began. However just six points separated the top nine, leaving no room for error.

Guerdat started on a zero score, while Deusser was carrying two points after the first two competitions followed by Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer (Toulago), Beerbaum (Chiara) and defending champion Beezie Madden from the USA (Simon) with four apiece. The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten (VDL Groep Verdi) and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann (Aragon Z) were next in line on five while Ehning (Cornado NRW) carried six into today’s decider.

Course designer, Frank Rothenberger, tested them in both rounds but the quality of jumping was exceptional. As he said tonight, “The day to me was perfect; we didn’t see big mistakes, just faults on the verticals and the back poles of the oxers.”

Ehning’s spectacular first-round clear ensured he would move up the order as did Brash when doing likewise, but Ahlmann’s chances were dashed by a refusal at the first element of the double at six and a total of 12 faults. Van der Vleuten was penalised for his pace with just a single time fault while Madden’s hopes of retaining her title were undermined by a pole down at the middle element of the triple combination at fence eight.

Beerbaum’s clear was followed by a mistake for Schwizer at the oxer three from home, but when, second-last to go, Deusser’s stallion produced another flawless performance then all the pressure was on Guerdat. And the Olympic champion made it all the way to the penultimate oxer before Nino des Buissonnets got too deep and caught the front pole on take-off. His grip was gone, and he went into round two lying second and on level-pegging with Beerbaum carrying four faults, while Brash was close behind still carrying five. Deusser was now out in front.

Strong pace

Rothenberger’s first-round test had been stiff enough, with the triple combination quickly followed by a double of verticals and a strong pace required to keep inside the 76-seconds time-allowed.

Second time out the time was set at 72 seconds which was also a brisk enough pace over another 13-fence track which began with a tall vertical followed by two big oxers and a left-hand turn to a vertical at four before the triple combination at five. The front element here proved the bogey in this round, the yellow pole falling eight times.

Van der Vleuten was removed from contention here, but both Brash and the 13-year-old mare Ursula and Beerbaum and his 11-year-old mare Chiara left all the timber in place to keep the pressure on the final two. And the crowd gasped when Guerdat’s Olympic gold medal winning gelding fell afoul at the triple combination in an otherwise foot-perfect run.

As Deusser started out last to go you could hear a pin drop, so the noisy rattle of Cornet d’Amour’s hooves hitting the top pole of the first fence led to a big intake of breath around the arena. But as all the top riders all know, luck so often plays its part even at the biggest moments, and when the fence stayed up then Deusser steeled himself for the remainder of the course. There was another touch at the second element of the double at fence nine, and the pair arrived very deep at the following vertical, but this would be Deusser’s day as he cleared the finish line to a wall of applause. His big smile told the full story.

First big show

He has been riding Cornet d’Amour since June 2012, and in their first big show together at Spruce Meadows in Canada they jumped double-clear in the Nations Cup.   However, the horse was injured in November of that year and out of action for two months. “In the end the break was maybe good for him because he came back out in February last year to win the Grand Prix at Wellington in Florida. We had a great year in 2013 including finishing fourth in the Grand Prix of Aachen!” said Deusser about his experience with the horse that also claimed the German Championship title at Balve before taking team silver and fifth place individually at the PSI FEI European Jumping Championships in Herning, Denmark last August. Clearly this was a partnership on a mission. Yet the German hadn’t banked on going to the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final until winning the Western European leg qualifier at Mechelen in Belgium in December.

“I didn’t ride at Oslo (NOR) or Helsinki (FIN) but I started in Verona (ITA) and had one down in the jump-off. It wasn’t until I won at Mechelen (BEL) that I started to get enough points to come here, although if you told me before I came here that I would win the Final I wouldn’t have believed it! But when you have a good horse you always have a chance,” said the rider who collected his last qualifying points at the World Cup qualifier in Wellington, USA. Cornet d’Amour is jointly owned by Stephan Conter of Stephex Stables in Belgium and America’s Hunter Harrison. Deusser and his girlfriend, Caroline Wauters, live in Mechelen.

Second-placed Beerbaum said tonight he was “really happy; I came here as the very, very, very last rider from the reserve list; it was a rush to get here because I only knew I was coming a week ago. My horses were planned to go outdoors and they came here with no training for indoors so it is hard to believe the way it has worked out. The whole week could not have been better, and well done to Daniel – his performance with his horse the whole way through was incredible. I have no problem to be second to that – well done!”

Third-placed Brash said, “If I knew before I came here that I would finish third I would have been very happy! On the first day I had the last fence down and it really cost me, after that we would struggle to get on the podium so it’s nice to be sitting here today! Ludger and Daniel were fantastic today as usual!”

Congratulated

FEI Jumping Committee Chairman, John Madden, congratulated the riders and show organisers. “This is a fantastic venue and at the end of the day I have a feeling of deep appreciation and gratitude for all the teams that allowed us to enjoy fantastic sport. I’m happy to represent the FEI, and also very much appreciate the people who produced such a fine event, like Longines, who brought the prize money up to the right level for this type of championship – and the riders of course.”

Walter von Kanel, President of Longines, who attended tonight’s post-competition press conference, said, “Longines is committed to equestrian sport, sincerely and long-term. I want to congratulate the FEI, the staff, the riders, and I’m very proud to be sitting next to the Longines World No. 1 Scott Brash! I was pleased to see that the riders put the welfare of their horses first.”

“Lyon is the third city in France, but in terms of equestrian sport I think it is number one! I will go back to Switzerland with great memories of everything I have seen here in Lyon this week,” he concluded.

As will the new Longines FEI World Cup Jumping title-holder, Daniel Deusser.

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/GJyFgwkKq6g

Full final standings here.

Facts and Figures:

The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 series drew to a close today with victory for Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour.

This was the 10th German victory in the history of the event.

Germany now heads the table for most wins in this series, with the USA in second with nine victories.

Ludger Beerbaum, the first-ever German rider to take the title back in 1993, finished second with Chiara.

World No. 1, Scott Brash, finished third with Ursula and is the first British rider to stand on the prize-winner’s podium since Michael Whitaker (Portofino) at Las Vegas in 2005.

This was the 36th Final of the series which began back in 1978.

Winner at the inaugural Final was Austria’s Hugo Simon with Gladstone.

27 horse-and-rider partnerships started in today’s last of three legs which decided the 2013/2014 champion.

20 returned for the second round.

7 jumped clear over the first-round course.

5 jumped clear in round 2.

4 horse-and-rider combinations jumped double-clear today, and they filled the top four places.

The USA had the biggest representation with 7 riders, Germany fielded five while Switzerland, Great Britain and France sent out two riders each.

Riders from a total of 13 nations took part, including individuals from Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, France, Egypt, Great Britain, Latvia, Morocco, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.

Quotes:

Frank Rothenberger, course designer – “Congratulations to all the riders. Normally I need to be ahead of the riders to make a good competition; this time the competition was excellent with perfect conditions, including in the warm-up, and the feeling was great with this big arena which was like being in outdoor!”

Sylvie Robert, Event Director – “We had a full house today and I am delighted. Thank you to all our partners, the FEI who entrusted us with these Finals, and a special thanks to Longines. Also thanks to the rider and owners, to Frank (Rothenberger) and to the staff and volunteers.”

Daniel Deusser GER, talking about his horse Cornet d’Amour – “He has a good character, is easy to ride inside or outside and it’s possible to add in or take a stride out with him; he’s careful and that helps him to win a Championship like this!”

Scott Brash GBR – “It is my first World Cup Final and I wasn’t familiar with the points system but it’s basically the same as the European Championships and the most consistent horses and riders win. My horse jumped fantastic all week.”

Daniel Deusser GER – “I have always had a good feeling in Lyon; it is always a fantastic show; everyone wants to come back here.”

Audio Files:

Daniel Deusser – German
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Deusser_end_ger.mp3

Daniel Deusser – English
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Deusser_end_eng.mp3

Ludger Beerbaum – German
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Beerbaum_end_ger.mp3

Ludger Beerbaum – English
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Beerbaum_end_eng.mp3

Scott Brash
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Brash_end.mp3

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 Lyon:

Pascal Renauldon
Press Officer
P.renauldon@rbpresse.com
+333 44 620 621

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

At Longines:

Longines International Public Relations
publicrelations@longines.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Tiffany Foster and Daniel Deusser Share Victory in $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m at FTI WEF

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Tiffany Foster and Melody des Hayettes Z. Photos © Sportfot.

Wellington, FL – March 26, 2014 – The final week of competition at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) kicked off on Wednesday with a dual victory for Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Germany’s Daniel Deusser in the $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m speed class. Due the large number of entries, the class was held in a ‘California Split’, and awarded two sets of placings with $34,000 for each section. Foster and Artisan Farms LLC’s Melody des Hayettes Z topped Section A and Deusser and Stephex Stables’ Domingo were the winners of Section B.

FTI WEF week twelve, sponsored by FTI Consulting, runs March 26-30, 2014. Thursday’s competition will feature the $10,000 Gut Einhaus 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, the $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m, and the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12. Friday will host the $15,000 Adequan 6-Year-Old and $20,000 Adequan 7- and 8-Year-Old Young Jumper Classics. The $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final and $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* will be held on Saturday along with round one of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, which concludes on the derby field on Sunday.

Live streaming is available for two events this week. Watch them at the following links.

Thursday, March 27, 2:30 p.m. EST: $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-wef-challenge-cup-round-12-live.

Saturday, March 29, 6:30 p.m. EST: $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5*. Live streaming will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final Jump-off: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-fti-finale-grand-prix-live.

Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA) is the course designer in the International Arena for week twelve. In Wednesday’s $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m, D’Ambrosio saw 97 entries over his speed track with 31 clear rounds. Tiffany Foster completed the fastest clear round in 61.01 seconds overall for the win in Section A of the class riding Melody des Hayettes Z. Daniel Deusser finished in 61.41 seconds with Domingo for the win in Section B.

With the split class, the top three finishers in Section A were Foster and Melody des Hayettes Z, followed by Reed Kessler (USA) and Kessler Show Stables’ Soraya de l’Obstination in 63.23 seconds, and Darragh Kenny (IRL) with Eva Castegren’s Alpha VDL in 63.52 seconds.

In Section B, Deusser and Domingo led the way over David Will (GER) and Eveline Kraus’s Black Jack 163 in 63.25 seconds, followed by Eiken Sato (JPN) with Stephex Stables’ Q Royal Palm Z in 63.55 seconds.

Foster has had Melody des Hayettes Z since July of last summer and explained that she has had a great partnership with the mare this winter. “She is really good, and she has been really consistent here,” Foster stated. “She has had a lot of really good placings and top three finishes, but she hasn’t won a class yet, so I was really happy that she won today because she deserves it.”

Before her round, Foster made a good plan with trainer Eric Lamaze and executed everything perfectly. “Eric gave me some really good advice before going in,” she noted. “He said that the most important thing was to go really fast from jumps one to two and to go really fast to the last fence. I kind of started on a really open stride, and I didn’t pull the whole time. Everything showed up really well, so it was really easy to go fast today. Everything showed up coming really forward, so it was fast from the beginning to the end.”

Foster plans to show Melody again in the $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m on Thursday and then the $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final. “She is really amazing,” the rider praised. “She is actually pretty straight-forward and she is a really cool horse because she is able to go in these speed classes and go full speed, and then she has been clear in every 1.50m class I have jumped her in so far this circuit. That has been after running in the 1.45m classes, so she is really versatile. She never gets hot, never gets flat, she just keeps jumping up. She is a really high quality horse, and I am very lucky to have her. I am really grateful to have Artisan Farms as owners to have such amazing horses. I have had such a fun circuit with them.”

Daniel Deusser and Domingo
Daniel Deusser and Domingo

With the win in Section B, Daniel Deusser has added to his experience in the winners’ circle with his mount, Domingo, but until Wednesday, a win had eluded that pair in Wellington.

“He has jumped now three shows here, and this is the first class that he has won here,” Deusser pointed out. “He has won a lot of classes. The 1.45m speed classes are definitely his level, but I have to say, I tried already a few times here and I was not fast enough compared to a lot of these horses and riders. There are a lot of riders here and a lot of people who tried. So far I was a little bit unlucky, but not today. He tried again, and it was just good enough.”

Where Foster explained that she got her speed from fence one to two, Deusser noted that that was probably where he lost it. “In that course, there were a lot of long ways between the jumps, so you had to count a lot from the beginning,” he explained. “I think to really be the fastest at the end, I missed it a little bit from number one to number two. I did one stride more than a few other ones that I saw. For the rest, I thought I had a pretty good round and he had the same ideas as me, so I was quite happy with my course.”

“He is a little special,” Deusser described of Domingo. “He has been going to the shows every few weeks since I have been here for two years now, and still every time he goes in the ring, he is a little bit spooky. Especially in the first few weeks here, around the fences on the wings and the flowers on the ground, he was quite spooky, but to be honest, today was the first time that he didn’t give me that impression. He really concentrated on the jumps and tried to do a good job.”

Domingo shows again in Thursday’s 1.45m and then he is done for the winter in Florida. Deusser then looks forward to Saturday night’s $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* with Cornet d’Amour, who jumped a clear warm-up round with time faults in Wednesday’s class.

“He has jumped a few big classes good already,” Deusser noted. “Three weeks ago he was second in the WEF (Challenge Cup) and fifth in the grand prix. I just rode him in the 1.45m and he gave me a good impression, so I hope we are ready for Saturday night.”

Also showing in the International Arena on Wednesday, Ben Maher (GBR) guided Amy Carr’s Charmeur to victory in the $1,500 Adequan 7-Year-Old Young Jumper speed class. Laura Chapot (USA) won the $1,500 8-Year-Old Young Jumper speed round with Out of Ireland, owned by The Edge. Chapot was also second in the 7-Year-Old class with Mary Chapot’s Cast a Dream. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

About FTI Consulting, Inc.

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 4,000 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival

The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 8 through March 30. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded.

Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

*Featured/Spotlights, FEI, Show Jumping

Deusser and Cornet d’Amour Turn On the Magic at Mechelen

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Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour won today’s sixth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Western European League series at Mechelen, Belgium. Photo: FEI/Hippo Foto, Dirk Caremans.

Mechelen (BEL), 30 December 2013 – Germany’s Daniel Deusser produced a fabulous performance from Cornet d’Amour to win the sixth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Western European League series at Mechelen, Belgium today.  From a starting field of 40, only four horse-and-rider combinations found the key to Lucien Somers’ tough first-round track. But the 32-year-old rider and his graceful grey gelding were smooth as silk when earning their spot in the jump-off, and they went on to clinch victory in the finest style with a thrilling run against the clock.

Runner-up was Sweden’s Jens Fredricson with his veteran partner, Lunatic, while Spain’s Pilar Cordon finished third with Nuage Bleu.  Last to go against the clock, 2000 Olympic champion Jeroen Dubbeldam from The Netherlands retired after lowering a fence with Zenith, but this nine-year-old gelding is clearly one for the future.  Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander did well to play the percentage game with Ego van Orti whose single first-round time penalty was good enough for fifth place ahead of the fastest of the four-faulters – Great Britain’s Joe Clee and Diablesse de Muze.

Today’s competition was one in which every inch of the arena had to be ridden to perfection in order to be successful.  “I expected more clears, but it was a long, tough course and the time was tight.  It was the kind of course where you had to totally concentrate from the first fence to the very last,” said the winning rider this evening.

Particular challenge

The arena at the Nekkerhalle in Mechelen is long and narrow, thus presenting a particular challenge to both course designers and horse-and-rider combinations alike.

Starting out over an oxer, several horses had already lost their concentration by the time they took the bending line to the vertical at fence two, while even more lowered the oxer at fence three after the turn-back there.  Another vertical at four followed by an oxer at five and then a right-handed turn to the vertical at six led to the influential line from the oxer at seven to the double – vertical to oxer – at fence eight.  Every fence took its toll, and the following oxer at nine was followed by the triple combination before another right-handed swing to the last three fences.

The triple-bar at eleven put many horses on the forehand, so riders often had a handful of horse coming down to the penultimate oxer along the ringside. And with five short strides to the final planks, control of pace and balance was critical at the very end.

Great cheer

It took quite a while for the first clear to be recorded by Fredricson and his 15-year-old gelding whose success, when eleventh to go, was greeted by a great cheer from the big crowd. And then, as so often happens, another followed just two horses later when Spain’s Pilar Cordon and Nuage Bleu also got it all just right.  However there was a long wait for the final two to join them on the jump-off start-list, Deusser and Cornet d’Amour looking in a class of their own with their foot-perfect round when fourth-last into the ring, and Dubbeldam most impressively steering Zenith home without incident when second-last to go.

The 72-seconds time-allowed was all that denied Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and Ego van Orti the opportunity to contest for maximum points, but her fifth place finish has boosted her points tally to 47 and she is now comfortably qualified for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final next April.  She lies third on the Western European League table after today’s result, four points behind Olympic champion Steve Guerdat from Switzerland in runner-up spot and just five points behind Longines No. 1 rider Britain’s Scott Brash who remains at the head of affairs going into the next leg in Leipzig, Germany in three weeks’ time.

Against the clock

Fredricson led the way against the clock today and really threw down the gauntlet when galloping through the finish clear in 36.43 seconds.  Cordon also left the new seven-fence course intact to slot temporarily into runner-up spot when just over a second slower, and Deusser admitted afterwards that he wasn’t sure he could better the target set by the super-competitive Swedish partnership.

“When you have only four clear you think, well that’s not so bad. I had a good feeling about just four, but Jens was very fast and clear.  I saw him on the screen and my alarm button was already on. I thought, Oh no! Now it’s going to be really hard work to beat that! But I know my horse and he can do fantastic things.  I was lucky on the double vertical and I knew my horse could jump the combination very fast. There was a long run to the double of verticals and I knew he could do one stride less to that, so I think that’s where we picked up the time,” he later explained.

Shaving more than a second off that posted by the Swedish pair he crossed the line in 35.66 seconds.  And when Dubbeldam’s up-and-coming prospect left one on the floor, the Dutch rider sensibly retired to finish fourth.

Coming into his prime

The German winner talked about his eye-catching gelding son of the great Cornet Obolensky who, at 10 years of age, is still only coming into his prime. “I’ve been riding Cornet d’Amour since June 2012. I took a couple of months to get to know him before we went to our first big show together in Calgary (CAN) where he jumped double-clear in the Nations Cup. But then he got an injury in November so we had to stop for two months, and in the end the break was maybe good for him because he came back out in February to win the Grand Prix at Wellington in Florida.  We’ve had a great year in 2013 including finishing fourth in the Grand Prix of Aachen!” the rider happily pointed out.  The elegant pair also claimed the German Championship title at Balve this year before taking team silver and fifth place individually at the PSI FEI European Jumping Championships in Herning, Denmark in August.

Describing Cornet d’Amour, Deusser said, “He likes to present himself in front of the crowd.  In the warm-up he is totally relaxed, but he loves to know that people are watching him and when he comes into the arena he always grows a little – he likes to show off!”  He was particularly pleased about today’s win because it was on home ground. He lives in Mechelen with his girlfriend Caroline Wauters who is part of the organising team for the Belgian fixture and a daughter of the late Belgian jumping star Eric Wauters in whose memory the hugely popular annual fixture is staged.

Deusser recognised today’s victory as an important watershed in his career and said it has influenced his plans for 2014. “At the beginning it was not my goal to go to every World Cup show and try to qualify for the Final, but my other horse has grown so well in the last few months and this horse is in great form. So now I must consider whether I should try to get to the Final.  I’m planning to go to the US in February – this has always been part of my plan.  We went last year and it worked out really well,” he explained.

And he commented on how lucky he is to have the horse with which he won today. “Cornet d’Amour is jointly owned by Stephan Conter of Stephex Stables and Hunter Harrison from America.  Stephex Stables is a very big sales centre for horses so it is great that, thanks to these two people, I now have two great horses for myself to ride so I can really make a plan and get to the good shows.  It costs a lot to have horses on the road, and grooms and show expenses so, once in a while, it is great to get to keep some good ones!” he said appreciatively.

Today’s result has moved Deusser into ninth place on the Western European League leaderboard from which the top 18 will qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 in April.  The next leg of the series takes place in Leipzig, Germany on January 19.

For more information on the sixth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League 2013/2014 series at Mechelen, Belgium, go to www.jumping-mechelen.com or contact Press Officer Edith de Reys, Email edith.dereys@skynet.be Tel +32 475 659 281.

The next leg takes place in Leipzig, Germany on Sunday 19 January 2014.  For all information on the Germany fixture, go to website www.partner-pferd.de/de or contact Press Officer Andreas Kerstan, Email andreas.kerstan@comtainment.de, Tel +49 177 7532 624.

Full result here.

Full standings here.

Facts and Figures:

Mechelen in Belgium presented round 6 of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Western European League series.

From a starting field of 40, just four horse-and-rider combinations jumped clear in the first round.

Course designer was Belgium’s Lucien Somers assisted by Eddy Geysemans.

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander finished fourth with Ego van Orti when collecting just a single time fault in the opening round.

A total of 10 horse-and-rider combinations had a single fence down in round one.

5 riders opted to retire in the first round.

Norway’s Victoria Gulliksen was eliminated in the first round when riding a circle following a refusal at the second element of the double at fence 8.

The annual Mechelen fixture is dedicated to the memory of the late Belgian jumping star, Eric Wauters.

Today’s winning rider, Germany’s Daniel Deusser, is based at Mechelen with his girlfriend Caroline Wauters who is a daughter of the late Eric Wauters and a key member of the Mechelen Organising Committee.

Just four more qualifying rounds will take place in the Western European League over the coming months – at Leipzig (GER) Sunday 19 January, Zurich (SUI) Sunday 26 January, Bordeaux (FRA) Saturday 8 February and Gothenburg (SWE) Sunday 2 March.

The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Final will take place in Lyon, France from 17-21 April.

Quotes:

Winning rider Daniel Deusser (GER): “My girlfriend, Caroline Wauters, is part of the organisation here, and we live together in Mechelen so this is my home show!”

Pilar Cordon (ESP): I tried to do better than Jens, but it was difficult.  I was really happy with my horse.  I tried, but in the end it was difficult.”

Peter Bollen, Mechelen Show Director: “We are very happy with the show this year.  The riders are the ones that create a fantastic show and I would like to thank them all very much. It was last year, during the show, that we heard Longines would be the new sponsors of the FEI World Cup Jumping series. The teams onsite are very professional.  Most importantly, the value of the Finals this year will be higher and more riders will want to participate with the prizemoney involved.  They have increased it significantly – well done to them for taking that step.  The Longines FEI World Cup product now is extremely strong, and I want to thank Longines for their fantastic support.”

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:

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Tel: +32 475 659 281

At FEI:

Grania Willis
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Ruth Grundy
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+41 78 750 61 45

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At Longines:

Longines International Public Relations
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Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

Daniel Deusser Wins Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final in Stockholm

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Riding Evita van de Veldbalie, Daniel Deusser (GER) won the two-round event featuring the world’s Top 10 riders as based on the FEI Rankings, ahead of 2nd placed Patrice Delaveau (FRA) riding Lacrimoso HDC and 3rd placed Ben Maher (GBR) riding Tripple X III.

The 2013 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final did not disappoint the packed crowds in the Globe Arena in Stockholm with some thrilling riding by the world’s top 10 riders. It was Daniel Deusser who gave everything he had riding his bay mare Evita van de Veldbalie with a double clear and a winning time just faster than French rider Patrice Delaveau.

It was a last minute entry by Deusser into the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, following the late withdrawal by British rider Scott Brash, and the young German rider did not miss his chance. “My mare has helped me a lot in the second round. She was fantastic; she gave everything and I owe this win to my amazing horse!” said Deusser.

Delaveau was just two tenths of a second behind Deusser, with the only other double clear of the evening.  Ben Maher was the fastest rider of the night, but his four faults in the first round cost him dearly and moved him to third place.  The experienced and ever popular Ludger Beerbaum (GER) was roared on by the crowd to a very fast clear in the final round, but he had to settle for fourth place after his four faults in the first round. Rolex Testimonees Steve Guerdat and Kevin Staut could not make the podium on this occasion, but will be sure to be competing for the title again in 2014.

Audio of the post event Press Conference:

http://po.st/YOAzVK

The results of the 13th Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final:

1st Daniel Deusser (GER), riding Evita van de Veldbalie
2nd Patrice Delaveau (FRA), riding Lacrimoso HDC
3rd Ben Maher (GBR), riding Tripple X III
4th Ludger Beerbaum (GER), riding Chaman
5th Roger Yves-Bost (FRA), riding Nippon d’Elle
6th Marcus Ehning (GER), riding Copin Van De Broy
7th Kevin Staut (FRA), riding Quismy des Vaux HDC
8th Christian Ahlmann (GER), riding ASCA Z
9th Steve Guerdat (SUI), riding Nasa
10th Gerco Schroder (NED), riding Castelino van de Helle

www.rolex.com

Revolution Sports + Entertainment
T: +44(0)207 592 1207
E: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
www.revolutionsports.co.uk

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour Capture $300,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI 5*

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Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour. Photo © Sportfot.

Lillie Keenan Tops Sam Edelman Equitation Championship Riding Levistano 2; Lauren Henry Triumphs in Equitation 15-17 Division aboard Esteban La Paz

Wellington, FL, March 9, 2013 – Saturday night’s $300,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI 5*, presented by The Bainbridge Companies, was an incredible display of world-class talent as Germany’s Daniel Deusser, Brazil’s Alvaro de Miranda, and Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Nick Skelton topped an all-star cast during the highlight event for week nine of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF).

Forty-five entries showed in the prestigious World Cup qualifier jumping a course set by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL. Representatives from 14 different countries competed, including an impressive 20 riders that have appeared in Olympic Games for their home nations. In a thrilling race against the clock, eight of the world’s best made it to the jump-off and four jumped double clear.

Ben Maher and Jane Clark’s Cella were the first pair to clear the jump-off course and set the leading time at a lightning fast 40.12 seconds. Nick Skelton was up next with his great mount Big Star, owned by Beverly Widdowson. They cleared the course in 41.01 seconds. Alvaro de Miranda and AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno, owned by Miranda and Victory Equestrian BV, went next and stopped the clock in 40.46 seconds. Their round was followed by a stellar performance from Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour, owned by Stephex Stables and Pedro Veniss. They flew through the course in 38.94 seconds to earn top prize. Maher and Cella finished second, de Miranda and AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno were third, and Skelton and Big Star placed fourth.

Watch an interview with winning rider, Daniel Deusser
Watch an interview with winning rider, Daniel Deusser

Daniel Deusser has ridden Cornet d’Amour, a ten-year-old Westphalian gelding by Cornet Obolensky x Damiani, for ten months since he began riding for Stephex Stables in Belgium last May. After a couple of months off and a 1.40m class at a national show in Germany, the pair traveled to Wellington this winter and jumped right in with week eight’s Nations Cup.

“I was doubting that it was maybe a little too quick to start with the Nations Cup last week, but he came in that ring and he felt fantastic,” Deusser stated. “He jumped double clear in the Nations Cup and was third in the class Thursday and he wins now, so I think he did a really good job.”

Commenting on the class, Deusser noted, “The beginning of the class we didn’t have too many clear rounds, but at the end we had very good riders and very good horses. The quality of the horses and riders in the jump-off was really good and they started very fast. For me there was no choice; I had to try it and we were a little bit lucky and it worked out today.”

“I saw that the jump-off was really fast,” Deusser detailed. “I saw Nick just before I went in and he did eight strides to the last fence. I thought that it was really long, but at the beginning I already had a really good turn from one to two and really kept the triple bar on the inside. Then also to the double vertical I had a really good turn. I had already a really long distance to the second to last fence and I thought ‘Okay, I’m going to do the eight.’ It was risky and my horse helped me a lot; I think that was the reason I was actually faster.”

The packed house of over 6,000 spectators at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) went wild when Deusser galloped through the timers, but he was very focused.

“When I went to the last fence I was actually a little bit scared that I couldn’t make it, so I didn’t actually listen to the crowd, but it was a nice feeling afterwards,” Deusser laughed. “It’s one of the best competitions I’ve won so far. It was very good money and in the moment; it is one of my best results.”

Along with prize money, Deusser was also awarded the Herman ‘Kappy’ Kaplan Perpetual Memorial Trophy, established for Kappy with fondness by the Farriers of the 1995 WEF.

Finishing second, Ben Maher did everything he could in his round and was pleased with the results. He spoke about the quality of the class and the excitement of the competition.

“Every week the jump-offs get faster and faster,” Maher noted. “It looked for a long time like there wouldn’t be many clear rounds tonight and then there were a lot at the end of the class. I think probably some of the fastest horses there are anywhere right now are all here in the same jump-off. For me, I was third in the jump-off, so I had to do everything possible to make the others chase us, which is what we did. We held on for as long as we could and in the end one managed to catch us. All the horses jumped great and it was an exciting round.”

“The jump-off was not too many options, again. It always tends to be a little like that in Florida,” Maher remarked. “There’s a lot of galloping. I don’t know where I could have gone any faster unless I left a jump out. Daniel was amazing. He was in a great position and he had nothing to lose. There were three or four of us all within the same second, so if he didn’t do what he did, he was only going to be fifth anyway. Congratulations to him; he pulled off an amazing jump-off tonight.”

Alvaro de Miranda had his best result of the circuit this evening and was happy with his horse as well.

“I was very happy to be in the jump-off,” he acknowledged. “We have been trying every week and I’ve had one down and down and down and finally today I was really happy because I think I had a good round and my horse was jumping super. We had the fastest horses in the jump-off and when I came out and I saw that I was quicker than Big Star but slower than Ben, I was happy.”

Lillie Keenan Tops Sam Edelman Equitation Championship Riding Levistano 2

Lillie Keenan and Levistano 2. Photo © Sportfot
Lillie Keenan and Levistano 2. Photo © Sportfot

The Sam Edelman Equitation Championship was held over two rounds on the grass derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC earlier on Saturday. Twenty-eight entries showed over the first round course set by Skip Bailey of Wellington, FL. The top 15 then returned for a second round. Performances were judged by Tucker Ericson and Ken Smith.

Top young rider Lillie Keenan of New York, NY, rode Heritage Farm Inc.’s Levistano 2, an eleven-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Levisto x Lord, to the Sam Edelman victory. The pair topped both rounds of competition with back to back scores of 89 for an unbeatable 178 point total.

Keenan has been showing ‘Levi’ since the beginning of the FTI WEF circuit and has had several wins with him in the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, ASPCA Maclay and Pessoa USEF Hunt Seat Medal classes. Keenan explained that they have meshed well from the beginning and that although she had never ridden him on the grass until Saturday’s class, she was never worried.

“He had been schooled on the grass before with one of the trainers at Heritage, so I knew that he had already done it,” Keenan noted. “He doesn’t care about natural obstacles and really is brave so that is very helpful going into that ring, knowing your horse wants to go around.”

“I really like those classes,” Keenan added. “I like the galloping and I think that is a really fun type of class for the equitation because it still is testing your ability with the adjustments and it is kind of a stepping stone towards the jumpers, but it is in a really big ring, galloping around a field.”

Keenan and Levi won well over second place finishers Allison Toffolon and Class Action’s total of 170 from an 84 in round one and an 86 in round two. Third place went to Sydney Shulman and Back Country Farm’s Eli, who scored 85 and 83 for a 168 point total. Anna Cardelfe and Ulrich, owned by Gray Horse Farm Hamptons LLC, finished fourth on 167.5 with scores of 83 and 84.5.

Heritage Farm’s head trainer Andre Dignelli coached the top two finishers, Keenan and Toffolon. For the win, he was presented with a special $10,000 Trainer’s Award. Keenan credited Dignelli and the rest of the team at Heritage for the parts they played in her victory.

“Andre rode my horse this morning, so he gets all the credit for the preparation,” she smiled. “I could not ask for a better team. There is Andre and it is also everyone else at Heritage. Without them I would not have won. Going in there and knowing that everything has been done to make sure that you have the opportunity to win and now it is just your job to pull it through, it puts on the pressure, but also it is a really good feeling. I give all the credit to Andre and everyone at Heritage – and the horse.”

Lauren Henry Triumphs in Equitation 15-17 Division aboard Esteban La Paz

Lauren Henry, of North Kingstown, RI, rode her own Esteban La Paz to championship honors in the Equitation 15-17 during week nine of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Henry and Esteban La Paz, a fourteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding, were third under saddle and jumped to first and fourth place over fences. Reserve honors went to Maggie Savoie and her own Ksenyio. The pair won the under saddle class before placing third and seventh over fences.

Lauren Henry and Esteban La Paz. Photo © Anne Gittins Photography
Lauren Henry and Esteban La Paz. Photo © Anne Gittins Photography

Esteban La Paz stepped up to the plate for Henry last year when she was in search of a horse she could compete in 3’6″ equitation classes. The gelding was already Henry’s trusted mount for hunters and happily adjusted to the equitation ring.

“The first time we rode him, we just clicked,” Henry described. “Last year, I was doing hunters with him but when we changed him to equitation, he just loved it.”

“He can still do the hunters, too, but he’s too slow for the jumper ring,” Henry smiled. “He’s better at equitation because he likes to get in a frame more and he’s easier to ride that way as well.”

Henry credits her equitation success to Esteban La Paz’s striking markings and exceptional show ring attitude. “He’s got a big spot on his belly, which helps us stand out!” Henry smiled. “He jumps really well and when he’s on, he’s on! He and I just get along so well and he’s so much fun to ride.”

Henry was more than pleased with her gelding’s performance on Saturday and enjoyed the challenge of the courses laid out before her. “I thought both courses rode very well. Our first round went perfectly. The second round, he took a peek at the scoreboard which hurt our score, but he was still great. The bending line at the end of round two was a little challenging. We probably could have gotten five instead of six,” Henry commented.

2013 will mark Henry’s fifth year making the journey south for the FTI WEF, which she eagerly attends in search of high-caliber competition and, like many other competitors from the North, the Florida sunshine.

Hunter competition during week nine of the FTI WEF, sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies, will conclude Sunday with the Pine Hollow Low Children’s Hunter 2’6″ division hosted in Ring 8 of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The $82,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will be featured in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival
The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com