Willem Greve and Highway TN N.O.P. Light Up the Competition in Leipzig
Willem Greve (NED) and Highway TN N.O.P. © FEI / Leanjo de Koster
Willem Greve and the wonderful 13-year-old stallion Highway TN N.O.P. took victory in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Leipzig (GER) with a sensational jump-off round that proved impossible to beat. Finishing top of the podium here remarkably marks Greve’s first ever Longines FEI Jumping World Cup win, in a career littered with 5* Grand Prix victories.
Simon Delestre (FRA) threw everything into his round with the on-form Dexter Fontonis Z from final draw and posed the greatest threat to Greve. Their clear round in 41.21 seconds was good enough to take second place and demote Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) and Elysium to third.
Frank Rothenberger (GER) set a tough track with a tight time allowed for the 40 pre-qualified athletes. With every vertical set at the maximum height of 1.60m and six of the eight oxers standing square at 1.55m high, his track demanded care and power in equal measure. The time allowed proved achievable but tight enough that athletes had to plan where they could save time and afforded no one the luxury of a steady trip around the first-round track.
Hungry to collect more points and secure qualification to the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final on home soil, Martin Fuchs (SUI) delivered the first clear round from second draw with Connor Jei. They were joined two horses later by an elated Zascha Nygaard Lill (DEN) contesting her first 1.60m class with her new partner Noah de Kalvarie.
Several experienced athletes aboard seasoned campaigners fell out of contention with frustrating poles falling around Rothenburger’s track, spoiling otherwise brilliant rounds for fancied athletes Max Kühner (AUT), Peder Fredricson (SWE), Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE), Denis Lynch (IRL), and Steve Guerdat (SUI), to name but a few.
Fresh from wins in Mechelen (BEL) and Basel (SUI), respectively, Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) and Julien Epaillard (FRA) consolidated their form and added their names to the jump-off list. Mario Stevens, Daniel Deusser, and Hannes Ahlmann raised the spirits of the host nation when posting the fifth, sixth, and seventh clear rounds of round one and the fourth for Germany. Ahlmann was contesting only his second 5* 1.60 Grand Prix and it was the first time at this level for his exciting 10-year-old mare Tokyo 4, with whom he finished second in Friday’s 1.55m class.
Willem Greve put himself into contention with a clear round from midway through the draw and was joined by Marco Kutscher (GER), Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen (NOR), and Rick Hemeryck (BEL), before Marcus Ehning (GER) posted the penultimate clear of round one with a customary textbook performance aboard Coolio 42, and Simon Delestre closed proceedings with the 13th and final faultless round.
With the unenviable position of first to go in the jump-off with some very quick combinations waiting in the wings, Fuchs left all the fences intact and set a brilliant standard that looked good enough to take victory. His time of 42.94 proved vulnerable as next in, Danish rookie Zascha Nygaard Lill, shaved 0.02 seconds from his time.
Still on a high from taking top spot in Mechelen with Vestmalle de Cotis, the home side’s Hans-Dieter Dreher steered Elysium this time, with supreme confidence around the shortened track, slicing across the vertical at fence two (now the fifth fence in the jump-off) at an angle that drew gasps from the enthralled crowd and saw him fractionally up on the leading time at this stage. His committed gallop to the last fence extended the time difference and saw him take an early lead. Epaillard, Stevens, and Ahlmann all faulted in their attempts to catch him, whilst Deusser produced a steadier clear to take eventual eight place.
Greve came next. Buoyed by his confidence in his faithful partner of six years and frustration at just missing out in Mechelen with a fence down in the jump-off, he set Highway TN N.O.P. into a rhythm at a formidable pace and never broke out of it as they snaked their way around the Leipzig Messe, turning mid-flight over fences, landing running, and approaching verticals without a straight stride before them. With invisible commands, it looked as if Highway was tuned into every thought of his pilot and with no hesitations or communication time required, the pair broke the beam in a phenomenal time of 40.52 seconds as Greve punched the air with joy, relief, and satisfaction that his plan had been delivered to the letter and they had, in his own words, “nailed it”!
When Kutscher and Ehning faulted and Gulliken and Hemeryk posted smart clears that didn’t threaten the podium positions, there was only one man between Greve and his first ever Longines FEI Jumping World Cup victory. Simon Delestre with the in-form Dexter Fontenis Z, vying for their third podium position in as many 5* Grand Prixs, were the final combination that could snatch victory from the Flying Dutchman. Another brilliant round from Delestre gave Greve a nail-biting 41.21 seconds, before the relief and elation of realising he had won his first Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier with his old friend Highway TN N.O.P.
Delestre’s valiant effort was rewarded with second place, whilst Dreher took third and more valuable points with his great partner Elysium. ‘Hansi’ was delighted with Elysium and will give his horses a break now that he has secured qualification and use that time to decide which he will take to the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in April.
Simon Delestre said that he was lucky to go the end of the jump-off and therefore had the advantage of knowing what was required: that a four-fault round would see him finish well down the order regardless of speed.
“I did my max today, but Willem was just faster!. I’m really happy with Dexter; he’s so consistent and has had so many wins already. It wasn’t the plan to go to the final but if we are doing a good show next week in Amsterdam, perhaps we have a chance to qualify!” said Delestre.
Willem Greve ticked another major achievement off his bucket list as this marks, somewhat unbelievably, his first Longines FEI Jumping World Cup win. Unbelievably, that is, in light of his already illustrious career and countless victories and successes at the highest level of the sport, not of his undisputed ability and talent. He was understandably ‘a bit thrilled and excited!’ with this win, not just for himself but for the horse and the entire support team behind them.
“I’ve been riding Highway since he was seven, so this is our sixth year together and we know each other so well. It’s only our second World Cup (this season); at Mechelen we were close, but we didn’t start (the jump-off) quite so well. Today we were smooth from the first to the last; everything went to plan and we nailed it!”
Greve was quick to credit everyone but himself for the success he is enjoying, thanking them all for making his life ‘very easy’.
“I’m honoured to ride such a horse for Team Nijhof. He’s always searching for the first distance and I just have to follow him. Richie (Richard Skillen, Willem’s Show Groom) gives everything for the horses, so this is for him for the owners and for everyone who helps make my job very easy.”
With points now on the board, Greve heads to Amsterdam (NED) and will now try to go to Bordeaux (FRA) or Gothenburg (SWE) in an attempt to reach his first Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final. With Highway and his stablemate Grandorado TN in electric form, he has every chance of getting there.
After 11 legs of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League 2024/ 2025, Kevin Staut (FRA) retains his lead to at the top of the leaderboard on 70 points. Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) jumps up two places to lie in second position on 66 points, leaving Robert Whitaker (GBR) in third place with 60 points. Gregory Wathelet (BEL) sits in fourth place with 56 points. Pieter Devos (BEL) holds onto fifth on 47 points, just ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Maher, who remains in sixth position with 46 points.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League 2024/ 2025 season jumps over to Amsterdam (NED) on 26 January for leg 12 and then down to Bordeaux for the penultimate leg, before Gothenburg plays host to the 14th and final leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League 2024/ 2025.
by Alice Watson
