Harry Charles finishes second in the latest FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier
Monday 05 December 2022
After a superb performance all weekend, Great Britain’s Harry Charles finished 2nd in the seventh leg of The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League, riding Stall Zet’s 12 year old bay gelding Casquo Blue. Harry was just pipped to the post by Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann, riding Messi van’t Ruytershof, after her brilliant performance in the jump-off.
The seventh leg of the Western European League was held, just this past weekend gone on 2-4 Dec, in La Coruña, Spain and it came down to a thrilling two-way face-off between Germany and Great Britain. Of the 40 starters, five retirements, two eliminations and 14 combinations posting a four-fault result in the opening round, meant only Harry and Janne secured their place in the jump-off.
Course designer, Santiago Varela’s fences presented the biggest challenge but the judge’s decision, to change the first-round time-allowed from 85 seconds down to 83, also kept the number of riders qualified for the jump-off down to the minimum.
Celebrating her victory, Meyer-Zimmermann, said:
“The course-building was good but it was a tough course, and because of the time changing you had to hurry a lot and usually that brings more faults. In the end I was lucky there were not so many clears! It was more about the time because you had to take risks, and when you take risks you have more faults”.
Only second to go in the opening round, Harry Charles and Casquo Blue made it look easy, clearing the 14-fence track in 81.03 seconds, before the time-allowed was decreased. However, after another 22 horse-and-rider combinations went, only Meyer-Zimmermann managed to jump a clear round on Messi.
Austria’s Max Kuhner on Up Too Jacco Blue, nearly succeeded in reaching the jump-off after clearing all the fences in the first round, but sadly, collected a single time penalty. However, this was enough to clinch third place ahead of the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders, riding Uricas vd Kattevennen, who came fourth and Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, riding Iliana, in fifth place.
In the jump-off Great Britain’s Harry Charles set the target, with another great run from Casquo Blue, stopping the clock in 36.87 seconds to throw down the gauntlet to his sole German rival.
Speaking later of the jump-off, Meyer-Zimmerman (who won team gold at both the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Lexington, USA and the FEI European Championships in Madrid, Spain) said:
"I watched Harry, I know he is a very quick rider but I felt that there was nothing to lose. I didn’t want to over-speed but I wanted to take my chance. When you are second to go and there are only two riders you have to take the chance!"
Her brilliant rollback to the vertical at fence five gave her the advantage, before she raced through the timers in 36.52 second to secure the win. She’s had an extraordinary year in 2022, beginning with the birth of her son in January, followed by Messi van’t Ruytershof’s superb double-clear that helped Team Germany win victory on home ground in the Nations Cup at Aachen in June.
However, Harry had a superb World Cup qualifying weekend overall. As well as coming 2nd in the 1.60m competition on Sunday with Casquo Blue, he also finished second place in the 1.55m Longines Grand Prix on Saturday evening, riding Billabong du Roumois (owned by Equrie Zet Liege), as well as winning the 1.50m competition against the clock on Friday night, in an equally thrilling world-class beating performance, also riding Billabong.
This World Cup qualifier result moves Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann up to fifth place on the Western European League’s leaderboard, while Great Britain’s Harry Charles currently lies third in the standings; behind Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann in second and Kevin Staut from France in first place.
The eighth leg of The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 22/23 Western European League, will take place in London (GBR) at The London International Horse Show which is being held between the 15-19 Dec 22; the World Cup class takes place on Sun, 18 Dec. For more details visit londonhorseshow.com
There are 14 qualifiers in total (seven having taken place already) but only the top 7 results from each rider count. After the qualifiers, the top 18 on the leaderboard will qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup 22/23 Final in Omaha (USA) next April 2023. It’s looking likely that Harry Charles will get a place at Omaha but there is still a long road ahead for many of the rest.
You can watch all the action from The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 22/23 (WEL) at ClipMyHorse.TV
Results of the 7th leg of The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 22/23 (WEL)
Top three places:
- Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann (GER) Riding: Messi van 't Ruytershof
Faults/Time: 1st round - 0/82.25 sec Jump-off - 0/36.52 sec
- Harry Charles (GBR) Riding: Casquo Blue
Faults/Time: 1st round - 0/81.03 sec Jump-off - 0/36.87 sec
- Max Kühner (AUT) Riding: Up Too Jacco Blue
Faults/Time: 1st round - 1/83.60 sec
.jpg "British Showjumping’s Youth Teams announced for Nations Cup in Busto Arsizio, Italy")
