British Riders Light Up the International Circuit in This Week's International Round-Up
Monday 09 December 2024
Robert Whitaker races to second place in FEI Jumping World Cup™ in A Coruña (ESP)
Santiago Varela made full use of the vast arena at Casas Novas, the stunning venue for this seventh leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ in A Coruña. He set a track that incorporated a range of fence types using the lengths and breadth of the impressive arena at this incredible facility that will play host to the FEI Jumping European Championship in July 2025.
The quality field however, appreciative of the world class facilities offered by Casa Novas must have left Varela scratching his head and wondering what he must do to test the athletes here in A Coruña. Forty riders set out over this maximum height 1.60m track with 14 producing the flawless round needed to return for the jump off.
Victorious in Helsinki (FIN), Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Vermento chased hard from final draw of the 14-horse jump-off, but despite calling upon the 11-year-olds huge stride, his time of 36.56 wasn’t enough to knock an inspired Weishaupt from the top of the podium.
Philipp Weishaupt (GER) drew on the experience of his long-term partner, the 14-year-old gelding Coby 8 to produce a blistering jump-off round in what proved to be an unbeatable time of 36.11 seconds to take victory. The home crowd had plenty to cheer about when Jesús Garmendia Echevarría (ESP) set the jump-off alight from the halfway stage of round two to break the beam in 37.19 and take eventual third place with the impressive 13-year-old Callias.
Robert Whitaker was gracious in defeat and quick to acknowledge the German athlete's performance here tonight. “Philipp is very fast on Coby. To be quicker than him was going to be difficult, I don’t know where I could have done better!”.
After seven legs of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League, Kevin Staut remains at the top of the provisional Western European League Standings with 49 points. Robert Whitaker catapults up the order to take over the second position with 45 points and in doing so secures his place for the Longines FEI Jumping World CupTM Final in Basel (SUI) next April.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League jumps over to London (GBR) for the eighth leg of the series on 22 December. Mechelen (BEL) then plays host to the last of the 2024 qualifiers on 30 December and hands over to Basel (SUI) who open 2025 with Leg 10 of 14 of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League.
Lucy Capper conjures up a memorable victory double in Salzburg
Lucy Capper had a week to remember in Salzburg, Austria, with a memorable victory double in the FEI pony classes on Oscar Van De Beekerheide.
Lucy and the handsome pony stallion Oscar hit the ground running, winning the FEI Pony Trophy Opening in fine style. Twenty-three riders came forward over a 12-fence 1.30m speed track with Lucy and the Orchid’s Floris 14-year-old smoothly outpacing their competitors to win by 0.45 seconds.
They achieved the same result in the FEI Pony Trophy Grand Prix of Salzburg. Course-designer Franz Madl set a 13-fence, 15-effort 1.35m track for the field of 21, reducing them to only six for the final decider. Lucy held her nerve in the jump-off, guiding Oscar into the sole double clear round to take a commanding victory.
Mirroring her mount’s name, Millie Allen produced a foot-perfect clear on Clearround Il Mondo Z to finish third in the Amadeus 4* Masters. Thirty-six riders competed over a 12-fence 1.50m course on the Comme Il Faut x Clearway eight-year-old to slot into third place 0.57 seconds behind the winner, The Netherlands’ Kevin Jochems on Casillas Van De Helle.
James Smith records another world ranking win in Spain
James Smith has enjoyed a successful run on the three Autumn tours in Oliva Nova, Spain, and added another world ranking win to his tally this week with consistent campaigner Juno Rose 23.
The pair galloped ahead in an early, hot Gold 1.45m speed, James and Thomas Carruthers’ Erdento x Nissan Caretano Z 10-year-old mare outpacing their 81 rivals to edge ahead by just 0.10 seconds. They almost made it a double but had to settle for second in Sunday’s Gold 1.45m two-phase. Again, the onus was on speed in this 85-strong class, with James and Juno Rose slipping into the runner-up spot 0.57 seconds behind the winner, The Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen on Cupcake Z.
Laura Renwick was in the money with home-bred horses, heading up a Gold 1.40m two-phase win with Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R), the nine-year-old racing ahead of their 50 rivals by 2.16 seconds. Phillip Spivey claimed third on Paddington 192. Laura also picked up second in an early 89-strong Gold 1.40m speed aboard the eight-year-old NFS Angelina (Arko III x Couleur Rubin), 0.29 seconds in arrears of Sanne Thijssen, this time riding QH Babalou Santo Antonio.
However, a rail in the feature 1.50m Grand Prix proved very costly for Laura. Only six of the original 60 starters triumphed over every question in French course designer Gregory Bodo’s 13-fence track to qualify for the jump-off with two Brits vying for victory. Laura supplied the fastest time of the class by more than two seconds, but an expensive four faults dropped Enjoy CK Z down to fourth spot, just ahead of fellow Brit Jane Annett, also on four faults and in fifth on Jywan.
Phillip Spivey was another to take a Gold 1.40m win, topping Thursday’s 62-horse speed with 2.52 seconds to spare on Sarah Hancock’s 11-year-old mare Billy Pearl (Cevin Z x Turtle Island).
Other British wins included William Whitaker winning a 58-entry Silver 1.30m speed on the 10-year-old stallion Grand Senyor OL while Ciara Miller (NFS Belago), Emily King (Creevagh Cooley) and Georgina Bond (Actionella) all win Bronze 1.30m classes and Taio Strevett topped a Six-year-old 1.25m on Bellini OS.
Sandy McLean completes a winning hat-trick in Belgium
Sandy McLean scored a hat-trick of wins at Azelhof’s Christmas Tour in Belgium.
Sandy notched up an immediate win in the initial day’s 2* 1.35m two-phase on Matt Pike’s SES Jumeirah, holding off 56 challenges with more than three seconds to spare.
The pair continued with their flying form on the following day, going up a level to take the 2* 1.40m speed, flying ahead of 100 rivals to win with 0.64 seconds in hand. The 1.40m Final also fell to this consistent, on-form partnership. Seventy-four competitors set out but the 1.40m track reduced them to 12 for the jump-off, Sandy and the Diamant De Semilly x Douglas seven-year-old hitting top speed and a series of skilful turns to win by 2.35 seconds.
Such were the strong 1.40m entries on Thursday, the class was split into two sections, with Jodie Hall-McAteer heading the second section. Again, 100 riders contended the speed class, Jodie flying into the top spot by 0.17 seconds on the nine-year-old Chica VH Ven Z (Comme Il Faut x Orame).
Joe Clee was also in the money, topping a 41-horse 2* 1.35m speed on the seven-year-old Ansingh De Lis Z with a 0.07 second advantage and taking second in the following 2* 1.40m two-phase aboard another seven-year-old, Applebridge Tag Z, 1.51 seconds behind the winning time.
Image credit: ©FEI/Mackenzie Clark
