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ROLEX਍ഀ FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING 2010/2011 - ROUND 9
਍ഀ Zurich (SUI), 30 January਍ഀ 2011
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਍ഀ Photo Caption: ਍ഀ Germany's Marcus Ehning, winner of today's ninth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI਍ഀ World Cup™ Jumping series in Zurich, Switzerland is presented with a Rolex਍ഀ watch by Mr Pedro Reiser, Market Manager Rolex Switzerland.  Photo: Katja਍ഀ Stuppia/FEI.
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਍ഀ FEI TV -਍ഀ Enjoy highlights, interviews and archive footage at www.feitv.org
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਍ഀ EHNING MAKES IT FIVE FOR਍ഀ GERMANY AT ZURICH by Louise Parkes
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਍ഀ Marcus Ehning brought the German tally to five wins in the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI਍ഀ World Cup™ Jumping series with a convincing victory riding Noltes Kuchengirl at਍ഀ the ninth leg in Zurich, Switzerland today.  In an exciting seven-way਍ഀ jump-off against the clock, the defending champion pipped British birthday boy,਍ഀ 28 year old Ben Maher riding the rejunevated Robin Hood W, while Australia's Edwina਍ഀ Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau finished third. 
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਍ഀ Remarkably, two Spanish riders made the cut into the jump-off and the first of਍ഀ these, Pilar Cordon, slotted into fourth when double-clear with Nuage Bleu਍ഀ while German superstars Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly had to settle਍ഀ for fifth with a single mistake against the clock.  Today's result however਍ഀ has promoted Michaels-Beerbaum to runner-up spot in the Western European League਍ഀ standings which continue to be led by World No. 1 Kevin Staut from France whose਍ഀ first-round double-error proved costly today. 
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਍ഀ Course designer, Frank Rothenberger, set them the toughest of tasks with a big,਍ഀ bold track that demanded courageous jumping and plenty of scope.  However਍ഀ as always luck played its part too as, in particular, the planks at the triple਍ഀ combination chose to defy gravity in many cases while also claiming a large਍ഀ number of victims.
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਍ഀ UNRELENTING
਍ഀ The 12-fence course was unrelenting from the outset, and even the spread on the਍ഀ opening oxer took its toll.  Rothenberger set testing distances all the਍ഀ way around the arena, and most of the 39 starters opted for a forward five਍ഀ strides from the oxer at fence five to the following liverpool oxer at਍ഀ six.  However the latter came up on a long distance for Austrian legend਍ഀ Hugo Simon - the first-ever winner of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping trophy਍ഀ back in 1979 and one of just four riders to claim the series title on three਍ഀ occasions - and he was dislodged from the saddle when his mare, Ukinda,਍ഀ produced a huge leap.  Amused however, rather than annoyed and਍ഀ disappointed, the 68 year old rider left the ring with a broad smile on his਍ഀ face.  And he wasn't alone when leaving the field of play on foot as਍ഀ Norway's Nina Braaten, who is 40 years his junior, also parted company with her਍ഀ ride Blue Loyd at the triple combination which took a heavy toll throughout the਍ഀ competition.
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਍ഀ This was a real test of judgement and control, approached on a tight਍ഀ three-stride distance from the previous vertical at fence seven and fronted by਍ഀ planks at both the first and third elements.  Time and again it was਍ഀ lowered, and Braaten's fate was sealed by an unbalanced approach which left her਍ഀ with a big stand-off at the second element and on her feet as she tumbled into਍ഀ the third.  
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਍ഀ JUMP-OFF
਍ഀ Despite all the drama however, seven made it into the jump-off against the਍ഀ clock with five nations represented in the final showdown including two from਍ഀ both Spain and Germany.  Switzerland's Janika Sprunger led the way with਍ഀ the 10 year old uptown Boy but with eight faults collected at the oxer at fence਍ഀ six - now the third fence on the new course - and at the following vertical at਍ഀ seven she left the door wide open for the rest.  Spain's Pilar Lucrecia਍ഀ Cordon has proven many times before that she can cut it with the best of them,਍ഀ particularly when partnering her handsome stallion Herald, and steered the 10਍ഀ year old Nuage Bleu home to record the first clear of the course in 42.81਍ഀ seconds. 
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਍ഀ Next to go was one of the favourites, Michaels-Beerbaum with the great Shutterfly਍ഀ who had made the first track look very elementary indeed.  But one of the਍ഀ dreaded planks that had caused so much heart-ache in the opening round was਍ഀ still standing and when the 18 year old gelding hit that for four faults then਍ഀ it was still all to play for.  Sergio Moya then set off for Spain with the਍ഀ Action-Breaker and was looking very good indeed until turning to the double at਍ഀ fence nine which was now just three fences from home. Their round fell apart਍ഀ when their take-off was a good deal too early here and they finished with eight਍ഀ faults in 44.70 seconds so the result was, yet again, clearly hanging in the਍ഀ balance. 
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਍ഀ Ehning's round that followed however was cool, smooth and careful as Noltes਍ഀ Kuchengirl cruised home to re-set the parameters when breaking the beam in਍ഀ 40.03 seconds.  Edwina Alexander and Itot du Chateau were quick and clean਍ഀ when second-last to go, but despite a great turn from the penultimate wall - a਍ഀ new fence introduced for the timed round - the Australian partnership were more਍ഀ than two seconds off Ehning's target, leaving it all up to last-man-in Maher.
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਍ഀ The British rider could have been forgiven for holding back with the 13 year਍ഀ old Robin Hood who has only recently returned to action after a long layoff but਍ഀ he wasn't at all fazed.  "Today's course was one of the biggest Grand਍ഀ Prix tracks I've seen for a long while and it played to my horse's advantage਍ഀ because that's the way he likes it" Maher said afterwards, and he was਍ഀ clearly giving it his best shot when racing through the finish to slot into਍ഀ second spot in a time of 42.10.
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਍ഀ AGREED
਍ഀ Winning rider Ehning agreed with Maher's analysis.  "This was a very਍ഀ good World Cup competition.  The course was quite big but nice to ride and਍ഀ I really liked it!' he said with some satisfaction.  He described the test਍ഀ set by Rothenberger at the triple combination as "clever - this was not a਍ഀ normal line because there were three strides from the vertical before to the਍ഀ triple and then just one stride inside the triple - it wasn't easy - normally਍ഀ we would have more strides before the first part of the triple which was big to਍ഀ jump anyway" he pointed out.
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਍ഀ Maher explained that Robin Hood's absence from the ring came about because he਍ഀ was off form last summer, then didn't go to Kentucky for the Alltech FEI World਍ഀ Equestrian Games™ and so got a long break.   "He was never਍ഀ lame" Maher said," but he wasn't happy and the vets decided he needed਍ഀ two months break mentally, so I went with that because he's too good a horse਍ഀ not to give him every chance.  The plan had been to go to the WEG but when਍ഀ the team was picked I was one of six and only on the edge, and my other horses਍ഀ were injured so it was very short notice for him and it didn't happen.  So਍ഀ then we decided to give him a longer break and he's come back in flying form਍ഀ now" said the rider who is currently dividing his time between the Western਍ഀ European League and the Florida circuit.  His next appearance in the਍ഀ Western European League of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ jumping series is expected਍ഀ to be at Gothenburg, Sweden in February.
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਍ഀ Edwina Alexander said that her game little Itot du Chateau "wanted to਍ഀ win!" and described today's class at the Mercedes CSI in Zurich as a super਍ഀ competition.  "I didn't see Marcus go but I saw Meredith - I know਍ഀ Marcus is always fast.  I didn't get the best sweep to the second fence਍ഀ and the double of oxers and it didn't feel fast, but my horse is in super shape਍ഀ and that's important.  I plan to do the rest of the World Cup qualifiers,਍ഀ but I won't take Itot to the final in Leipzig" she pointed out.  She਍ഀ admitted she still has "a bit to do" to get there as she is only਍ഀ carrying 26 points at this stage in the series with just four qualifying rounds਍ഀ remaining. Normally riders need about 40 points to ensure they book their਍ഀ place.
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਍ഀ The heat is on now as the series heads for Bordeaux, France next Saturday and਍ഀ then Vigo in Spain and Gothenburg, Sweden later in February before the final਍ഀ qualifying opportunity takes place in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands in਍ഀ March.  But the host nation of Germany is looking stronger than ever, with਍ഀ Ehning's result today bringing their record to five wins from nine qualifiers਍ഀ so far this season.  
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਍ഀ For further information਍ഀ on the ninth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series go to਍ഀ website www.mercedes-csi.ch or contact਍ഀ Press Officer Roman Gasser, Email rgasser@viva.ch਍ഀ or Tel +41 79290 4872 or + 41 79 635 5005.  The next leg of the series਍ഀ takes place in Bordeaux, France on Saturday 5 February 2011.  For all਍ഀ information on the French fixture go to website www.jumping-bordeaux.com or contact਍ഀ Press Officer Marie-Sol Fournier at Email presse@bordeaux-expo.com or Tel: +33਍ഀ 556 11 99 43.
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਍ഀ RESULT:਍ഀ 1, Noltes Kuchengirl (Marcus Ehning) GER 0/0 40.03; 2, Robin Hood W (Ben Maher)਍ഀ GBR 0/0 42.10; 3, Cevo Itot du Chateau (Edwina Alexander) AUS 0/0 42.41; 4,਍ഀ Nuage Bleu (Pilar Cordon) ESP 0/0 42.81; 5, Shutterfly (Meredith਍ഀ Michaels-Beerbaum) GER 0/4 42.18; 6, Action-Breaker (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP਍ഀ 0/8 44.70; 7, Uptown Boy (Janika Sprunger) SUI 0/8, 46.49; 8, Jalisca Solier਍ഀ (Steve Guerdat) SUI 4/58.32; 9, Quax (Werner Muff) SUI 4/58.34; 10, Winningmood਍ഀ (Luciana Diniz) POR 4/58.51.  Full results at http://www.mercedes-csi.ch/en-home.phtml
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਍ഀ Facts and Figures:
਍ഀ 39 starters
਍ഀ 2 riders eliminated for falls in first round - Austria's Hugo Simon (Ukinda),਍ഀ Norway's Nina Braaten (Blue Lloyd).
਍ഀ 2 riders retired after having three fences down in first round - Ireland's਍ഀ Dermott Lennon (Hallmark Elite), Finland's Nina Fagerstrom (Talent)
਍ഀ 7 qualified for the second-round jump-off
਍ഀ The top four finishers jumped double-clear
਍ഀ German riders have now won 5 of the first nine qualifying rounds in the Rolex਍ഀ FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European League series.
਍ഀ There are 4 further qualifying legs - at Bordeaux (FRA), Vigo, (ESP),਍ഀ Gothenburg (SWE) and 's-Hertogenbosch (NED) before the final which takes place਍ഀ in Leipzig, Germany from 27 April to 1 May.
਍ഀ 11,500 spectators attended today's event at Zurich.
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਍ഀ Quotes:
਍ഀ Great Britain's Ben Maher - when asked why he didn't react as the crowd sang਍ഀ "Happy Birthday" for him at the end of his first round - "it਍ഀ wasn't that I didn't appreciate it - I was worried I could end up on the਍ഀ ground!  Robin Hood is not a sociable horse and he doesn't like noises in਍ഀ the ring or anything like that - I knew if I relaxed for a second after I finished਍ഀ my round I could end up on the floor because he's done it before so i was just਍ഀ concentrating on getting out of the ring in one piece!"
਍ഀ John Roche, FEI Director Jumping - "We enjoyed fantastic sport਍ഀ today.  I would like to congratulate Zurich on a fantastic event, it is਍ഀ one of the crown jewels in the FEI World Cup Western European League, and I'd਍ഀ like to thank Rolex, Mercedes and all the other sponsors that make this਍ഀ possible".
਍ഀ Ben Maher - "this is one of my favourite shows - I always look forward to਍ഀ coming here"
਍ഀ Edwina Alexander, Australia - "I won the Mercedes Classic in 2008. ਍ഀ Zurich is always big and today was very well built by Frank.  It was a਍ഀ careful course and the double of oxers was quite difficult, the combination was਍ഀ quite delicate".
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਍ഀ Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2010/2011 Western European League - Standings After Round਍ഀ 8 at Mechelen, Belgium:
਍ഀ 1.    Kevin Staut FRA       ਍ഀ             -    87
਍ഀ 2.    Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER   ਍ഀ     -    62
਍ഀ 3.    Rolf-Goran Bengtsson SWE   ਍ഀ         -    58
਍ഀ 4.    Billy Twomey IRL       ਍ഀ             -    50
਍ഀ 5.    Christian Ahlmann GER       ਍ഀ         -    46
਍ഀ 6.    Harrie Smolders NED       ਍ഀ         -    43
਍ഀ 7.    Marcus Ehning GER       ਍ഀ         -    40
਍ഀ 8.    Sergio Alvarez Moya ESP   ਍ഀ         -    40
਍ഀ 9.    Rodrigo Pessoa BRA       ਍ഀ         -    36
਍ഀ 10.    Michael Whitaker GBR       ਍ഀ         -    35
਍ഀ 11.    Carsten-Otto Nagel GER   ਍ഀ             -    33
਍ഀ 12.    Ludger Beerbaum GER       ਍ഀ         -    31
਍ഀ 13.    Pilar Cordon ESP       ਍ഀ             -    31
਍ഀ 14.    Jessica Kuerten IRL       ਍ഀ             -    30
਍ഀ 15.    Malin Baryard-Johnsson SWE   ਍ഀ         -    29
਍ഀ 16.    Gerco Schroder NED       ਍ഀ         -    28
਍ഀ 17.    Robert Whitaker GBR       ਍ഀ         -    28
਍ഀ 18.    Leon Thijssen NED       ਍ഀ             -    27
਍ഀ 19.    Lars Nieberg GER       ਍ഀ             -    27
਍ഀ 20.    Edwina Alexander AUS       ਍ഀ         -     26
਍ഀ
਍ഀ ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP™਍ഀ JUMPING 2010/2011
਍ഀ CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR਍ഀ WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE: 1, Oslo (Norway) 14-17 October; 2,਍ഀ Helsinki (Finland) 21-24 October; 3, Lyon (FRA) 27 Oct-1 November; 4, Verona਍ഀ (Italy) 4-7 November; 5, Stuttgart (Germany) 17-21 November; 6, Geneva਍ഀ (Switzerland) 9-12 December; 7, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 14-20 December;਍ഀ 8, Mechelen (Belgium) 26-30 December; 9, Zurich (SUI) 28-30 January; 10,਍ഀ Bordeaux (France) 4-6 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 10-13 February; 12, Gothenburg਍ഀ (Sweden) 24-27 February; 13, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands) 24-27 March;਍ഀ FINAL - Leipzig (Germany) 27 April-1 May.
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਍ഀ Broadcast Schedule਍ഀ can be downloaded from www.feiworldcup.org
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਍ഀ Photo Catalogue -਍ഀ Photographs of winning riders in high/low resolution can be downloaded from FEI਍ഀ Photo Catalogue at www.fei.org>Media>Photo਍ഀ Catalogue - no reproduction fee but photographer must be credited (name appears਍ഀ under picture).  Usage strictly for editorial purposes
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਍ഀ Media Guide –਍ഀ 2010/2011 Media Guide filled with useful facts, figures, statistics and contact਍ഀ details can be downloaded from www.feiworldcup.org਍ഀ - click on Jumping then Media.  Hard copy available from FEI਍ഀ Communications – Email olivia.robinson@fei.org
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਍ഀ FEI World Cup™ Jumping਍ഀ has entered its 33rd season. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14਍ഀ leagues on all continents. The best riders from 123 preliminary competitions਍ഀ will qualify for the final in Leipzig, Germany which takes place from 27਍ഀ April-1 May 2011.
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਍ഀ The Federation Equestre਍ഀ Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international਍ഀ body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic਍ഀ Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations.
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਍ഀ Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three਍ഀ disciplines - Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports਍ഀ in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which਍ഀ involves two athletes - horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned਍ഀ itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be਍ഀ subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.
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਍ഀ Media Contact:
਍ഀ At Zurich
਍ഀ Press Officer Roman Gasser
਍ഀ Email: rgasser@viva.ch
਍ഀ Tel: +41 79290 4872 or + 41 79 635 5005.
਍ഀ
਍ഀ At FEI
਍ഀ Grania Willis
਍ഀ FEI Director Press Relations
਍ഀ Email: grania.willis@fei.org
਍ഀ Tel: +41 787 506 142

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