Flying Fruhmann makes it three in Vigo…

Austria's Thomas Fruhmann raced to his third victory in the 2005/2006 FEI World Cup Jumping series at Vigo in Spain tonight with another magnificent performance from his 10 year old gelding, The Sixth Sense, who devastated the opposition with a scorching last-to-go run in the 14-horse jump-off.

The 55 year old rider has created a major sensation since, to the amazement of everyone including himself, he headed the line-up in Geneva in December and with the points ollected when taking pole position in Leipzig last month, and now 20 more to add after tonight's win, he lies in second place on the Western European Leaderboard with 63 points to his credit.

The first-round course set by Spanish course-designer Avelino Rodriguez Miravalles, the man who built the tracks for the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, produced 14 clear rounds and longtime league leader, Gerco Schroder from Holland, was pathfinder against the clock with Eurocommerce Milano, returning with four faults on the board in a time of 35.78 seconds. Next in was the second sensation of the evening – home runner Susana Garcia Cereceda riding her 11 year old stallion Hello Pierville. The almost-unknown Spanish partnership had produced an early surprise when making the first track look easy and they came out and did it again second time around when home and clear in 38.01 seconds. However their lead was short-lived as on-form Irish star Jessica Kurten blazed a trail in 35.16 seconds with Quibell only to be immediately demoted from the top spot by Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly who set the new target in 34.58.

Frenchman Jean-Marc Nicolas and JPC Modesto were more than a second off
the pace but Ireland's Cian O'Connor and his nine year old mare Irish Independent Echo Beach were well in touch until lowering the penultimate vertical and the final oxer for eight faults. Britain's Robert Smith then set off with Kalusha but a fence on the floor scuppered their chances while Belgium's Patrick McEntee picked up a total of six faults with Sherry Mury Marais Z. Norway's Geir Gullikensen opted for caution with Cattani and it paid off when he left the course intact although his time of 39.43 seconds was never going to be seriously competitive.

With just five left to run Italy's Juan-Carlos Garcia set off with Loro Piana Albin but the winners at Bordeaux one week earlier were out of luck this time around when paying the price for a single error. Philippe Leoni from France ensured a good place in the line-up when steering Cyrenaika FRH home without penality in 37.53 but then Toni Hassmann followed with a temperature-raising round that demoted fellow-German Michaels-Beerbaum when breaking the beam with Lolita in 33.44 seconds and this looked unbeatable with just two left to go. Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and MacKinley presented no major challenge when picking up four faults and it eemed extremely unlikely that, last into the ring, Fruhmann could better the time set by Hassmann but this is a man who, it seems, should never be under-estimated.

Results (11.02.06)
CSI-W Vigo
FEI World Cup – AM5
1º Thomas Frühmann (Aus) / The Sixth Sence / 0/0-32,8
2º Toni Hassmann (Ale) / Lolita H / 0/0-33,44
3º Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Ale) / Shutterfly / 0/0-34,58
4º Jessica Kurten (Irl) / Quibell / 0/0-35,16
5º Jean-Marc Nicolas (Fra) / Modesto / 0/0-35,79
6º Philippe Leoni (Fra) / Cyrenaika FRH / 0/0-37,53
7º Susana García Cereceda (Esp) / Hello Pierville / 0/0-38,01
8º Geir Gulliksen (Nor) / Cattani 17 / 0/0-39,43
9º Robert Smith (Gbr) / Kalusha / 0/4-34,79
10º Gerco Schröder (Hol) / Milano / 0/4-35,78