Lundback leads the way in Oslo…
Sweden's Helena Lundback won the opening leg of the 2007/2008 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series presented by Landrover in Oslo, Norway this afternoon with a super-fast jump-off round from Madick.
In the nine-horse race against the clock she was second-last into the ring and shaved almost a half-second off the target set by Italy's Juan Carlos Garcia and Hamilton de Perhet to clinch maximum points. And the Swedes were really flexing their muscles at this early stage of the season with Rolf-Goran Bengtsson claiming third with Ninja La Silla ahead of Spain's Rutherford Latham and Guarana Champeix in fourth.
Points picked up at the beginning of the western European circuit can often prove pivotal. There is considerably greater pressure as the series progresses so Lundback was delighted to have made the perfect start in her effort to ensure a place at the final next April.
“The first round was nice and there was just the right number of horses going through to the second round” Lundback said afterwards. The home side's Tony Andre Hansen riding Camiro and Geir Guliksen riding L'Espoir were amongst the 12 four-faulters in the opening round as course-designer Anders Hafskjold track weeded them out, but Norwegian show jumping is clearly in great shape.
For the first time ever in Oslo, a Norwegian rider clinched the Grand Prix title on Saturday afternoon when Gulliksen steered Sundal Colliers Cattani to victory. And there is a real sense of team spirit and strength following Norway's great performance at the European Championships in Mannheim where they finished sixth and qualified for next year's Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
Stein Endresen was the sole home-side representative in the jump-off and brought Le Beau across the line in 44.06 seconds but leaving two fences on the floor during his pathfinding run, so Philippe Leoni's clear with the experienced 13 year old mare Cyrenaika set the first real target in a time of 43.38 seconds. That was always going to be beaten however and Ireland's Cameron Hanley proved the point when the very promising eight year old stallion SIEC Livello broke the beam a second sooner.
Bengtsson and Ninja la Silla then raised the game again when stopping the clock in 40.88 and when Switzerland's Markus Fuchs and Nirmette double-faulted the Swedish rider still had the whip hand. However Italy's Juan Carlos Garcia produced a brilliant run from the 12 year old French-bred gelding Hamilton de Perhet to take the lead in 39.55 and the temperature just kept rising as Rutherford Latham had a cut at it but fell short by two seconds with Guarana Champeix and then Lundback set the arena alight with a fearless challenge.
“I talked with Rolf (Bengtsson) about what I should do because he was already finished” she explained afterwards, but she couldn't really remember exactly how she clinched it. “Maybe I took out a stride between fences four and five but I'm not sure!” she said. “I'm not sure if I would ride it the same way again but Madick really tried for me!” she added.
With the target now set at 39.24 seconds and clear Pius Schwizer and Nobless M were last into the ring and the Swiss partnership gave it everything they had, doing the time as they crossed the line in 39.19 seconds but leaving one fence on the floor. This was still good enough to slot him into seventh spot behind Leoni in sixth and Hanley in fifth while Fuchs had to settle for eighth ahead of Endersen in ninth position.
“I really enjoyed this today – it's special because this is my first World Cup victory” said 31 year old Lundback who lives in Norkoping in Sweden and so is therefore a neighbour of that other Swedish show jumping star Malin Baryard. “Madick is 11 years old and I have had her since she was eight so we know each other well – she is very kind and very talented” she explained. “And today was a really good day for the sport” she added, “because the public really enjoyed the jump-off”.
Lundback now travels north to Finland for next Sunday's second leg of the 2007/2008 FEI World Cup™ Jumping series – “I'm looking forward to that” she said, “because it will be really great if I can get to Gothenburg for the final next year”.
With 20 points already to her credit she is almost halfway there already……
Results (14/10/07)
Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping
Table A with jump off
FEI Art. 238.2.2 – 1,60m
1º Madick / Helena Lundbäck (Swe) / 0 / 0 – 39.24
2º Hamilton De Perhet / Juan Carlos Garcia (Ita) / 0 / 0 – 39.55
3º Ninja La Silla / Rolf Göran Bengtsson (Swe) / 0 / 0 – 40.88
4º Guarana Champeix / Rutherford Latham (Esp) / 0 / 0 – 41.52
5º S.I.E.C Livello / Cameron Hanley (Irl) / 0 / 0 – 42.26
6º Cyrenaika Frh / Philippe Leoni (Fra) / 0 / 0 – 43.38
7º Nobless M / Pius Schwizer (Sui) / 0 / 4 – 39.19
8º Nirmette / Markus Fuchs (Sui) / 0 / 8 – 40.27
9º Le Beau 29 / Stein Endresen (Nor) / 0 / 8 – 44.06
10º Jalisca Solier / Steve Guerdat (Sui) / 4 – 73.29