Title defender Boyd Exell (AUS) wrote history this afternoon in the dramatic FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Bordeaux (FRA). Christoph Sandmann (GER) finished second, ahead of Exell’s biggest opponent, IJsbrand Chardon (NED). The Australian won the FEI World Cup™ Driving champion title for the sixth time, once more than the previous record holder Germany’s Michael Freund.
It was a three-man Winning Round. After Christoph Sandmann and Boyd Exell had driven theirs, IJsbrand Chardon entered the arena with his special indoor team. The Dutch held an advantage of approximately three seconds over Exell and flew through the course, determined to win the coveted title which has eluded him since 2006. Unfortunately however his carriage lost balance in the left turn and Chardon had to make a correction. This caused his right leader horse to come out and spectacularly jump over the start/finish element. As Chardon had come too close to the next marathon type obstacle, he could no longer correct the situation and went through the wrong gate. He had no other choice except to retire.
Boyd Exell drove two wonderful clear rounds in full concentration and put the pressure on last man Chardon. Exell was especially pleased with his right wheeler horse, the 25-year-old Carrington Park Ajax affectionately called Junior, who has now been retired from the sport. Junior has been part of Exell’s team at every FEI World Cup™ Driving competition. He thanked the exceptional gelding by escorting him out of the arena, walking beside him while his navigator Michelle drove the team.
Dutch driver IJsbrand Chardon is in the lead after the first competition of the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final 2015 in Bordeaux (FRA) (Pierre Costabadie/FEI)
Christoph Sandmann was very pleased with his second place. The multiple German champion and organiser of a CAI3* at his home in Lähden did not take any risks in the first round and went full speed in the Winning Round, knowing he had nothing to loose since the difference between him and the two leading drivers was too big. His clever tactics resulted in a wonderful third place for the experienced driver, who had not competed in Bordeaux since the series’ first season in 2002.
Fredrik Persson (SWE) finished in fourth place, ahead of Koos de Ronde (NED), wildcard driver Sébastien Mourier (FRA), and Georg von Stein (GER).
Quotes:
Boyd Exell on his way to a historic sixth victory in the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final at Bordeaux (FRA) today. (Pierre Costabadie/FEI)
Boyd Exell (AUS): “Once we got in our zone, it felt like the old winning wheel again. Because of my injured hand, I had to sharpen the bit settings and I could not play with them as much as I would have liked to. Poker, who is only seven, was a true member of our team today but the highlight for me really was the retirement of Junior. I am so thrilled for him and so happy he finished his career with a win.”
Christoph Sandmann (GER): “I am very happy with my second place. I did not compete in the World Cup last season and I had a special indoor team for this season with which I am very pleased.”
IJsbrand Chardon (NED): “I was very fast and I believe I was even five seconds ahead of Exell when fate struck again. I feel terrible that this has happened, I really wanted to win. But this is the game and I accept it.”
Results after the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final 2015 Final competition, Bordeaux (FRA), Sunday, 8 February 2015:
Boyd Exell (AUS) 239,41
Christoph Sandmann (GER) 273,29
IJsbrand Chardon (NED) ret
Fredrik Persson (SWE) 155,11
Koos de Ronde (NED) 161,63
Sebastien Mourier (FRA) 172,48
Georg von Stein (GER) 184,62
Official results
The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has approved Nasir Jamshed as a replacement player for Mohammad Hafeez in Pakistan’s squad for the tournament, which starts on 14 February.
Hafeez is suffering from a calf injury, which he picked up while batting in the second ODI against New Zealand in Napier on 3 February.
Nasir, the 25-year-old left-handed opener, has played 45 ODIs for Pakistan in which he has scored 1,413 runs with three centuries and eight half-centuries. His last ODI was against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in December 2014
Any injury or illness-based replacement requires a written submission to the Event Technical Committee along with a diagnosis from a medical practitioner as to the extent of the injury or illness. Once replaced, a player may not return to the squad save as an approved subsequent replacement for another injured or ill player.
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is Geoff Allardice (ICC General Manager – Cricket, Chairman), Campbell Jamieson (ICC General Manager – Commercial), John Harnden (Chief Executive, CWC 2015 LOC), Gavin Larsen (Cricket Operations Manager, New Zealand), Russel Arnold and Sanjay Manjrekar (independent nominees).
Pakistan is in Pool B of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 along with defending champion India, former winner the West Indies, African rivals South Africa and Zimbabwe, and qualifiers Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pakistan will play its opening match against India at the Adelaide Oval on 15 February.
Irish Jumping sensation, Bertram Allen, made it a double of wins when scorching to victory in the thrilling penultimate leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series at Bordeaux, France tonight.
And his result was all the more phenomenal for the fact that the 19-year-old rider was partnering Billy Twomey’s stallion Romanov who, at 17, was the oldest horse in the class and just two years younger than the man in the saddle.
There was plenty of tension in the air, as many riders were desperately bidding for those elusive extra qualifying points that will get them to the Longines Final in Las Vegas, USA in two months’ time. But Allen was already well-assured of his ticket following a spectacular indoor season, and tonight the young man who recently moved up to 14th in the Longines world rankings stands top of the Western European League leaderboard.
Underpinning his extraordinary achievement, he left German superstars Ludger Beerbaum (Chaman) and Marcus Ehning (Singular Ls La Silla) in his wake, while Timothee Anciaume (Olympique Libellule) slotted into fourth for France.
Asked afterwards if he was surprised to have beaten such a world-class field, Allen replied, “no, not really. I’ve always known that Romanov is a great horse, and he was just brilliant tonight!”
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014:2015
Up to the task
Course designer, Italy’s Uliano Vezzani, gave them a generous 78 seconds to complete the first course of fences, and 11 of the 40 starters proved up to the task. The triple combination at fence 10 took the biggest toll, but there were also plenty of mistakes at the vertical at eight and the oxer at fence nine which each had a water-tray below them.
The clever jump-off track took horses on a figure-of-eight before looping back to the last element of the former triple combination which was followed by the 1.60m vertical at fence 11 and a long gallop to the final oxer. It seemed Germany’s Beerbaum had it in the bag when the 51-year-old ace, who enjoyed very little luck in earlier legs this season, produced the smoothest of runs from the 16-year-old Chaman to set a strong target in 37.72 seconds when fourth to go.
That left him almost five seconds ahead of the only other clear round produced by the host nation’s Timothee Anciaume and Olympique Libellule after Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander kicked out the last with Lintea Tequila and Italy’s Luca Moneta and Connery lowered the third.
Despite a breath-taking turn inside fence 11, Marcus Ehning and Singular la Silla still couldn’t better Beerbaum’s target time when clear in 38.44. And when Zurich winners Sergio Alvarez Moya and Carlo from Spain left two on the floor, and Ireland’s Denis Lynch (All Star), and Kevin Staut (Reveur de Hurtebise) and Penelope Leprevost (Flora de Mariposa) from France all collected single errors, Beerbaum was still out in front.
Formidable reputation
However although still so very young, Allen has already earned a formidable reputation for skilled riding against the clock. With his top horse, the grey mare Molly Malone with which he clinched victory at the Longines leg in Verona, Italy last November, he is always to be feared. But he had no doubt that Romanov could do the job equally well this evening. Setting off at a relentless pace, he was well in touch as he cleared the penultimate vertical and the crowd held their collective breath as he urged his veteran campaigner to a big stand-off at the final oxer, stopping the clock in 36.48 seconds to go well out in front. And when the final partnership of The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Group Verdi made a mistake, it was the Irishman’s moment.
“I knew I was in with a chance, and I just kind of set sail down the last! He’s a brave horse with a lot of experience” Allen said afterwards. He said Romanov “had a win in Zurich (two weeks ago), but it wasn’t a big class. He had a break after Birmingham (GBR) where he won the Showjumper of the Year last October, and we’ve been building him up especially for today”.
Ireland’s Bertram Allen clinched his second victory in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League at Bordeaux, France tonight riding Romanov. (FEI/Pierre Costabadie)
Quick to praise
Runner-up, Ludger Beerbaum, was quick to praise the winner. “To be honest, the competition in the jump-off wasn’t really close – he (Allen) was more than a second faster, fantastic work from him. He is very fast and so is the horse. I don’t think I could have beaten him today for speed”. And he added, “looking at Bertram today, I remember how old I am! The first time I competed in Bordeaux was in 1987, Bertram wasn’t even born then! I was 23 years old at the time and won the Grand Prix. Since then, I haven’t won the World Cup here, so I guess I need to come back again next year then!”
Third-placed Marcus Ehning wasn’t at all disappointed, as his horse is only a nine-year-old and full of promise. “He competed in his first Grand Prix and World Cup in London and he jumped clear over there, and now he’s done it again here – twice! I’m really happy, despite not being the fastest” he said.
Course designer, Uliano Vezzani, had the final word when putting tonight’s result into context. “I’m very happy”, he said, “because Bertram is the future….”
Third for Sweden was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with “Casall Ask”in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Zurich 2015 Pic Karl-Heinz Frieler
Result:
1, Romanov (Bertram Allen) IRL 0/0 36.48;
2, Chaman (Ludger Beerbaum) GER 0/0 37.72;
3, Singular Ls La Silla (Marcus Ehning) GER 0/0 38.44;
4, Olympique Libellule (Timothee Anciaume) FRA 0/0 42.43
5, Reveur de Hurtebise HDC (Kevin Staut) FRA 0/4 37.56;
6, Flora de Mariposa (Penelope Leprevost) FRA 0/4 37.64;
7, Lintea Tequila (Edwina Tops-Alexander) AUS 0/4 38.45;
8, All Star 5 (Denis Lynch) IRL 0/4 39.95;
9, VDL Groep Verdi TN NOP (Maikel van der Vleuten) NED 0/4 41.95;
10, Connery (Luca Moneta) ITA 0/4 42.62; 11, Carlo 273 (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP 0/8 40.28.
The French partnership of Simon Delestre and the stallion Qlassic Bois Margot produced a devastating turn of speed to win today’s eighth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League at Mechelen in Belgium. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)
Facts and Figures:
Bordeaux, France presented the eleventh and penultimate leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series tonight.
The winner was 19-year-old Bertram Allen from Ireland partnering Billy Twomey’s stallion Romanov who, at 17, is just two years younger than Allen and the oldest horse in tonight’s competition.
Allen is the only rider to win two legs of the current series. He previously came out on top with his mare, Molly Malone, at Verona, Italy last November.
Allen, who earlier this week moved up one place to No. 14 in the Longines world rankings, now heads the Western European League table with a big total of 71 points.
11 of the 40 starters qualified for the second-round jump-off against the clock.
The top four riders all jumped double-clear rounds.
Course designer was Italy’s Uliano Vezzani.
France was represented by three riders in the jump-off, including Kevin Staut who has competed at all 11 of the Western European League qualifiers to date and who, tonight, finished fifth with Reveur de Hurtebise HDC. Staut now lies second on the Western European League table with 63 points.
Gothenburg, Sweden presents the 12th and last leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series on Sunday 1 March 2015.
Second in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Zurich 2015 was Bertram Allen for Ireland riding “Molly Malone” Pic Karl-Heinz Frieler
Quotes:
Bertram Allen: “There is a super atmosphere here in Bordeaux, it’s one of the best shows on the circuit. I’m delighted. When you are one of the last ones to go at the jump-off and manage to get away with it, it’s a great feeling!”
Timothee Anciaume: “The aim today was simply to keep up the good run of form my horse (Olympique Libellule) has been in. He isn’t well known, I am aware of that. Nevertheless, he has come to Bordeaux in solid form and, given his lack of experience, today was all about trying to get to the jump-off and jump clear; time was not really the priority or focus. The horse has progressed very well and jumped 10 cms higher than the courses he is used to. I am obviously not aiming to compete in Las Vegas considering this was my first World Cup. I’m around the 100th place, if I can get to the top 50 in the coming months then that would be great”.
Marcus Ehning: “Singular LS is owned by Maria Gretzer. I’ve had him now for two years. He’s very much an up-and-coming horse and has improved a lot over the last two years. I’m very proud of him”.
Eric Dulong (President of the Event): “It’s my first year as President and it has been a wonderful, unique experience. It’s also been a great success in terms of visitors, quality of the event and riders – especially today, when you see how young the winner is! This has been another great step for us as a show and we want to keep going further. Thank you to all the riders for having come to Bordeaux and contributing to this success”.
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League – Standings after Round 11 at Bordeaux (FRA):
1. Bertram Allen IRL – 71
2. Kevin Staut FRA – 63
3. Steve Guerdat SUI – 57
4. Harrie Smolders NED – 56
5. Edwina Tops-Alexander AUS – 54
6. Marcus Ehning GER – 53
7. Daniel Deusser GER – 50
8. Maikel van der Vleuten NED – 45
9. Marco Kutscher GER – 44
10. Hans-Dieter Dreher GER – 44
11. Lucy Davis USA – 42
12. Simon Delestre FRA – 41
13. Douglas Lindelow SWE – 41
14. Martin Fuchs SUI – 40
15. Geir Gulliksen NOR – 38
16. Penelope Leprevost FRA – 38
17. Sergio Alvarez Moya ESP – 37
18. Luca Maria Moneta ITA – 36
19. Jur Vrieling NED – 33
20. Jos Verlooy BEL – 33
21. Reed Kessler USA – 32
22. Roger Yves Bost FRA – 30
23. Patrice Delaveau FRA – 30
Longines Live Timing Jumping application: available free for download from The App Store (iPhone) & Android Markets. Combining precision and performance, this is a detailed and exclusive application designed especially for Jumping fans – follow live results, see latest Longines Rankings, view competition schedules, obtain exclusive information and alerts on your favorite riders and get all the latest FEI news.
Preparatory to the Afrobasket 2015 qualifiers against Burkina Faso, as well as the All Africa Games in Brazzaville, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has invited 14 home-based players to resume camp in Abuja.
According to the federation, the invited players are to report at the Parkview Hotel Abuja on Sunday, February 8, 2015 while training sessions begin on Monday, February 9, 2015.
The team will be coached by familiar faces former D’Tigers assistant coaches Kano Pillars’ Head coach Sani Ahmed and to assisted by Ayinla Johnson, Head coach Union Bank Basketball club of Lagos.
The home-based players will however, be joined by a number of international players in due course.
D TIGERS
The 14 D’Tigers Players
1) Abubakar Usman ( Kano Pillars)
2) Stanley Gumut (Mark Mentors)
3) Mathew Omonya (Kano Pillars)
4) Ibrahim Yusuf (Kano Pillars)
5) Abdul Yahaya (Mark Mentors)
6) Moses Odaudu (Mark Mentors)
7) Victor Anthony (Mark Mentors)
8) Azuoma Dike (Dodan Warriors)
9) Timothy Kwaor (Mark Mentors)
10) Onyeka Okeke ( Kano Pillars)
11) Ibrahim Okpe (Lagos Islanders)
12) Dele Ademola (Kano Pillars)
13) Adeolu Ojo (Kano Pillars)
14) Abdulwahab Yakubu (Kano Pillars)
With only six days to go until the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, volunteers from Australia and New Zealand are making final preparations for the big event, with training days across the two host nations.
Up to 4,000 volunteers will be required for the tournament in the 14 host cities, with 49 matches played over 44 days, including five in Sydney.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 chief executive John Harnden said he is pleased to have so many people across Australia and New Zealand join the organising team for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
“Volunteers from all walks of life and all communities will be supporting the tournament in each of the host cities in a variety of roles – from fan services and event operations, to transport and hospitality support. This is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and it would not be possible without the efforts of the thousands of volunteers involved and our thanks and respect go out to each and every one them,” he added.
MoneyGram is an official sponsor of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The company is providing bright and colorful uniforms for the nearly 4,000 volunteers who are supporting the games at the Australia and New Zealand venues.
“MoneyGram is proud to share our customers’ passion for cricket, and sponsorship of the Volunteer Programme is MoneyGram’s endeavor to welcome fans from around the country and around the world,” said Michael Minassian, MoneyGram’s senior regional director for Australia & Oceania. “We have hosted various promotions for our customers and agents in Australia & New Zealand as well as the Middle East, South Asia and Asia, giving an opportunity to hundreds of customers to watch live games starting February 14th.”
The Golden Eaglets would engage Fasbir Football Academy at the Giginya Memorial Stadium in Sokoto on Wednesday in their last domestic friendly match before travelling to Niamey for the 2015 African U-17 Championship to be held between February 15 and March.
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said here that it was imperative to play a local club partly as a token of appreciation for their hospitality to the team by fans and football stakeholders since their arrival on Friday. “We are going to give our best against Fasbir FC,” said Amuneke.
“Apart from using this match as an opportunity to see the readiness of our players, we want to also appreciate the people of Sokoto for their support to us since we arrive here.”
On the road to Niger 2015, the Golden Eaglets are yet to lose after 25 domestic friendly matches and recently defeated Nigeria National League side, Sokoto United, 2-0 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on January 17.
Therefore, prestige would be at stake when the two teams confront each other for obvious reasons.
Fasbir FC- which is owned by Mallam Mohammed Nasir Saidu, the Assistant Director, Legislative Budget at the National Assembly and chairman of Sokoto Football Association – is a strong side having lost just three times after 30 matches and were recently forced to a 2-2 draw by Sokoto United.
Golden Eaglets
Yet Speaking ahead of the eagerly awaited match by Sokoto fans,
Fasbir FC Team Manager, Abdullahi Isah Ilyasu said the match would be an opportunity for his young team to learn few things from the Golden Eaglets: “We are really looking forward to the match against the Golden Eaglets since it would expose our players to what is expected at this level, I mean playing for the national team.
“Fasbir FC is a young team formed about two years ago but we have been impressive too even against teams from Niger and we are going todo our best again on Wednesday,” he noted.
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