Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015: Qatar wins Longines Challenge Cup in another Furusiyya Final thriller

Qatar won the aptly-named Longines Challenge Cup at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain tonight where, once again, the competition was a cliff-hanger to the very end. And, for the second day in a row, course designer, Spain’s Santiago Varela, set them a super-tough track that tested judgement, jumping ability and nerve in equal measure.

The winners finished on a nine-fault scoreline while Australia, Brazil and France shared second place when all three sides posted a total of 12 each. Once again the one-round format produced a class filled with unpredictability, the result eventually decided by the very last horse-and-rider combination into the arena.

The Furusiyya series is not just about crowning the best Nations Cup team of the year however, it is also about drawing new nations into the fold and encouraging their participation and development. So it was exciting to see Egypt, who at one stage look set to create a real sensation, sharing fifth place with the much more experienced Italian side when both finished on 13 faults at the end of day.

First into the ring

The 11-nation startlist consisted of the teams that didn’t qualify for tomorrow’s second round of the Furusiyya Final, and they competed in reverse order of merit following yesterday’s competition so Poland and Spain were the first two countries into the ring. It was immediately evident that Varela’s course would be no walk in the park when Polish pathfinder, Msciwoj Kiecon, was eliminated for a fall, although Spain got off to a promising start when Manuel Fernandez Saro’s Santiago de Blondel was clear all the way to the final vertical.

The oxer at fence two hit the ground on numerous occasions and there were plenty of faults at the open water at fence six and the following planks. However the triple combination at 10 was the bogey of the competition, and Qatar’s chances appeared to have been dashed from the outset when Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani’s mare, Vienna Olympic, stopped at the middle element after a mistake at the oxer on the way in, and then hit the final element at her second attempt to rack up a total of 19 faults.

Brazil, in stark contrast, got off to the ideal start with a foot-perfect run from Pedro Veniss and Quabri de L’Isle. There were three riders in contention for a €50,000 bonus if they could match the clear round they produced yesterday with another one tonight. And when the other two faulted, it was Veniss who scooped the lot.

In with a chance

A mistake at the second element of the double at five prevented Egypt’s Karim Elzoghby from taking his cut of the extra cash, but after a great ride by Mohamed Talaat (Connaught) who returned with just a single time fault, the Egyptians were in with a chance of finishing with just five faults if last-line rider, Sameh El Dahan, could leave all the fences up with Suma’s Zorro. In a contest in which the anchor riders were under the most immense pressure however, 12 faults put paid to that.

The French were looking well out of contention until Kevin Staut posted one of just four clears on the night when last to go for his side with Reveur de Hurtebise, and Edwina Tops-Alexander did exactly the same for Australia with a big performance from Heidi du Ruisseau Z. Her team-mate, Jamie Kermond, was the third of the bonus bidders, but lost out with mistakes at the water and the penultimate oxer at fence 12. However second-line Australian, Jessica Brown, has been a sensational find this week. Almost unknown before riding into the ring yesterday with her lovely grey gelding Casco, she once again looked like a very elegant Pony Clubber as she popped around the track for just four faults with the greatest of ease.

Closing stages

It was the teams from Qatar and Brazil who battled it out in the closing stages, third-last to go, Bassem Hassan Mohammed producing a pivotal anchorman clear that ensured Sheikh Ali’s 19 faults could be dropped and leaving Qatar on a finishing total of nine faults. Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi (Tamira IV) picked up four at the last element of the triple combination and Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi and Gunder returned with five on the board after lowering only the very last.

However if the Brazilians could drop the eight faults picked up by Felipe Amaral, who replaced Rodrigo Pessoa in today’s team, then they would be carrying only the single error made by Doda de Miranda and AD Living the Dream. So as Marlon Modolo Zanotelli cantered into the arena there was a huge air of expectation.

Last to go, he could afford a fence down, while a time fault would leave his country on level-pegging with the Qataris. The crowd held their breath when Rock ‘n Roll Semilly hit the first element of the triple combination, but they gasped when the pole rolled off the top of the following triple bar, and with four more faults at the final fence it was all over.
Team Qatar were the winners, while the Brazilians had to settle for runner-up spot alongside the French and Australians.

Day of history

The man who clinched victory for his country, Bassem Hassan Mohammed, described his side’s success as “a big day of history for Qatar, and I’m really happy for this!Congratulations to the Qatar Equestrian Federation, to all my team and my family. I don’t think anything could be better than this at this moment!” he said with delight afterwards.

Asked if he was nervous with so much hanging in the balance as he was going in to jump he replied “to be honest I didn’t know the result before I went in – what I knew was I really had to jump a clear round and that’s what I had in my mind and I made it!” And he praised his lovely grey mare. “I don’t think there is a word to describe California today, she really flew, she really jumped super, I’m really happy for me, for her, for everybody!” he said.

Chef d’Equipe, Willem Meeus, said “I’m very proud of my riders and the whole team. This year we have competed in three Nations Cups and we’ve won two of them. We’ve been working hard for the last three years, with the help of Jan Tops, to get to a high level”, he explained.

Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani was able to put the disappointment of his round behind him. “Today I put my team in a bad position, but the other riders fought back and did really well. We missed getting into the final tomorrow but we didn’t give up, and now we are really happy”, he said.

For the teams that have qualified for the second round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final however, tomorrow is a whole new day as all eight teams restart on a zero score. There’s still a lot more action to play itself out before the 2015 Furusiyya title-holders are crowned tomorrow night.

Team Qatar, winners of tonight’s Longines Challenge Cup at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 in Barcelona, Spain: (L to R) Chef d’Equipe Willem Meeus, Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi, Khalid Mohammedd Al Emadi, Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, Hamad All Mohamed Al Attiyah and Bassem Hassan Mohammed. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Result, Longines Challenge Cup:

1. Qatar 9 faults: Vienna Olympic (Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani) 19, Tamira IV (Khalid Mohammed A S Al Emadi) 4, Gunder (Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi) 5, Eurocommerce California (Bassem Hassan Mohammed) 0.

2. France 12 faults: Flora de Mariposa (Penelope Leprevost) 8, Number One D’Iso Un Prince (Nicolas Delmotte) 4, Quod Coeur de la Loge (Roger Yves Bost) 8, Reveur de Hurtebise HDC (Kevin Staut) 0.

2. Australia 12 faults: Quite Cassini (Jamie Kermond0 9, Casco (Jessica Brown) 4, Fedor (Scott Keach) 8, Heidi du Ruisseau Z (Edwina Tops-Alexander) 0.

2. Brazil 12 faults: Quabri de L’Isle (Pedro Veniss) 0, Premiere Carthoes BZ (Felipe Amaral) 8, AD Living the Dream (Doda de Miranda) 4, Rock /n Roll Semilly (Marlon Modolo Zanotelli) 12.

5. Italy 13 faults: Admara 2 (Emanuele Gaudiano) 4, Gitano v Berkenbroeck (Juan Carlos Garcia) 12, Silverstras (Lorenzo de Luca) 1, Catwalk Z (Piergiorgio Bucci) 8.

5. Egypt 13 faults: Vingino (Abdel Said) 8, Connaught (Mohamed Talaat) 1, Amelia (Karim El Zoghby) 4, Suma’s Zorro (Sameh El Dahan) 12.

Louise Parkes

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 – Round 1: Brilliant Belgians Top First Round At Furusiyya 2015 Final

FEI YouTube: https://youtu.be/WV99DKEslN8

The Belgian team came out on top in the super-tough first round of the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) today. With only eight places up for grabs for Saturday’s second and deciding round, there was a ferocious battle between the 19 competing nations, and some heroic performances from sides that didn’t make the cut.

Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, the defending champions from The Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland claimed the remaining qualifying spots in that order, and the stage is now set for a spectacular finale on Saturday night.

The testing course set by Spain’s Santiago Varela produced only seven clear rounds from a starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations, and the penultimate triple combination claimed a huge number of victims. A total of 33 horses faulted here, and at least 24 of those left the middle element on the floor. All four members of the French team picked up penalties at this one, and the country that won the first Furusiyya Final back in 2013 finished well down the line in 16th place on their final tally of 24 faults.

The countries that just missed out were Qatar, Mexico and Brazil who shared ninth place on a 16-fault scoreline at the end of the day, and it was interesting to note that three of the rare clear rounds were posted by riders from countries that finished outside the qualification zone. Pedro Veniss got Brazil off to a perfect start when fault-free with Quabri de L’Isle, while both Australian pathfinder Jamie Kermond (Quite Cassini) and Egypt’s anchorman Karim Elzoghby (Amelia) did likewise – the latter two countries sharing 12th place at the end of the day.

Fair but unforgiving

Varela’s course was fair but unforgiving, riders having to plan every step of the way in order to leave all the timber intact and to avoid exceeding the 81 seconds time-allowed. The pressure really began on the roll-back to the planks at fence five which was followed by a big double, and then a right-bending line to the open water. As the Spanish course designer explained afterwards however, the majority of mistakes later on the track were created by loss of control after the open water which was followed by a big oxer and then a turn back to a two-metre-wide triple bar.

“It was six (strides) to the vertical after the triple bar and oxer, but the majority of the riders went on seven and some upset the balance of their horses” he explained this evening. Many paid the price at the blue oxer at fence 11, the front pole kicked out time and again before riders turned down the final line.

Every element of the triple combination at 12 saw plenty of action. “It was at the end of the course, and the jump in was a bit short”, Varela said. The red poles at the vertical second element were further complicated by a water tray below them which distracted some of the horses. The course wasn’t only difficult to ride, Varela said it was also difficult to build. “We only had the warm-up competition and then a 1.60m class – I think it was a fair course with faults everywhere from the start to the end. The question today was not to win, it was to be in the eight teams that qualify for Saturday” he pointed out.

Judy-Ann Melchior and As Cold as Ice Z helped Belgium take top spot in today’s first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Impossible to predict

It was impossible to predict how the competition would play itself out until the very end as each rider had only one chance to get things right, but the British looked secure having posted a nine-fault scoreline by the end of the third-rider rotation, while Christian Ahlmann’s opening clear with Taloubet Z helped seal Germany’s eight-fault total. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson did the same for Sweden when third to go for his side, but the Dutch had a bit of a moment when one of their dream-team combinations – Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Verdi – collected 17 uncharacteristic faults. However with a foot-perfect run from the superstar partnership of Jeroen Dubbeldam and Zenith they finished with 10 on the board after five-fault efforts from both Jur Vrieling (VDL Zirocco Blue) and Gerco Schroder (Glock’s Cognac Champblanc), and the defending Furusiyya champions still look well set to continue on the glory trail they have been following over the last year.

The final placings were undecided to the very end however, the Americans heaving a huge sigh of relief that at last, after missing the cut at the previous two Furusiyya Finals, they are through on a nine-fault finishing score while the Irish and Swiss claimed the last two places when posting scores of 13 and 15 faults respectively.

Clear winners

The clear winners today however were the Belgians who confidently cruised home with a final tally of five faults thanks to a fantastic last-to-go clear from newly-crowned European silver medallist, Gregory Wathelet.

Their pathfinder, Olivier Philippaerts (H&M Armstrong van de Kapel) made a mistake at the planks at fence five, but, next to go, Judy-Ann Melchior, collected only a single time penalty with the ever-reliable Cold as Ice Z. Jos Lansink fell victim to the middle part of the combination with For Cento, but Wathelet’s clear sealed it in style.

Wathelet said afterwards “for sure I am really happy about my clear round, but today my team was really good and they made it easy for me! There was not so much pressure when I was going in so I could ride a nice, quiet round. I’m happy for my team, and I hope we can keep it this way for Saturday. We will try to do the same on Saturday but it is a whole new day. Our goal was to be in the top eight this evening, and the main thing is we succeeded in that” he said stoically.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) from 24 to 27 September, visit http://www.csiobarcelona.com or contact Press Officer Isabel Suter, isuter@rcpolo.com, +34 760 258 222.

Result:

1. Belgium 5 faults: H&M Armstrong van de Kapel (Olivier Philippaerts) 4, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-Ann Melchior) 1, For Cento (Jos Lansink) 5, Conrad de Hus (Gregory Wathelet) 0.
2. Germany 8 faults: Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) 0, Fibonacci (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) 5, Cornet d’Amour (Daniel Deusser) 4, Chiara (Ludger Beerbaum) 4.
2. Sweden 8 faults: H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 4, Tinkabell (Angelie von Essen) 21, Unita Ask (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 9, Cantinero (Henrik von Eckermann) 4.
4. Great Britain 9 faults: Diva ll (Ben Maher) 1, Spirit T (Jessica Mendoza) 4, Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Joe Clee) 4, Cassionato (Michael Whitaker) 13.
4. USA 9 faults: Nouvelle (Laura Kraut) 1, Barron (Lucy Davis) 12, Ohlala (Lauren Hough) 4, Cortes C (Beezie Madden) 4.
6. Netherlands 10 faults: SFN Zenith NOP (Jeroen Dubbeldam0 0, VDL Groep Verdi (Maikel van der Vleuten) 17, VDL Zirocco Blue (Jur Vrieling) 5, Glock’s Cognac Champblanc (Gerco Schroder) 5.
7. Ireland 13 faults: Molly Malone (Bertram Allen) 5, MHS Going Global (Greg Broderick) 5, Good Luck (Cian O’Connor) 4, All Star (Denis Lynch) 4.
8. Switzerland 15 faults: Quorida de Treho (Romain Duguet) 1, Clooney (Martin Fuchs) 9, Bonne Chance CW (Janika Sprunger) 16, Castlefield Eclipse (Paul Estermann) 5.

Facts and Figures:

Team Belgium came out on top in the first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 which took place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) this afternoon.

The prestigious Club, which was the Jumping venue for the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, is celebrating its 104th anniversary fixture this year.

The Furursiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 consists of three competitions.

Today’s opening class was a one-round competition in which all 19 qualified nations lined out.

Tomorrow’s Challenge Cup is open to the 11 teams that did not finish in the top eight today.

Saturday’s third and final competition is open to the eight top teams in today’s event. It is a one-round competition with the possibility of a jump-off only for first place.

7 clear rounds from starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations in today’s competition.

The 8 nations that have qualified for Saturday night’s final round are Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland.

Louise Parkes

Furusiyya 2015 Series Gets Off To A Flying Start With Six-Nation Contest In Florida

Ocala in Florida, USA joins the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping circuit when the 2015 season gets underway this Friday 13 February. The first leg of the series, which has revitalised and reinvigorated the sport of team Jumping since Furusiyya took up title sponsorship in 2012, has attracted six countries and a sparkling line-up of riders including a crack squad from the host nation.

And, just three years after the introduction of a new format for this much-loved competition which originated over a century ago, pre-season excitement is at an all-time high as horse-and-rider combinations from 45 nations prepare to participate in 20 thrilling qualifying legs all around the globe.

Staged a year ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 series will be a valuable testing ground for athletes and horses and, once again, competitors from six regions will battle it out ahead of the Final which will be held at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) in September.

First event

Ocala presents the first competition in the three-leg North America, Central America and Caribbean League. Organised by the New York-based events management company HITS, Inc., the Florida fixture will feature teams from Canada, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, USA and Venezuela, but only the Canadians, Mexicans and Americans will be eligible for qualifying points in their region.

And the home runners promise to be a tough act to beat, headed up by super-star Beezie Madden whose packed trophy cabinet includes multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. The 51-year-old rider, currently number 12 in the Longines Rankings, brings the horse with which she won the 2013 FEI World Cup™ Jumping title, Simon, and will be joined by Laura Kraut, Lauren Hough, Georgina Bloomberg and Todd Minikus.

It is always a big battle between the Americans and Canadians in this league, and with 2008 Olympic gold medallist Eric Lamaze, and the extraordinary 11-time Olympian Ian Millar in action, the Canadians are unlikely to be a push-over.

The competition gets underway at 13.00 local time, and promises to get the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 series off to great start.

Team USA won the Challenge Cup at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 in Barcelona, Spain today (L to R) Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland with Margie Engle, Beezie Madden, Lauren Hough and McLain Ward. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Single qualifier

The second leg will take place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) a week later, and this single qualifier for the Middle East region is open to teams from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE. The remaining two leagues, Europe Division 1 and Europe Division 2, get underway in April and May respectively.

Lummen in Belgium launches the premier Europe Division 1 league, and once again this will be contested by teams from 10 countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. And of course all eyes will be on the Dutch, who swept to victory at the 2014 Furusiyya Final just a few short weeks after claiming gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA). Dutch riders have been on a roll for some time now, and it will be fascinating to witness the strategy of their popular Chef d’Equipe, Rob Ehrens, who will be hoping to follow through with another strong result this year while also thinking ahead to the Olympic challenge of 2016.

Most competitive

Europe Division 2 is also an eight-round affair, but what makes this the most competitive league of all is the high-octane pressure of trying to finish as one of the top two nations from a start-list of 16 ambitious countries. Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey and Ukraine will all be battling it out through heated afternoons from the outset at Linz (AUT) until the final leg at Arezzo (ITA).

The leading country at the end of this series will be promoted to Europe Division 1 for the following year, but while the second-placed team will earn a place at the Furusiyya Final in Barcelona only a top-eight finishing spot there will allow them to also earn promotion.

Allocation of teams to Europe Division 1 and Europe Division 2 events has been finalised, and you can check out the detail at this link http://goo.gl/EUDnnX

Sweden, France, Belgium, Ireland and Italy will all be hunting down early points at the opening leg of Europe Division 1 in Lummen on 1 May, while The Netherlands will begin the defense of their title at the second round in La Baule (FRA) two weeks later.

This week, however, Ocala in Florida will set the stage for another much-anticipated season of top-quality and thrilling team sport.

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Riders from around the globe in Barcelona for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final draw inspiration from the iconic Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc, home of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Diving Finals, with its magnificent city backdrop. [L-R], Simone Coata (ITA), Alexander Zetterman (SWE), Andres Rodrigez (VEN), William Whitaker (GBR), Julia Hargreaves (AUS), Ben Asselin (CAN), Pedro Vennis (BRA), Margie Engle (USA), Simon Delestre (FRA), Paula Amilibia (ESP) and Dirk Demeersman (BEL). (Jude Edginton /FEI)

Facts and Figures:

The FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series celebrates 106 years of team competition in 2015.

The forthcoming season comprises 20 qualifiers in as many countries.

A total of 45 nations will compete in the qualifying rounds.

Qualifying events will take place in four regions – Europe Division 1 & Europe Division 2, North America, Central America & Caribbean and Middle East.

There will be eight qualifying legs in Europe Division 1 and 2, three in the North America, Central America & Caribbean region and a single event in the Middle East.

The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final will once again take place at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP), venue for the Jumping events during the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.

A total of 18 teams, plus the home team if not qualified, will compete at the Final which will take place from 24 to 27 September 2015.

A total of six nations will compete at the season-opener in Ocala (USA) – Canada, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, USA and Venezuela. Only Canada, Mexico and USA will be competing for qualifying points.

The 10 teams qualified for Europe Division 1 this season are Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Watchmakers, Longines, are the official timekeepers for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series.

Furusiyya finalised a 16 million Euro four-year sponsorship package with the FEI in November 2012.

Louise Parkes

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 – The Flying Dutchmen Take The Furusiyya Title By Storm

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 – Final Competition

The newly-crowned world champions from The Netherlands stormed to victory at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 Final at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain tonight. On the crest of a wave following their gold-medal-winning performances at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy last month, they oozed class and confidence as they put the result beyond doubt with fabulous clears from their first three riders.

Last to go, Gerco Schroder was only competing for his share of the €200,000 on offer to the horse-and-rider partnerships who could leave all the fences up in both Thursday’s opening round and again this evening, because his team-mates had already done all the hard work. When Glock’s London hit the first element of the triple combination, Schroder had settle for his share of the team winnings instead – a massive €500,000 – but he wasn’t complaining. It was all smiles at the post-competition press conference during which the unity within the winning side was clear for all to see.

Popular, hard-working and self-effacing, the team that includes new world champion, Jeroen Dubbeldam, proved beyond doubt that, right now, they are simply untouchable. But they were quick to point out that they owe much of what they have achieved to the inspiration of “one special man” as Jur Vrieling called him. “Our Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens is really good at team-building, he is a positive man, and he can really inspire us. He has inspired Jeroen Dubbeldam to a completely other level, and Jeroen is now the best rider in the world for sure. This Final has been unbelievably good, and I think we all owe that to Rob” Vrieling insisted.

Another big one

Tonight’s course was another big one, with a testing triple combination at fence eight proving influential. However it was the oxer-to-vertical double at 11 that played the most significant role in the early stages, the first element hitting the deck on numerous occasions.

The Dutch were the only side to produce a clear from the first-line riders, Jeroen Dubbeldam’s Zenith this time looking much more like the horse that clinched double-gold in Caen for him just a few short weeks ago. In Thursday’s opening round the pair collected eight faults and the 10-year-old horse seemed a little less concentrated. But tonight the pair were focused, clean and clear and once the world championship winning team had the bit between their teeth they were always going to be difficult to rein in.

Germany arrived at the Furusiyya Final with a side filled with super-stars, but they didn’t live up to expectations, finishing fifth of the eight nations that made the cut to tonight’s last competition. A mistake at the water, and another at the first element of the double at 11 for openers Christian Ahlmann and Codex One was followed by an uncharacteristic 16 faults from Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue. Daniel Deusser and Cornet D’Amour were the only German pair to go clear, and this left the reigning Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion sharing that €200,000 double-clear bonus at the end of the night. But when Ludger Beerbaum and Chiara hit the oxer at fence seven then the German total was 12 when the best three scores were counted, and they lined up just ahead of the British who finished on the same scoreline but in a slower time. Italy and Brazil shared a final tally of 13 faults each to fill the last two places, and it was the Canadians who came closest to the winners when posting just a four-fault result.

The Netherlands’ team celebrate victory in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 Final in Barcelona, Spain tonight. (L to R), HRH Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia and Dutch team members Jeroen Dubbeldam, Gerco Schroder, Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens, Maikel van der Vleuten and Jur Vrieling. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Classic clear

Yann Candele and Showgirl clipped the bogey opening element at 11, but Tiffany Foster showed just how much her partnership with Tripple X, the horse that won team gold for Britain’s Ben Maher at the London 2012 Olympic Games, has matured this year, as they cruised home for a classic clear. Ben Asselin’s Makavoy hit the second element of the triple combination, but when Eric Lamaze produced a faultless run from Zigali PS then that would prove plenty good enough for the Canadians to pick up the €300,000 second place prizemoney.

The Swedish team edged Belgium for third place by just a single fault when finishing with eight on the board. The pressure was all on Henrik von Eckermann when last to go with Cantinero after eight faults for Peder Fredricson (H&M Simon), 12 from Alexander Zettermann (Cafino) but a fabulous clear from Malin Baryard-Johnsson with H&M Tornesch. And von Eckermann kept a really cool head to deliver not only the podium placing but a tidy €50,000 for himself as one of the four to share the double-clear bonus.

Olivier Philippaerts (Cabrio van de Heffinck) and Pieter Devos (Dylano) each faulted just once for Belgium while Niels Bruynseels (Pommeau du Heup) left two on the floor. But the single time-fault from Judy-Ann Melchior in an otherwise copy-book round with As Cold as Ice saw them missing out on that coveted podium position.

All about the Dutch

In the end however it was all about the Dutch and their incredible superiority right now. They are the last ones in the world to sing their own praises, but in the end their success seemed almost inevitable. Such was the sense of calm confidence amongst them that Rob Ehrens could be seen snoozing by the ringside earlier in the day, stretched out on a sofa looking as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

Teased about that during tonight’s press conference, he admitted that he did indeed feel confident about his side’s chances of taking the trophy. “It was a nice comfortable week, with a lot of time in between, and I was nicely lying there and feeling really comfortable because we had a good start on Thursday, horses jumping well, and the riders went home today to the hotel, also for a little rest – yes it felt good” the team manager said. But he pointed out that no win is ever in the bag until the last jump has been cleared. “You could also have had the situation today where you have four magnificent riders and horses but each of them have just one mistake and you end up with 12 faults. Every team is evenly matched, but I must say for a coach it’s not often you have four riders on a team who can finish the job the way mine do. They can go into the arena with an instruction and follow it right up to the finish line. Add to that these four brilliant horses, and that’s what you need to win” he pointed out.

Maikel van der Vleuten said that none of the Dutch team are taking anything for granted despite their incredible recent successes. “Yes, we’ve had a wonderful season, we have enjoyed a lot of success but I think it’s important that when you have success that all four riders remember that the next Nations Cup can be very different to the last. As Rob said, a fault is easily done, so we all four know that we have to be sharp in every competition and try to get the best out of it”.

Commitment and involvement

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal talked about Furusiyya’s commitment and involvement with the revamped FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series. “The spirit of Furusiyya is about giving everyone a chance. The team won that won today deserved it, but the feeling I am getting is that we are here for the sake of the sport, and everyone is a winner!” His Royal Highness said.

FEI Jumping Committee Chariman, John Madden, pointed out that “we saw really fantastic sport, great horsemanship, and we had fantastic victors in the team from The Netherlands today. They proved it at the World Equestrian Games, and they proved it again here. The course designer Santiago (Varela) was wonderful, the Real Club de Polo have been the most gracious hosts and provided us with a magnificent Final, and of course none of this would be at all possible if it wasn’t for Furusiyya, and the wisdom and the guidance of Prince Faisal. This is an absolutely wonderful partnership – the FEI, the Saudi Equestrian Fund and Furusiyya. It is truly an honour and a pleasure to be involved in producing this fantastic celebration of the horse” he said.

Jealous

The Dutch team were asked if they thought their rivals would be feeling jealous of all their recent success and Jeroen Dubbeldam laughed and replied – “I hope they are!” John Madden interjected however to say, “my wife also rides a little bit” referring to American star Beezie Madden who claimed team and individual bronze at the recent world championships, “and I would say every other team is incredibly jealous but also extremely respectful and understanding of the partnership they (the Dutch) have with each of their horses and the partnership they have together, and the horsemanship they exhibit, so jealous is not a very nice word. I think we are extremely respectful and honoured to be involved with these five people” he said, looking at the Dutch side.

It certainly was a proud day for the The Netherlands. Jeroen Dubbeldam put it into perspective when he said, “it feels very good I must say. Today I had to make up for some mistakes I made on the first day – as I said already I just wanted to check if the other boys were sharp, and they were! But today I had to be sharp as well because today the pressure was on and it was top sport. We knew we needed for sure three clear rounds today to win, and it did turn out to be necessary to have three clear rounds. I think we have a wonderful team – these guys here are not only unbelievable riders, they are also unbelievable mates, fantastic friends and fighters, we fight for each other and I am very proud of this Dutch team!” he concluded.

Result:

1. Netherlands 0 faults: Zenith SFN (Jeroen Dubbeldam) 0, VDL Groep Verdi (Maikel van der Vleuten) 0, VDL Bubalu (Jur Vrieling) 0, Glock’s London (Gerco Schroder) Ret.

2. Canada 4 faults: Showgirl (Yann Candele) 4, Tripple X (Tiffany Foster) 0, Makavoy (Ben Asselin) 4, Zigali PS (Eric Lamaze) 0.

3. Sweden 8 faults: H&M Sibon (Peder Fredricson) 8, Cafino (Alexander Zettermann) 12, H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 0, Cantinero (Henrik von Eckermann) 0.

4. Belgium 9 faults: Cabrio van de Heffinck (Olivier Philippaerts) 4, Pommeau du Heup (Niels Bruynseels) 8, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-Ann Melchior) 1, Dylano (Pieter Devos) 4.

5. Germany 12 faults/245.17 seconds: Codex One (Christian Ahlmann) 8, Plot Blue (Marcus Ehning) 16, Cornet D’Amour (Daniel Deusser) 0, Chiara (Ludger Beerbaum) 4.

6. Great Britain 12 faults/247.10 seconds: Fandango (William Whitaker) 4, Utamaro D’Escaussines (Joe Clee) 8, Wonder Why (Spencer Roe) 0, Cassionato (Michael Whitaker) 9.

7. Italy 13 faults/247.20 seconds: Neptune Brecourt (Luca Moneta) 4, Casallo Z (Piergiorgio Bucci) 4, Elky van het Indihof (Lorenzo de Luca) 5, Bonzai van de Warande (Juan Carlos Garcia) 9.

8. Brazil 13 faults/249.51: AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno (Doda de Miranda) 8, Quabri de L’Isle (Pedro Veniss) 1, AD Clouwni (Marlon Zanotelli) 4, Status (Rodrigo Pessoa) 13.

Full result here: http://www.longinestiming.com/File/Download?id=0002090100100801FFFFFFFFFFFFFF04

Facts and Figures:

The newly-crowned world champions from The Netherlands claimed the 2014 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping title.

They completed on a zero score, as they also did in the opening round on Thursday.

8 teams competed in the title-deciding last competition at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 in Barcelona, Spain tonight.

Canada finished second on four faults and Sweden placed third on a total of eight.

There were 9 clear rounds in today’s competition.

The Dutch claimed the winner’s purse of €500,000.

A total of four riders shared the €200,000 bonus on offer to those jumping clear in both Thursday’s opening round and again tonight – The Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling and Maikel van der Vleuten, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and Germany’s Daniel Deusser.

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/pZoxJGEMvf0

Louise Parkes

Stage Set For Another Brilliant Battle At Second Furusiyya Final

Just over three weeks after the applause has faded at the end of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France, the excitement has returned to fever pitch ahead of another tremendous clash of champions at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 in Barcelona, Spain next week. A total of 15 countries have selected teams to fight for the title at the Real Club de Polo, where last year’s inaugural Final kept spectators on the edges of their seats and where the French came out on top.

The concept of the Furusiyya series was still in its infancy throughout 2013, but by the time the inaugural Final was over it was widely-acclaimed as one of the greatest success stories in the history of the sport. Previously FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping was contested by a relatively limited number of countries, but thanks to the sponsorship of the Saudi Equestrian Fund and the enthusiasm of HRH Prince Faisal, who had long wanted to expand the series’ horizons, the doors have been opened and a whole new day has dawned, with many more nations taking part.

The four-year, €16 million Saudi sponsorship package, and the commitment of the FEI’s Top Partner, the Swiss watchmakers Longines who are Official Timekeepers for the series, have broken new ground and big prize money, top-class course design and a venue of championship status await the best of the best when the Final gets underway on Thursday 9 October.

The defending champions from France will be hoping to make it a back-to-back double of victories at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 Final in Barcelona, Spain next week. FEI/Tomas Holcbecher)

Transformed

The Real Club de Polo in Barcelona has witnessed many major sporting moments, including the Jumping Finals for the 1992 Olympic Games, and once again the all-weather surface will provide perfect footing for the horses.

A total of 40 nations competed in 20 qualifiers around the globe in the lead-up to this event. For qualification purposes the world was divided into four regions and the top six teams have emerged from Europe Division 1, which will be represented by Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands and Sweden, along with the host nation of Spain. The top two teams from Europe Division 2, Italy and Norway, will also line out in Barcelona, while Canada and USA have qualified from the North America, Central America and Caribbean series.

For some countries it was less of a battle to earn their place because, if the region was not in a position to stage a relevant CSIO, then the qualifying spots were determined by positions on the Longines Rankings. As a result, South America’s Brazil and Venezuela have made the cut, while the Australians will be the sole representatives from Asia/Australasia due to the withdrawal of Japan. Egypt has declined the invitation to compete and, following Saudi Arabia’s recent withdrawal, the team from Qatar will be the sole representatives from the Middle East.

After their fabulous team gold at the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea last Sunday the Qataris are bound to be in positive mood. Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani is listed with Vienna Olympic, the lovely mare which he steered into individual 14th at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy. And he will be joined by two other members of the winning Asian Games side, Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi and Bassem Hassan Mohammed, along with Faleh Suwead and Hamad Ali Al Attiyah.

Something to prove

There will be a number of teams arriving in Barcelona with something to prove, including the reigning Olympic champions from Great Britain, who didn’t have a good run in Normandy. Neither world number one Scott Brash nor number seven Ben Maher make the trip, but Joe Clee and Spencer Roe have been called up alongside three of the Whitaker family, Michael and his nephews Robert and William. And any squad filled with members of that legendary British jumping clan is never one to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile German Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker has taken no chances when selecting all of his top-guns, Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum, Daniel Deusser, Marcus Ehning and Marco Kutscher. Germany missed out on a podium finish at the world championships by the most slender of margins and they won’t be intending to let that happen again. The Canadians also had a disappointing time in France when finishing eighth in the team championship, but they bounced back with a win at Spruce Meadows on their return home, so that will have recharged their batteries.

The gold, silver and bronze medallists from the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ won’t be easily defeated however. There will be three of the bronze-medal-winning team in the US side, McLain Ward, Kent Farrington and individual bronze medallist Beezie Madden, and joining them will be Lauren Hough and Margie Goldstein-Engle.

The French took team silver and they are unlikely to give up the Furusiyya title they claimed last year without a fight. Headed up by the man who was just pipped for individual gold in Normandy, Patrice Delaveau, who has continued to blaze a trail of success in the intervening period, the French side also includes Simon Delestre, Jerome Hurel, Penelope Leprevost and Kevin Staut, and they look a fairly formidable force.

Brazil finished second to the French at last year’s inaugural Furusiyya Final and they won’t be easily dismissed either, having secured fifth place in Caen just a few short weeks ago. The Brazilians have Doda de Miranda, Rodrigo Pessoa, Pedro Veniss, Marlon Zanotelli and Karina Johannpeter all on call-up for next week’s Final.

Triumphant Dutch

But the ones they may all have to beat are the triumphant Dutch, who claimed both the team and individual honours in Caen. Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens said at the time that he would field exactly the same side in Barcelona because he rated the Furusiyya Final so highly, and he has lived up to his promise, with newly-crowned individual world champion Jeroen Dubbeldam leading Maikel van der Vleuten, Gerco Schröder, Jur Vrieling and Frank Schuttert into the fray.

Strong teams from Belgium, Sweden and Venezuela cannot be discounted, while the Norwegians who finished second in Europe Division 2 have the extra pressure of trying to finish within the top eight at Barcelona in order to gain promotion in 2015. The Italians are on a high after their victory at Arezzo, the last round of the Europe Division 2 league which has guaranteed their place in the super-competitive Europe Division 1 series next season and they should be coming out with their tails up.

Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, Sergio Moya, Paola Amilibia, Manuel Anon and Pilar Cordon will also be expected to put their best feet forward on home ground.

Apart from the honour and glory, there is plenty of financial incentive next week with a total of €2,363,000 up for grabs. There is no prize money in Thursday’s opening competition, but it is a critical class as the top eight teams will qualify for Saturday night’s finale in which there is €1,500,000 on offer along with a €200,000 bonus to be split between riders jumping clear in the first competition and again in the first round of the Final itself. The remaining seven countries will battle it out for €300,000 in Friday’s Challenge Cup in which there is a similar bonus of €50,000 to be shared amongst the double clears.

105th season

The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ series and Final have breathed new life into this sport that celebrates its 105th season this year. It has proven flexible enough to survive and thrive for over a century, and the Furusiyya format has modernised and rejuvenated the competition so often described by FEI President, HRH Princess Haya, as “the jewel in the crown of the FEI”.

The Netherland’s Jeroen Dubbeldam said last year that the Furusiyya concept is “fantastic, and interesting in so many ways. Like any other sport we can’t stay the same, we have to have these kind of Finals with big money and then everyone begins to talk about it and it grows.”

That is exactly what has happened, and that is why we can look forward to plenty more fun and games, horsemanship, sportsmanship and great camaraderie as teams from all around the world fight it out for the Furusiyya 2014 title with passion and pride.

Facts and Figures:

The second edition of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final will take place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain from 9 to 12 October 2014.

15 nations will battle it out for the title of Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 champions.

A total of 40 nations competed in 20 qualifiers around the world ahead of this year’s Final.
Team France will defend the title they won at the inaugural Final staged at the same venue last year.

Three qualified teams have withdrawn from the Final – Egypt, Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Course designer for the Final is Spain’s Santiago Varela.

The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series is sponsored by Saudi Equestrian through a four-year €16 million package that was put in place in December 2012.
The FEI’s top partner, Swiss watchmakers Longines, are Official Timekeepers for the series.
Nations Cup Jumping celebrates its 105th season in 2014.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه): this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, a horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations. Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva.

Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing. Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

Louise Parkes