Last chance in Bordeaux

Looking at the standings in the Western European League, those riders who are 100% certain of a place in the 2019 Final in Sweden are the league’s current leaders, Germans Daniel Deusser (winner of competitions in Verona and Madrid), Christian Ahlmann (victorious in Mechelen and Leipzig), and the World No.1, Steve Guerdat of Switzerland. Also in that top-ranked group are Belgians Pieter Devos and Gudrun Patteet, Frenchman Kevin Staut, Swiss rider Martin Fuchs, Swede Henrik von Eckermann, Italian Lorenzo de Luca and Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander (who will qualify as an extra). Another five are practically assured of a place in the Final: Belgian Niels Bruynseels; Austrian Max Kühner; Frenchman Olivier Robert; Belgian Olivier Philippaerts, and Swede Peder Fredricson, the defending European champion.

The entries list for Bordeaux is rife with stars of the sport. Several, like Deusser and Guerdat, are already assured of a place in the Final but are aiming to keep their horses active, as well as chasing after a share of the €422,000 in prize money on offer. [As a side note, the rules state that “Athletes starting in the FEI World Cup Final must participate with Horses on which they, during the season, have completed at least one FEI World Cup Competition in which they are eligible to gain points.” Riders will thus sometimes start different mounts in order to have a choice later on. This rule does not apply to the defending Champion, currently Beezie Madden of the United States].

But others in Bordeaux will be seeing the competition as a last chance to move up in the standings and nab a spot in the top 18. And given that a victory in a qualifier is worth 20 points, a lot remains up in the air concerning the final picture, particularly for riders within striking distance of 40 points overall – a group which includes Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Bertram Allen. Great Britain’s William Whitaker is on the bubble (with 20 points after a win in London), but is not entered in France. The country will instead be represented by Scott Brash and Michael Whitaker. 

For the host nation, only Kevin Staut and Olivier Robert – part of a big group of ‘Tricolore’ riders in Bordeaux – can count on a ticket to Gothenburg. And they and their compatriots will be facing an array of other world-class show jumpers in Bordeaux – a city whose nickname is ‘Port of the Moon’, based on the shape of a section of the local Garonne river – including Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet, Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, and the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten. 

In addition to the 5* jumping classes this weekend, Bordeaux will also be hosting (among other things) the intense FEI World Cup Driving Final – featuring Australia’s Boyd Exell – and Friday evening’s Devoucoux Indoor Derby, which German Olympic champion Michael Jung is competing in. The 1.65-metre Longines FEI World Cup jumping event is set for Saturday night, with the Land Rover Grand Prix on Sunday.