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Thrills and spills from the 2nd round of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022, part one

Friday, 08 April 2022
Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022

The second round of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 in Leipzig, Germany caused a shake-up on the overall standings, with Mclain Ward taking over the lead after Martin Fuchs and Max Kühner failed to make it to the jump-off.

All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping. 

While Harrie Smolders and Monaco posted the quickest jump-off round of the class, a pole down pushed the Dutch rider down to fourth place but nevertheless it meant a climb up on the overall standings. Smolders now sits second ahead of Sunday's two last rounds. 

"I was very disappointed yesterday, I am much happier today," Steve Guerdat said after jumping clear in the first round on Friday. "He [Victorio Des Frotards] was focused today and easier to ride, and jumped quite good. I think my final is gone after yesterday, but you never know in sports. Today I am focused on this class and not thinking at all about Sunday." 

Abdullah Al Sharbatly retired Hunter C during the second round, jumping off the horse when he felt it was not right. "The horse was immediately checked by veterinarians after exiting the competition arena. After receiving medical attention the horse returned to the stables," read an official statement from the FEI.

“The Sinner jumped great today, unfortunately he looked down above the water and the width did not suffice anymore," Martin Fuchs, who came in as the leader, said after getting in trouble on the oxer at fence number seven – as so many others. 

"I am super happy, my horse Brego jumped unbelievably," Katie Dinan said after her round, where she only picked up a time penalty. "I want to ride him the way he deserves and to have a good round here at the World Cup™ Final means a lot. I had a time fault, for sure I could have gone a little tighter in a few places. With two big rounds still to come, to have a strong ride today for sure gives a confident feeling going into the weekend but it is a marathon. I keep working on myself, doing the best I can and try to get the best performance. I have a great team with me, I know I have strong support behind me." 

“I had a super ride, my horse got a little spooked at the Liverpool which distracted him a little bit for the next fence. This is unfortunate, because it was very close to a clean round," Aaron Vale said about his round on Elusive.

"I did not go to plan, but my horse was jumping really good," John Whitaker said about his first, clear, round on Equine America Unick du Fracport. "Number seven, the water tray, it caused a a few problems because you arrived there on a difficult angle. I tried to go a little bit on the outside to make it a bit easier but ended up on seven strides instead of six – which was not ideal, but he jumped it anyway. I was worried about the time but got just inside." 

"All went to plan, I had a plan and stuck to it," 20-year-old Jack Whitaker said. "To the last, it was a little bit touch and go, but he tried his heart out to jump, I am really happy with him. My horse feels really good, we have a few more rounds to jump hopefully and I am excited." 

Max Kühner and Elektric Blue P were sitting second overnight, but unfortunately the plank on the last upright fell and they were pushed down to rank 6th ahead of Sunday.

After a super start with a clear round on Thursday, Syria's Amre Hamcho and Vagabon Des Forets unfortunately made their exit from the final on the oxer at nr. seven – a jump that caused trouble for so many. 

The lovely Bibici and Gregory Cottard made it to the jump-off as one of seven horse-and-rider combinations, finishing 5th with a rail down on the penultimate upright.

"I am very happy, I thought she jumped incredible, she was fighting with me all the way from the beginning to the end," Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli said after a pole down with Kalinka van de Nachtegaele. "I feel like the fault was a little bit unlucky. I will watch the video and see if I could have done something different. But I am very, very happy with her." 

"It started neatly, then came the line with the water oxer in the middle, we failed a bit," Philipp Schulze Topphoff reflected over his round with Concordess NRW. "I didn't get through properly, so I didn't have the momentum and rhythm at the end, so that's how the mistake happened. Now, in retrospect, I could have maybe done one less stride to have a bit more momentum. The other mistake resulted from the fact that I wanted to make up a bit of time and took the turn too tightly into the triple. That was annoying."

"Much better than yesterday, I'm very pleased with Romeo to be back at this level," Harry Charles said after finishing second on day two at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022, rocketing up the standings to sit third ahead of Sunday's last rounds. 

"I don't know where to start," Marcus Ehning said after three down with Calanda. "That was not the best round. I don't really know what the reason was. It's never really been her patch here, because it's a bit restless and noisy, which isn't her style. But that's no excuse, we are both old enough. It is what it is – that was not a good day for the Germans today."

Robert Ridland had the busiest schedule of all, with seven US riders competing.

Hunter Holloway's lovely Pepita Con Spita is out of the same dam a Christian Kukuk's Checker, both competing in the final in Leipzig this week.

“I think he jumped fantastic again. It is a pity that we had this unlucky fault, but I think I should be pleased with the result," Gerrit Nieberg – the best rider from the host nation – said after finishing 11th on day two with Ben, and climbing up to sit 5th on the overall ranking ahead of Sunday's final rounds. 

Not far off: Jens Fredricson has jumped two great rounds with Markan Cosmopolit and sits two poles behind Ward on the standings. 

“I am a bit disappointed," Conor Swail, who came in being rank three overnight, said after having one down on the last line with Count Me In. "The horse jumped great and we were just a bit unlucky. Now we will re-group and hopefully deliver a double clear round on Sunday.”



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