WILL FUNNELL & BILLY CONGO WIN THE €200,000 GRAND PRIX IN DONETSK
Monday 03 September 2012
Will Funnell with the Billy Stud’s 11 year-old brown stallion Billy Congo put in a tremendous performance to secure the World Cup Grand Prix in Donetsk, Ukraine yesterday, Sunday 2nd September.
With €200,000 prize money at stake along with the valuable world cup ranking points that go with it the seven competitors who had secured a clear in the first round all knew that they were going to have a tough battle for first place. Knowing that a steady clear wasn’t going to be an option and that time was also going to be a key factor it was less than two seconds that settled the top four places, two of which went to Great Britain.
It was Will Funnell though who having jumped clear in both rounds and coming through the finish in a time of 41.19seconds in the Jump Off that took podium position, relegating Germany’s Max Kuhner and Coeur de Lion to 2nd position in a time of 41.50seconds.
Third place went to Edwina Tops Alexander of Austria with Guccio who also produced a double clear but in a fractionally slower time of 42.16seconds.
Hot on her heels were Robert Smith with his own Voila, a horse that he’s only recently partnered this year who again produced a foot perfect double clear but in a slightly slower time of 42.41seconds.
Third place went to Edwina Tops Alexander of Austria with Guccio who also produced a double clear but in a fractionally slower time of 42.16seconds.
Hot on her heels were Robert Smith with his own Voila, a horse that he’s only recently partnered this year who again produced a foot perfect double clear but in a slightly slower time of 42.41seconds.
Results
DONETSK GRAND PRIX FEI WORLD CUP
1m60 - Table A with Jump Off
200.000 €
1. W. Funnell GBr Billy Congo 0 / 0 41,19 50 000 €
2. M. Kuhner Ger Coeur de Lion 0 / 0 41,50 40 000 €
3. E. Tops Alexander Aus Guccio 0 / 0 42,16 30 000 €
4. R. Smith GBr Voila*** 0 / 0 42,41 20 000 €
5. N. Simonia Rus Gardemarin 0 / 0 44,78 14 000 €
6. T. Weinberg Ger As di Azurro 0 / 0 46,07 11 000 €
7. M. Michaels Beerbaum Ger Bella Donna 66 0 / 4 47,28 8 000 €
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