Scott Brash & Hello Senator finish third in Stuttgart leg of the World Cup
Sunday 17 November 2019
Following on from last week's win of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ in Verona, Italy on Hello M'Lady, Scott Brash picked yet another podium place today in the World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. Scott finished in third on Hello Senator, a 10 year-old bay gelding owned by Lady Pauline Kirkham and Lady Pauline Harris.
For the second year in a row, Belgium’s Pieter Devos and his 14-year-old gelding, Apart, came out on top at the super-competitive fifth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League in Stuttgart today where defending series champion, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, had to settle for second ahead of Scott in third.
As always, German course designer Christa Jung didn’t make it easy for the 39 starters in the first round, but the quality of the field ensured an 11-horse jump-off against the clock that had the crowd sitting on the edges of their seats.
Ireland’s Richard Howley and Chinook led the way in the jump-off with a fast round in 45.56 seconds but leaving a fence on the floor. Third into the ring, Steve Guerdat was clear but a little slower when breaking the beam with Venard de Cerisy in 45.87, and Scott challenged that with a strong run with Hello Senator when crossing the line in 46.05 seconds.
It was clear that Steve’s leading time could be beaten when Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot galloped through the finish in 45.20 seconds, however leaving an element of the double on the floor. But as Pieter Devos set off off he wasn’t convinced he would be the man to do it, and when Apart lost his footing on the turn after the wall three from home, he reckoned his chance was definitely gone.
"I saw Steve’s ride on the the screen and I thought this would not be my day because he was very fast! And then after my slip after the wall I thought I wouldn’t be quick enough, but when I rode over the finish line I was - so I’m very, very happy!" said Peter after posting what turned out to be the winning time of 45.35.
But the excitement lasted to the very end, with the penultimate partnership of Philip Weishaupt and Che Fantastica producing a breathtaking round that drove the home crowd into a frenzy of excitement. Way up on time coming to the last, the German partnership stormed home in 43.63 seconds, but an awkward jump at the last saw the pole fall for four faults which left them in fifth place at the end of the day, just behind Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer and Cortney Cox whose double-clear in 46.25 slotted them into fourth.
World No. 1 and three-time Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion, Steve Guerdat, still leads the Western European League table going into the sixth of the 14 qualifiers in Madrid (ESP) in two weeks’ time, with Pieter Devos in second and Scott Brash in third. The British rider has now accumulated 35 points, and with something in the region of 40 normally sufficient to secure one of the top-18 places that will make the cut to the Final, also looks well on the road to the bright lights of the Las Vegas where the 2020 champion will be crowned.
RESULTS
1. Apart (Pieter Devos) BEL 0/0 45.35
2. Venard de Cerisy (Steve Guerdat) SUI 0/0 45.87
3. Hello Senator (Scott Brash) GBR 0/0 46.05
For the full results, click here.
For the full standing of Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League, click here.
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