Schroder Starts the Action in Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final

Gerco Schroder (NED) will be first into the ring on Eurocommerce New Orleans (photo: FEI)

The Netherlands' Gerco Schroder will be first into the ring as the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final gets underway in Leipzig, Germany today.  A total of 43 riders will compete for the coveted title which crowns the champion of the indoor international jumping season and which draws the best horse-and-rider combinations from all around the world.

The order-of-go in the first of the three deciding competitions is as follows:

1, Eurocommerce New Orleans (Gerco Schroder) NED; 2, Tristan (Kirsten Coe) USA; 3, Ulysse (Pius Schwizer) SUI; 4, Regina Z (Harrie Smolders) NED; 5, Cash (Marco Kutscher) GER; 6, Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) GER; 7, Winningmood (Luciana Diniz) POR; 8, Lucie (Lars Nieberg) GER; 9, Abbervail Van Het Dingeshof (Denis Lynch) IRL; 10, Athena (Charlie Jayne) USA; 11, Ballade Van Het Indihoff (Brianne Goutal) USA; 12, G&C Quick Star (Pablo Barrios) VEN; 13, Cevo Socrates (Edwina Alexander) AUS; 14, Rocketman 2 (Vladimir Beletsky) RUS; 15, Cristallo (Richard Spooner) USA; 16, Rothchild (McLain Ward) USA; 17, Souvenir (Philipp Weishaupt) GER; 18, Cadett 7 (Ashlee Bond) USA; 19, Ulrike R (Gunnar Klettenberg) EST; 20, Wisconsin (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP; 21, H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) SWE; 22, Wonderboy III (Ahmad Saber Hamcho) SYR; 23, Napoli du Ry (Simon Delestre) FRA; 24, BMC Van Grunsven Sim (Jeroen Dubbeldam) NED; 25, Indigo (Margie Engle) USA; 26, Utopia (John Perez) COL; 27, Hickstead (Eric Lamaze) CAN; 28, Leonard (Jose Alberto Martinez Vazquez) MEX; 29, Danny Boy (Beezie Madden) USA; 30, Cinnamon (Tilt Kivisild) EST; 31, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) GER; 32, Sabrina (Marcus Ehning) GER; 33, Delphi (Katie McVean) NZL; 34, Seldana di Campalto (Abdullah Al Sharbatly) KSA; 35, Tinka's Serenade (Billy Twomey) IRL; 36, Flexible (Rich Fellers) USA; 37, Silvana de Hus (Kevin Staut) FRA; 38, Coupe de Coeur (Ludger Beerbaum) GER; 39, Tomba (Eduardo Menezes) BRA; 40, Casall La Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) SWE; 41, Snowyriver II (Daisuke Kawaguchi) JPN; 42, Uwwalon (Michelle Spadone) USA; 43, Chico Z (Yuri Mansur Guerios) BRA.

Three-time Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, has decided to compete her great gelding, Shutterfly, at the 2010/2011 final which opens at Leipzig, Germany tomorrow, 27 April.  Originally entered with Checkmate and Kismet, Meredith has substituted the latter for the 18 year old veteran who helped her secure the prestigious title at Las Vegas (USA) in 2005 and 2009 and at Gothenburg (SWE) in 2008. This means that not only is the German rider vying for a record-breaking fourth series victory, but Shutterfly may also go into the record books as the first horse to claim the honours on four occasions.  The only other horse to win three titles was Rodrigo Pessoa's legendary stallion Baloubet du Rouet who scored a spectacular back-to-back hat-trick for his Brazilian rider between 1998 and 2000.

The eventual winner will need to be well-placed after today's opening speed class which is followed by a Table A competition with a timed jump-off on Friday. The top two-thirds of competitors will then go forward to Sunday's two-round final from which the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion for 2010/2011 will emerge.

For the first time in the history of equestrian sport, the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping, Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage, FEI World Cup™ Driving and the inaugural FEI World Cup™ Vaulting will take place under one roof in Leipzig (27 April to 1 May), bringing together four world-class disciplines for a fabulous festival of sport.

Watch high quality, uninterrupted LIVE coverage of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final on FEI TV according to the following timetable:
 
Thursday 28 April
Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final I - starts 15.15 CEST

Friday 29 April
Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final II - starts 14.40 CEST
 
Sunday 1 May
Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping III - starts 13.40 CEST

Listen to links with competitors Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) and Billy Twomey (IRL) -
Malin Bayard-Johnsson  - English
 
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/LEI_Malin_prev.MP3
 
Malin Bayard-Johnsson  - Swedish
 
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/LEI_Malin_swe.MP3
 
 
Billy Twomey
 
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/LEI_Twomey.MP3