Fredericks on target for another FEI World Cup win
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Clayton Fredericks (AUS) survived an exciting cross-country round to retain his overnight lead in the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final at Deauville (FRA) and has a real chance to win back the title he took in 2005 with the same horse, Ben Along Time.
But the Fredericks family day started in disconcerting fashion when Clayton’s wife Lucinda (AUS), lying second after dressage and fifth out on the cross-country course, fell off at the penultimate obstacle.
A strong Headley Britannia, who had been jumping brilliantly, made a rare mistake and clipped the narrow rails at fence 25b; the mare remained upright Lucinda was deposited on the ground. “I think I just got a little blasé,” said Lucinda modestly.
“I don’t like to see my wife on the deck,” said her husband, “but she’s fine and you just have to get on with it – these things happen. I had a lucky moment myself when I think Ben left a leg jumping into the water.”
Indeed, Fredericks was right up Ben Along Time’s neck as the gelding pitched on landing over the dramatically steep drop into the water complex at fence 20. But, thinking quickly, Fredericks gathered the horse together and continued over the brush arrowhead, despite having lost a stirrup.
FEI World Cup™ rankings leader Kevin McNab (AUS), made an exemplary debut on French soil despite having the bad luck to be drawn as first to go. His 10-year-old Australian Thoroughbred Gameplay proved a brilliant jumper and galloper, making all the exacting accuracy tests look easy and providing a confidence-boosting sight for his fellow riders. He finished exactly on the optimum time of 7min 7sec and is now in 10th, up 18 places after dressage.
“He’s a real jumping machine,” said McNab, who is a full-time professional based in Queensland, Australia. He only arrived in England a fortnight ago and has been based in the Fredericks yard.
“I was worried about going first and not having anything to go on, but I stuck to my plan of being up on time at all the minute markers and it worked out very well.”
Only two more riders achieved the time around Pierre Michelet’s imaginative track, which weaved back and forth across the picturesque racecourse and contained endless angled, narrow fences, all of which jumped extremely well if taken on a forward stride.
Michael Jung (GER) rode a perfectly judged round on La Bisthetique Sam FBW and remains on his dressage score, in second place.
But, in what should be a thrilling finale today, Jung does not have a fence in hand over the next four riders: Nicolas Touzaint, third, who thrilled the home crowd with his brilliant performance inside time on Hildago d’Ile, Pippa Funnell, fourth, who rode a determined round on Ensign for 4.8 time penalties, and the two Germans, Kai Ruder and Frank Ostholt, in fifth and sixth.
Mistakes were scattered around the track, with no one fence proving too influential. The huge corner at fence 4 collected some notable scalps, with refusals for world number 1 William Fox-Pitt (GBR), who retired Kaleidoscope, Andrew Nicholson (NZL) on Henry Tankerville and Rodney Powell (GBR) on Zin Zan ll.
Powell then had the afternoon’s only stop into the water at 20. Mirella Vrolijk (NED) on Heide Prinz, Andrew Nicholson and the sole Lithuanian rider, Aistis20Vitkauskas, had run-outs at the subsequent arrowhead in the water, the latter suffering the only dunking when his horse, Ak’s Galopper, tripped over the side of the fence.
Alison Springer (USA), lying equal third after dressage on Arthur, had a run-out at the angled narrow fence at 23, and her compatriot Clark Montgomery fell off over Up Spirit’s head when he stopped at the first of the two logs perched on banks at 21ab.
There were 21 clears from the 34 cross-country starters and no horse falls, “Just how we like it!” commented technical delegate Guiseppe della Chiesa (ITA).
Clayton Fredericks concluded: “I have always rated Pierre Michelet’s courses. He has a great feel. This was a very good track and has produced a fair and exciting competition.”
Standings after the cross-country:
- Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS) 40.9
- Michael Jung/La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER), 45
- Nicolas Touzaint/Hildago (FRA), 45.7
- Pippa Funnell/Ensign (GBR), 45.9
- Kai Ruder/Le Prince des Bois, 46.1
- Frank Ostholt/Air Jordan (GER) 46.9
- Andreas Ostholt/Lady Lemon (GER) 54.6
- Eric Vigeanel/Coronado Prior (FRA) 51.3
- Cedric20Lyard/Jessy Mail (FRA), 56.5
- Kevin McNab/Gameplay (AUS) 58
