Colombia’s Carlos Lopez galloped to victory with Admara in the seventh leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League at La Coruña in Spain. (Hervé Bonnaud/FEI)
Colombia’s Carlos Lopez galloped to victory with Admara in the seventh leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League at La Coruña in Spain Sunday evening. The Ortega family’s Casas Novas Equestrian Centre was making its debut as a venue for the series, and the seven-horse jump-off was a thriller, with last-to-go Jane Richard Philips from Switzerland slotting into runner-up spot with Pablo de Virton ahead of German legend Ludger Beerbaum and Casello in third.
Adding the maximum 20 points from today’s competition to the eight he collected at the fifth leg in Stuttgart, Germany last month, Lopez has moved into tenth place on the Western European leaderboard which continues to be headed by Frenchman Kevin Staut. However the 51-year-old Colombian who is based in Ratières, France is unlikely to make it to the Longines 2017 Final in Omaha, Nebraska (USA) next March.
“I thought we might finish second or third after our jump-off round today – I wasn’t expecting to win!” Lopez said. “We are still getting to know each other and (the final) is not the main target for me and this horse” said the man who made history as part of the first-ever Colombian side to reach a team final at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.
Santiago Varela’s first-round course kept the numbers under control, and as the first of the 40 starters to find the key when twelfth to go, it was Lopez who led the way against the clock. A brilliant roll-back to the penultimate oxer paid off as he broke the beam in 37.84 seconds and really put it up to the rest of them.
And they couldn’t catch him, with 53-year-old Beerbaum initially coming closest when crossing the timers in 38.58 only to be overtaken by 33-year-old Richard Phliips who gave it everything she had, but who was still 0.37 seconds off the pace.
American Lauren Hough made a strong showing aboard Ohlala, sneaking into the payouts in the top twelve as one of the fastest of the four-fault rounds. Seven horses made the jump-off and only four were double clear through both rounds.
Lopez’s 11-year-old KWPN gelding was competed by Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano until February this year, and the Colombian rider is determined not to ask too much too soon from the horse. “I’m really excited, he has improved a lot and I’ve been hoping for this victory for the last two or three shows. He’s brave and honest, a fighter and a winner. It has taken six or seven months for us to get to know each other and it’s starting to feel just right!” Lopez said tonight.
The next leg of the series takes place at London Olympia (GBR) on Sunday 18 December.18 riders from the Western European League will qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final which will take place in Omaha, Nebraska (USA) next March.
Result: Admara 2 (Carlos Enrique Lopez Lizarazo) COL 0/0 37.84; 2, Pablo de Virton (Jane Richard Philips) SUI 0/0 38.21; 3, Casello (Ludger Beerbaum) GER 0/0 38.58; 4, Mary Lou (Henrik von Ackermann) SWE 0/0 39.81; 5, VDL Groep Arera C (Maikel van der Vleuten) NED 0/4 38.18; 6, Cassino DC (Gerardo Menendez Mieres) ESP 0/4 40.78; 7, Arrayan (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP 0/13 47.25.
Standings: Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League
After Round 7 in La Coruña (ESP):
1. Kevin Staut FRA – 56
2. Romain Duguet SUI – 43
3. Steve Guerdat SUI – 42
4. Lorenzo de Luca ITA – 42
5. Marcus Ehning GER – 37
6. Denis Lynch IRL – 34
7. Lauren Hough USA – 33
8. Simon Delestre FRA – 31
9. Martin Fuchs SUI – 29
10. Carlos Lopez COL – 28
11. Ludger Beerbaum GER – 28
11. Pieter Devos BEL – 28
13. Jane Richard Philips SUI – 25
14. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER- 25
15. Sergio Alvarez Moya ESP – 25
16. Cian O’Connor IRL – 22
17. Henrik von Eckermann SWE – 22
18. David Will GER – 22
19. Maikel van der Vleuten NED – 21
20. Shane Breen IRL – 21
FEI World Cup Jumping La Coruna, Top Twelve:
Story by Louise Parkes