Beezie Madden and Breitling LS Race to Top 10 Finish in First Phase of 2019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final | USET Foundation
 

Beezie Madden and Breitling LS Race to Top 10 Finish in First Phase of 2019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

Beezie Madden and Breitling LS
Beezie Madden and Breitling LS

By US Equestrian Communications Department

Gothenburg, Sweden – April 4, 2019 – Riding against some of the best athletes in the world, the U.S. jumping combinations battled their way through Thursday evening’s speed class, the first round of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final at the Gothenburg Horse Show. In the end, two-time World Cup Final champion Beezie Madden placed 10th, leading the way for the U.S.

Riding in her 12th World Cup Final, Madden (Cazenovia, New York) and Abigail Wexner’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, Breitling LS, stopped the clock on 60.74 seconds. With just one rail down at the final fence, the combination finished on 63.74 seconds.

“I thought my horse was excellent today,” said Madden. “Everything went according to plan. He got a little off going to the wall, but he made a great recovery on the line and through the triple. I think it was all good; I think I just pushed a little too hard in the last fence, but there is still a long way to go. I felt like he was jumping great, and he is generally great at jumping a lot of rounds in one week, so fingers crossed.

“I think it was fair,” Madden stated of course designer Santiago Varela’s round one course. “As a whole, it was a little bigger, a little more delicate on the first day than on some other occasions at the World Cup [Final], so I thought, ‘It won’t be quite so racy today.’ I think I actually had the fast enough time, and I didn’t really feel like I was pushing to the limits. I think it was excellent.”

Kelli Cruciotti and Hadja Van Orshof
Kelli Cruciotti and Hadja Van Orshof

Fellow American and first in the ring for the U.S., Kelli Cruciotti (Elizabeth, Colorado) and Hadja Van Orshof, her 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, knocked just one rail in their World Cup Final debut. Finishing on a time of 68.76 seconds, they are positioned in the number 19 spot headed into Friday’s round two.

Georgina Bloomberg and Chameur 137
Georgina Bloomberg and Chameur 137

Other U.S. combinations saw some difficulty on course but will look to improve their rounds on Friday. Georgina Bloomberg (New York, New York) and Chameur 137, Purple Road, LLC’s 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, finished in a time of 76.06 seconds, currently sitting 29th.

Devin Ryan and Cooper
Devin Ryan and Cooper

The 2018 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final runner-up Devin Ryan (Long Valley, New Jersey) and Cooper, his 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, finished in 74.10 seconds and sit in 25th headed into round two. Also in their World Cup Final debut, Eve Jobs (Los Altos Hills, California) and Venue D’Fees Des Hazalles, her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, finished in 75.41 seconds and currently sit in the 27th position.

Eve Jobs and Venue D'Fees Des Hazalles
Eve Jobs and Venue D’Fees Des Hazalles

For full results from Thursday, click here.

Show jumping continues on Friday with the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II and culminates with Sunday’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final III, which determines the new world champion. Watch it live on FEI TV beginning at 12 p.m. EST on Friday and 8 a.m. EST on Sunday.

The USET Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international and high performance horses and athletes in partnership with US Equestrian.

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