Steve Guerdat Posts Swiss Victory at Basel

Photo Copyright © FEI/Richard Juilliart
Photo Copyright © FEI/Richard Juilliart

Reigning series champion and World No. 2 gets new year off to a great start


In the 90th World Cup competition of his spectacular career, three-time series champion Steve Guerdat galloped to victory with Victorio des Frotards in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier on home ground at Basel in Switzerland today. Despite a tough first-round test from ace German course designer Frank Rothenberger, this tenth leg of the league saw 15 of the 40 starters make the cut into the jump-off so it was never going to be an easy one to win. But the man who claimed individual Olympic gold in 2012 and his third World Cup title in Gothenburg (SWE) last season left the rest in his wake, with Frenchman Julien Epaillard coming closest for runner-up spot with Queeletta ahead of Belgium’s Pieter Devos and Apart in third.

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Martin Fuchs and Clooney: What Else?

Photo Courtesy of ©PSV
Photo Courtesy of ©PSV

It was certainly no easy task to overcome the difficulties of the course designed by Gregory Bodo for this Grand Prix Longines FEI Jumping World CupTM Lyon 2019. In particular, the two combinations - the triple at number 7 and the double vertical at number 9 - gave the 40 riders who had qualified for this class a hard time. Several top riders got caught out, such as Simon Delestre and Pénélope Leprevost, who made mistakes on the triple with Hermes Ryan and Vancouver from Lanlore, and the German rider Daniel Deusser, who had a 4-point penalty on the double.

Read MoreMartin Fuchs and Clooney: What Else?