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BALOUBET DU ROUET
is himself again and
wins the GP with ease

On the picture, BALOUBET DU ROUET has left the
CSI Geneva a great winner. But was it really
just an "au revoir" ?
 

Fifteen years old and reported "injured" after a GP during the season 2004, BALOUBET DU ROUET surprised everybody being in absolutely top form this week-end. With his tail swishing, the beautiful chestnut covers so much ground with a tranquility that could be taken for nonchalance; and to such a point that nobody would think him capable of beating his adversaries on the stop-watch and yet.....!!! There was almost ten seconds between him and CÖSTER of Christian Ahlmann, the only competitor capable of giving him a run for his money in the clear-round category. As for Robert Smith he did everything he could to win, pushing MARIUS CLAUDIUS beyond his limits but he was not able to avoid a fault at the last fence.

The average horse age in this final of giants is still rather high, approaching 13 years-old for the first six; the top age is FOR PLEASURE (Marcus Ehning) at 18 years old ! Rather than emphasising a lack of early abilities, this state of affairs reveals the difficulty of finding a good up and coming horse among the best jumpers. In other riding disciplines, the young often reduce their elders to second class performances. But here in show jumping we are perhaps nearer to a ceiling of performances. If the goal of competition still remains the improvement of horse-breeding this is right !

Résultats techniques :
GRAND PRIX ROLEX
FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING
Barème A sans chronomètre + un barrage au chronomètre

International Show Jumping
SHUTTERFLY

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum entered the arena spectacularly: since this 2004 season she has become the first woman in show jumping history to be at the head of the list of best show jumping riders in the world. Traditionally the most popular event of Show Jumping at Geneva is the "Top Ten" in which only the top ten riders in the world list are invited to participate. For this reason it goes without saying that they are all top class and only the factor of chance or an extraordinary horse can make a difference between them. On this December evening in 2004, there was no doubt that the best (by far) was SHUTTERFLY who is such a precision watch "made in Hannover", that Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum could have presented it at the Salon de l'Horlogerie. When you add up the concentration, the expertise, the speed and the ease you arrive at the logical result: a total victory for SHUTTERFLY by K.O. in the second round. But to compare this elegant dark bay to a boxer is not really to do him justice. He has more of the physique of a Bolchoï Ballet dancer and when he goes round a show-jumping course he does it so naturally and light that he demands silence and respect from the Geneva public who are normally demonstrative.

Swiss watchmaking and Equestrian events
complement each other

On the picture L.B. NO MERCY and Christina Liebherr are
destined for greatness !!
 

As ROLEX was a generous sponsor and an attentive godfather for the CSI-W in Geneva, it is easy to see that horsemanship at this level of excellence has much in common with precision watchmaking !! And if SHUTTERFLY is the perfect example of this, other horses with extraordinary means have not yet been able to bloom at Geneva. There is notably L.B. NO MERCY who has "World Champion" potential but Christina Liebherr must still get it right. Precision work would you say ? Let the Swiss do it !

Résultats techniques :
FINALE DU TOP-TEN
Deux manches, seule la deuxième au chrono

Steve Guerdat wins
his passport for Las Vegas

The lights of the Geneva arena have hardly been put out when already Swiss showjumping starts to dream of a FEI WORLD CUP final relatively soon. In fact, Steve Guerdat confirmed his position among the leaders in the provisional classification, thanks to a very fine performance at the Palexpo Hall: a victory on CAMPUS which filled his fans with joy. Even if it is too soon to give a definite prediction for this Las Vegas final, which will take place from 20th to 24th April 2005, it is necessary to indicate the excellent chance of Steve Guerdat and of CAMPUS , even if there remain nine events before this American dream comes to be.

GP HSBC GUYERZELLER
TEN RIDERS NECK AND NECK...

...but Steve Guerdat leads by the end of his nose ! In effect ten renowned riders (such as Ludger Beerbaum, Willi Melliger, or Michel Robert) with horses in top form ended their participation at the top of the finishing list with less than a second between them; but Steve Guerdat and the grey CAMPUS took a lead of nearly a second on their inmediate follower. This shows how much this victory of the Swiss rider is deserved. It is also necessary to mention that Willi Melliger and Christina Liebherr contributed to the Swiss triumph by taking respectively the 3rd and the 4th places just behind Ludger Beerbaum. But it was only the qualifying event for Sunday's ROLEX Grand Prix.

Résultats techniques :
GRAND PRIX HSBC GUYERZELLER