Ludger Beerbaum kept the home crowd very happy indeed when racing to victory in the fifth leg of the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series in Stuttgart, Germany this afternoon.  Riding the eight year old Gotha he grabbed the advantage with a determined run in the nine-horse jump-off and withstood a fierce challenge from the on-form Frenchman Michel Robert who had to settle for runner-up spot with Kellemoi de Pepita. Today’s glittering line-up also included Alltech FEI European individual silver medallists Carsten-Otto Nagel and Corradina who took third for Germany ahead of Olympic silver medallist Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden in fourth and reigning individual European Champion, Kevin Staut, in fifth.

This result now moves Beerbaum into fourth position on the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping leaderboard which continues to be led by Switzerland’s Daniel Etter.

DEMANDING

There was no place to hide on Uliano Vezzani’s demanding 12-fence track.  By the half-way point of the first round a pole had been dislodged from almost every obstacle on the course, but in the latter stages it was the triple combination – vertical to a double of oxers – that claimed the largest number of victims.  Three riders retired – Thomas Velin (Den) when Grim St Clair had three consecutive fences down, Steve Guerdat (Sui) when Tresor hit all three elements of the treble and Gianni Govoni (Ita) when Joyau d’Opal refused at the third, an oxer with water-tray.  Unluckiest of all were Finland’s Mikael Forsten (Isaac du Jonquet), Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya (Wisconsin) and Holland’s Albert Zoer (Sam), who were clear to the very last fence only to leave that on the floor.

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