EdSocVigo.jpgAustralia’s Edwina Alexander scooped maximum points at the eleventh leg of the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series in Vigo, Spain with a brilliant performance from Cevo Socrates.  In the 11-horse jump-off, the 15-year-old gelding showed the wisdom of his years when producing a classy, clean and confident round that was simply too good for the rest. This latest result has rocketed Alexander up to fourth place on the series table with just two more qualifying legs remaining.

But Edwina also used her head today. “I woke up at 7 o’clock this morning and turned on YouTube to watch my round with Socrates in Zurich Grand Prix where we won two years ago.  He’s very different from my other horse Itot, and I don’t always find him so easy to ride, but it reminded me just what I needed to do – and I think it worked!” said the delighted rider tonight.  Runner-up was Switzerland’s Beat Mandli, winner of the third leg at Lyon in France last November, while, after four previous attempts, Belgium’s Judy-Ann Melchior picked up her first points of the season when third with the bay mare Cha Cha Z. 

OPENING ROUND

This leg of the series attracted five riders from both the home nation and from Germany, but Pilar Cordon and the Holsteiner stallion Herald were the sole Spanish representatives in the jump-off.  Some notable names missed the closing stages including Germany’s Lars Nieberg whose 11-year-old gelding Levito threw in a surprise refusal at the second element of the triple combination at fence six, and Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson whose mare, H&M Actrice, clipped the final element here also to join the seven-strong contingent who put just four faults on the board.  Unluckiest of all was possibly Portugal’s Luciana Diniz who was put in a copybook tour of the track with Winningmood only to fault at the final oxer.

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