Verona CSI-W 4*: Swiss Timing Proves It’s Value

Jumping Verona began the jumping proper today with a 1.45 speed class that might have been treated by some as a warm up class but not luckily not everyone. The class proved an exciting opener as it should have with a Euro 5000 first prize. The money in the end went to Switzerland’s Werner Muff riding Unik. The nine year old has won several international classes before this and his time of 53.6 was just good enough to take the lead. “I have been to Verona before but I have not started as well as this on other occasions” said Werner afterwards.

He had taken pole position from Bernardo Alves and Kingly du Reverdy who had been one of the earlier competitors and set the standard of 53.86. The Brazilian held his place for over half the class before the lead was taken from him. However neither was quite sure of their first and second prizes until America’s Lauren Hough had been. She made a good effort on Available Versace but stopped the clock at 54.05 which was good enough for third.

In the Premio Dainese, Bernardo Alves went one better than in the first class by winning on Bridget. The combination took two seconds off the eventual third placed pair of Niels Bruynseels and Cipollini who were almost first to go into the ring when they set their time of 60.19. “My horse is still young, so I took no risks but he has a very big stride” said the Belgium rider who is enjoying his first visit to Verona immensely. With one chestnut mare already in the lead, it was another who eventually claimed second. Edwina Alexander and the rather headstrong Kisby split the other pair with a time of 59.77 despite the round not going at all to plan when Kisby got a bit strong. Bernado had added another 6250Euro to his days winnings and after the class he said, “I wish I had a few more like Bridget. She is amazing and can do anything, she is so careful. I love her! This is why I did not take her to WEG, she has only done five other Grand Prix’s, so she is still learning and I think so much of her, I want to give her time.”

The big class of the day was the Premio Acqua Cutolo Rionero, worth Euro12’500 to the winner. Course designer Rolf Luedi probably was not hoping for quite as many clears as he eventually got but seventeen through to the second round did make for a crowd pleasing jump off. Steve Guerdat and the appropriately named Ferrari were fifth in the ring and with an immaculately ridden round took three seconds of the previous best. The others then all had to play catch up! Jeroen Dubbledam and BMC Van Grunsven Simon ended up second best with a time of 35.16 and Rodrigo Pessoa was third on Champ in 35.94.Mention should be made of the fourth placed rider at it was that man Bernado Alves again!

Full results of all classes can be found at http://events.sja.it/concorsi/ar128/programma.asp and other information at http://www.jumpingverona.com/

Quotes
Steve Guerdat
“Ferrari is very fast but we have not won that many classes as often we miss in the jump off, because he wants it as much as I do and this makes him hard to ride sometimes. But we have worked on this recently and so I rode him with more confidence today but I was not expecting to be as fast as that!”

Jeroen Dubbledam
“I have always known Simon had the talent to become a really top horse but at first he was almost too careful and took some time to bring on. But know he has learnt the way to do things he has become the horse I was sure he could be from the first.”

Nina Fagerstrom
“I fell off in Helsinki and broke two ribs and punctured a lung so when I got out of hospital I was not allowed to fly home. But I really wanted to come to Verona (even though my doctor doesn’t think I should be riding either!) so I came by boat and train. 28 hours on the boat and 17 on the train to be precise!”

Lauren Hough
“I know my horse is brave and careful so I don’t need to train on the first day, I can really have a go and the money was too good for a first class to not do that.”

Edwina Alexander
“I had to resort to Plan B, I just count turn or steer so I was putting strides in instead of taking them out and I had planned to go inside one fence but had to go outside. If it had gone right I would probably have been four seconds faster” laughed the Australian after the class.”