THE WORLD CUP FINALS IN THE WORLD OF ILLUSION

It is little wonder that the top acts in Las Vegas all seem to feature magicians – in truth this absurd place is more an illusion than a city. Who would plonk a metropolis of a million plus (that plus is a couple of billion tourists who flock like lemmings to pour their hard won dosh down the slot machines…) in the middle of a desert? Even the hotels are not hotels but fantasies of ‘some place else’ – thus we dwell in ‘Paris’ complete with our own Eiffel Tower. In truth I would rather be staying in a Hotel Las Vegas in Paris.
But illusion cuts both ways, every now and then reality intrudes big time, and the fairy tale story of Isabell Werth taking the 19-year-old Antony to his seventh and final World Cup final unravelled at the very first trot up. The gelding was out, Isabell was out and that sweet little fairy tale had de-materialised.
They may have disgusting eating habits, and undrinkable coffee but the one thing about the Americans is that they are great spectators. 6000 actually turned up for the three-horses-at-a-time fifteen-minute warmup (PAID $60 to get in) and they cheered and clapped even the action replays.
The huge indoor arena was also packed for the first round of action. And yes, the opening ceremony was full full on. Laser upon laser, the Las Vegas nightclub singer star with max amps, it was a full-on assault on the senses (the photographers were even offered ear plugs by arena officials). Everything is BIG except the dressage arena, that was actually seven feet short – shorter before emergency last minute alterations.
We do have the most magnificent BIG screen with individual movement scores from the five judges.
“You all are the most dedicated dressage enthusiasts we have!” roars the announcer. And yes, they clap themselves. The crowd has now grown to just over 8500 for the opening round of the Dressage Final.
The massive applause starts up the minute the second horse enters the arena, it is the local queen, Debbie McDonald and Peggy Thomas’ magnificent mare, Brentina (by Brentano II). Some super piaffe passage work earns a 9 from the German judge, Uwe Mechlem at E, and the rest of them handing out 8s were being mean. Interestingly, it is Mechlem who goes down to 7 when the second piaffe is not so good, while the others – Jean-Michele Roudier (France), Hanne Valentin (Denmark), Mariette Whithages (Belgium) and Stephen Clarke (Britain) are stuck on 8. Brentina and Debbie well deserve the standing ovation they receive as they leave the arena, they are out in the lead on 75.958 and it is catch us if you can…
None look like doing so. Debbie’s fellow countryperson, Lesley Morse is generously marked on 72.792 on the Voltaire son, Kingston, while Carl Hester and Escapado (by Ex Libris) are perhaps unfairly marked on 71.667.
Blue Hors Cavan (by Cavalier) had looked the best of the bunch at the warmup, so strong, so assured, but his rider, Andreas Helgstrand seems to lose it a bit in the test when it counts, still a 73% is nothing to sneeze at.
Robert Dover, who in between preparing for the World Cup has helped organize a massive concert fundraiser for his Aids Foundation, looked a bit scary on Kennedy (by Tiro) in the warmup, but the chestnut gelding is on song for the real thing, lovely piaffe / passage and great transitions in and out. Another rightly hysterical crowd thing when a 75.625% puts them right up amongst the leaders.
The Swedish stallion, Briar (by Magini) may sometimes look a bit strung out behind but he has such presence, flair and scope that you forgive him, and Jan Brink shows him with style. 75.583.
Hubertus Schmidt is arguably the world’s greatest dressage rider, but alas, Aramis (by Akzent II) lacks both power and scope and even the master can do no better than a 71.708.
Down to the last two and they are the formidable duo of Edward Gal with Geldnet Lingh (by Flemmingh), then his trainer, six times World Cup winner, Anky van Grunsven with Keltec Salinero (by Salieri).
After a brilliant entry, Lingh is sitting on an 80 – and yes, that wonderful scoreboard gives you a progressive percentage. They ‘drop’ to a 78 after the half passes but they are into the most brilliant piaffe / passage sequence, fabulous extended trot, delightful ones, three 9s for the pirouette right, ‘just’ two 9s for the one to the left which is a touch larger, amazing extended canter, great twos, lovely expressive ones, and once again the crowd is on its feet, that 78 is still in place, 78.625 to be exact and now Anky has to meet her student’s challenge!
There has been a degree of discussion about the ‘vote’ at the Dutch organized Global Dressage Forum which declared Salinero the ‘happiest’ horse in the world. This might be seen as a PR bid to hide their champion’s most obvious problem (a few years ago they might have voted Bonfire the horse with the ‘best walk’ in the world!?) but certainly Anky, Salinero and Sjeff all looked fairly stressed at the warm up (German dressage team joke – ‘Why is Salinero the happiest when he is in the dressage competition arena?’ ‘Because he knows Sjef can’t get in there with him!’) and on the actual night, Sjeff is certainly not looking like the ‘happiest coach’ in the world. He pleads with the photographers in the corner of the arena not to take photos of Salinero straight on in the piaffe facing them. I guess that is like asking a horse dealer to forgo his cut…)
But Sjeff need not have got so stressy. This time they get that troublesome halt at X and Salinero is ‘here to play’ as the locals say. Beautiful extended trot for four 8s and a 9, ditto for the half pass left, and for the half pass right, three 8s and two 9s. The passage piaffe tour is truly wonderful and Stephen Clarke hits the 10 button. Suddenly everything starts to go sideways in the 15 flying changes. Two judges, Mechlem and Clarke are brave enough to give 4s, the rest stick with the 6 comfort button. But Anky is nothing if not a consummate competitor, she is up there on straight 8s with the next move, the pirouette right. The last passage and piaffe on the centre line are sublime - four eights and one nine (Clarke again) for both and three 9s and two 8s for the transitions.

What a way to finish – five 8s for the halt. Straight 8s for paces, four 8s and a 9 (yes Stephen) for impulsion, three 8s and two 7s for submission, one 8 and four 9s for rider position (doesn’t look that way in most of the photos) for a final score of 78% - and the pupil has bested the teacher.
“He was very impolite,” joked Anky afterwards. “Edward asked me to help him, and I always do that for free – maybe I won’t help him again…”
It is a cheery Dutch style press conference and we are looking at a very orange tinge for the final of the final.
The crowd has grown to over 9000 for the first round of the jumping World Cup final, and despite it being held in what is reputedly the world’s worst indoor stadium in which to construct a course, Brazilian course designer, Guilherme Jorge has built a brilliant track for the opening Speed leg of the three-part challenge. It might be a speed class but the fences are plenty big, right up to the 1.50 max on most fences with three oxers that make it to 1.60 on the spread. The course is doubly brilliant because it doesn’t unduly punish the horses that are not quite up to the standard, while letting the cream well and truly rise to the top.
Before we get to the jumping there is yet another opening ceremony, this time with a super Motown soul quartet that even manages to make the Star Spangled Banner sound funky.
First out is Markus Beerbaum, on the Holsteiner, Constantin (by Contender), and it is an ice cool round, taking the risks, cutting the corners, clear in 62.7, the challenge is thrown down big time!
The Westfalien mare, Pialotta (by Pilot) is the closest thing we have to an Aussie in the ranks. She is being ridden tonight by Swiss rider, Steve Guerdat, but her owner is listed as Edwina Alexander and Stal Tops, and Edwina gets the mare back to campaign for a spot in the Aachen WEG team straight after this World Cup final. She has a super clear in 67.83.
Tina Lund from Denmark is another Scandinavian wild child in the mould of Sweden’s Helena Lundquist, crazy spots, stirrups flying free, rails rattle and at the end, they are all still in place. Clear in 66.34 and that got the adrenalin motoring.
Ludger Beerbaum is another who takes the tightest of angles, and how good is the nine-year-old chestnut stallion, Couleur Rubin (by Cordalme Z and bred by that master breeder, Mrs Hali Seifert and out of her amazing mare line) – clear in 66.31.
Baloubet de Rouet (by Galoubet) – when he is good he is very very good, and tonight he is on song for Rodrigo Pessoa. This is truly spine tingling amazing stuff, so fast, clear all the way to the second last, he just touches the rail and down it goes, but even with the four seconds penalty, Baloubet is right up in the frame with a 63.99!!!
The guys in the announcer’s booth have not let a chance go by to synchronize the music themes with the horses name and sure enough Marlou (Dutch bred by Jus de Pomme) and American rep Kimberly Frey are greeted by Hello Marylou (close). The rider never takes a pull, clear and fast in 63.12, but how good was Markus? – 26 riders have gone and the first is still first.
Marcus Ehning is super fast on another grey Holsteiner, Gitania (by the great Capitol) and another mare – there are 20 mares out of the 41 starters - seven stallions.
Time for the mighty grey Parco – by Darco, who sired three (!!!) of this year’s finalists (Quidam de Revel sired two.) The chunky grey doesn’t look fast, but Ludo Philippaerts has him fair flying, clear in 61.57 and we have a new leader.
Marco Kutscher rides the Cathargo Z gelding, Cash 63 - I guess this means that there are another 62 horses called Cash – why would this be such a popular choice for the showjumping fraternity? They too are fast and clear – 63.25. Lars Nieberg and Lucie (Landadel) are just a touch slower, 64.2, but they will be there in the finish.
We started out with Markus, and finished with his wife, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, riding the Hanoverian gelding, Shutterfly (by Silvio I). Amazingly, the FEI had only got around to finalizing the case arising from Shutterfly’s positive at the PREVIOUS World Cup final in the fortnight before this final! Meredith is still not entirely out of the hot water, since the case will go to the German FN Judicial Committee, and they may take action still.

For Switzerland, Steve Guerdat on Edwina Alexander’s new ride, the fabulous Pialotta. Will we see her with an Aussie saddlecloth at WEG?
Candy; sweet after two rounds.

Currently ranked number one in the world, Meredith is a cool effective rider, and the horse is an exciting athlete with an amazing back end. What a finale – clear on 63.3 to go into sixth place, and there is a pack of riders with the title in sight.
George Morris – who looks like becoming the next American jumping chef d’equipe – joined the unanimous chorus of praise for the course:
“Excellent course. The first thing that struck me was the variety of fences, the colours, the construction – the Liverpool, the third fence was a very imposing natural oxer with pillars of ivy… good stride options, good turn options. The limit was a metre fifty, perhaps it could have been a touch bigger but perhaps he was at the max allowed. It was a wonderful course, he is a very careful, very sensitive course builder, I have seen his work quite a bit in Florida. He’s excellent.”
At this stage out, if you have to back the winner, who are you going to put your money on?
“Ludo is leading, and Ludo is a very strong competitor, it’s a very good horse. But there is a very good group up there close to him, if the builder goes to the big scope test with carefulness, then Meredith’s horse is superb, but there is a bunch in the top six or eight. Rodrigo’s horse… whether Markus Beerbaum’s horse can go the distance, I don’t know, he went beautifully in the first round, he has very big scope. The top six or eight are all in contention.”
The course builder was surprised by the number of clears in the first round, and he was probably not expecting nine clears out of the second, especially with the fences significantly larger.
They take all the first round competitors into the second, which was probably not a great idea, the bottom few should have been eliminated on their first run. Watching Kiwi, John Cottle on his stallion, Telegraph, I am more than ever sure that Billy Raymont made the right decision to leave Royal Selections back in Australia.
Last night’s leader, Parco drops a rail and is out of the jump-off, as are Kutscher and Cash, Beerbaum and Constantin and Ehning and Gitania.
Once again, Meredith Michaels and Shutterfly are the last to go, and once again, they are beyond belief beautiful – she is such a superb rider and the horse is as light as a butterfly. They finish the jump off in first place in a time of 32.56, to take first place going into the third and final round on zero points (please don’t ask me to try to understand the way these points are calculated, it is one of those weird Max Ammann formulas…). Alois Pollmann Schweckhorst and Candy (Holsteiner by Coriall) are fast enough for second place with a 36.62, with Steve Guerdat and Pialotta, third on 33.16, with the brilliant youngster, Couleur Rubin and Ludger, fourth on 33.77. Lars Nieberg and Lucie are faster, but paid the price with a rail in the jump off – same for Rodrigo and Baloubet, Michael and Portofino, and Nick Skelton on his Argentinus stallion, Arko.
Going into the Sunday final, Meredith is in the lead on 0 points after two rounds, with the two in equal 10th spot after two rounds, Marco Kutscher and Kimberly Frey sitting on 6 penalty points. What this means is that if either Kimberly or Marco went through both rounds without a rail down and Meredith had two rails, her score would be eight, while they would still be on their sixes. As it is, Alois and Candy, and Lars and Lucie on three points are less than a rail behind Meredith, while Rodrigo and Ludo are just one fence behind Meredith. One hates to think just how hysterical that announcer will be by Sunday.
It is interesting watch the American reaction to Meredith. The applause before the jump off round was just a touch muted. After all, this California gal was riding with a German flag on her jacket but after the win, the applause seemed to claim her for their own. Although German FN press secretary, Thomas Hartwig tells me that on his shuttle journey out the next morning, he heard an American behind him express the worry: “First last week with the Pope, now the World Cup, the Germans are trying to take over the world again…”
It’s just on 10pm by the time the jumping finishes, but the stayers are off to the glittering Aids Fund raiser at the Hardrock Café. George Lindermann Jr, who served time after being the centre of the insurance horse killing scandal a few years back, paid for all 150 grooms to go to the party at $250 a head. Nice. I guess that makes up for them being quartered in the Terrible’s Casino!
The warmup act for the Freestyle Final features Nuno Oliveira’s son Joao, and his cousin, Luisa Valenca, riding a pair of Lusitanos. The arena is pitch black, the horses have anklets of lights and a line of light down their backs, they are like ghosts, accompanied by the magnificent voice of Jesus Leon, singing an aria from Puccini’s Tosca. Class act.
Alas the same cannot be said for the rest of the show which is a carbon copy of all the other openings. If I never ever hear Viva Las Vegas again, that is quite soon enough, I am up to here with laser shows, and hope that the announcer in the big cowboy hat chokes on his own tide of honeyed insincerity and outrageous chauvinism.
When poor Carl Hester and Escapado enter the ring to open proceedings, the left over smoke from the explosions is creating a sort of London fog effect – I guess they thought that would make Carlo feel at home. Once again, the pair have a rotten halt – have Anky and Salinero started a trend? Just when you are starting to think ‘nice test’ the toad of a horse starts to run in the trot, but still it ends with a great centre line, and 73.475 is not to be sneezed at – although that is just what Escapado has been doing through the test, he too is smoke sensitive.
Gunter Seidel and Aragon – the horse has always been a bit of a one trick pony, and now even its trick – piaffe – is falling in a hole. Sad, 70.65.
Sven Rothenberger and Barclay are getting better all the time, and his music has wonderful shifts of mood, although Sven still has a problem with his hands, and for the last half of the test, the gelding has his tongue poked out to the side. They too finish with a rotten halt. 75.25
Lone Jörgensen and Hardthof’s Ludewig G (trying saying that quick) gets the crowd up and clapping in time for their final passage, and when the judges get mean with a 72.275, they give the jury a solid booing.
Leslie Morse declines the opportunity to warm up in the arena, and enters from the passageway – it is very dramatic, and the music from Pirates of the Caribbean is loud and intense. She has some very good front on piaffe work, more or less in C judge, Uwe Mechlem’s lap (well it is Las Vegas), and in case he missed it the first time, comes back to give him the side on view from the same up close and personal spot. Still the work is very fine, and there is even almost a halt.
Leslie’s 78.575 comes up as Andreas Helgstrand and Blue Hors Cavan are warming up in the ring, the crowd does its berserker thing and the Hanoverian doesn’t blink. At last Andreas introduces a bit of lightness, whimsy even, to the musical mix and the crowd loves it. And those one times changes to Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf are just amazing. Absolutely entirely on the beat. I ask Andreas after how many ones there are in that sequence? “Enough,” says the likeable young Dane, ‘I can’t tell you how many…” Brilliant piaffe, great extended trot – yes, get on your feet again and cheer, this was worth it. 78.5. Mme Whitages must have had a bad fairy tale experience as a child, since she is the odd one out and low on the artistic score.
Jan Brink and Briar, after all those passage openings it is a relief to see someone canter out of the halt. (Well no it wasn’t quite square) An amazing transition out of super passage, straight into a trot half pass, and when he gets the extended thing going, the crowd loves those extravagant front paws. Such power, strength and beauty – way under-marked on 77.375 – this time Axel Steiner gets the ‘what were you looking at?’ award.
Herbertus Schmidt and Aramis. Yes, a square trot, but that is about it, great rider, normal (very beautiful) horse. 77.2.

Escapado and Carl Hester - A class act Edward Gal on Lingh- This Stallion was just breath taking. Anky and Salinero, at their very best.

Robert Dover is trying very hard to ‘de-spook’ Kennedy in the warm up, and succeeds. Salute right near the in gate, piaffe, passage, extended trot, piaffe, passage, and they are still on that first centre line! And the tune is the national anthem of dressage, Hey Big Spender! Now down the centre line in extended canter, a perfect double canter pirouette – it’s great work, great musical arrangement and even better use of the arena. Robert keeps coming back to that centre line, showing yet another facet of the dressage horse’s art, the excitement level never drops, the horse freaks out of his final stop but he can be forgiven, the crowd is rightly roaring its approval. It gets louder when the score goes up, 80.1
In comes the American fans all-time-fave, Debbie McDonald and Brentina, and the noise is deafening. One punter wants to start the standing ovation now, before the test…
It’s new music for this show – like Robert’s jazz inspired – but for the first half Debbie looks a bit tentative, like she is feeling her way into the work. It’s nice but without the edginess of Dover’s test, and as she comes down the centre, with Aretha Franklin’s Respect ringing out, the crowd just HAD to clap along, and that’s what they do, great extended, and they are all on their feet this time. 83.45 – and that includes two 90s for artistic from Fouarge and Steiner, it was good but not that good.
Edward Gal and Geldnet Lingh, hooray the halt is dead square and sustained. Amazing trot out and into passage, that haunting Latin chanting setting the scene (where’s that smoke now?) Beautiful passage circles, and the extended trot has the crowd gasping as the music throbs along. Really lovely walk music. A little quiet time to re-gather the thoughts, all the better to take off again with a huge canter, into a one and a half pirouette, and out in twos. An even bigger canter, the rider looking so relaxed, the horse travelling so free, and another one and half times pirouette, and into effortless expressive one times changes – how clever, holding back teasing the crowd with the prospect of another big extended trot, now it comes, into passage, halt… “I’ll be waiting” says the voice on the score, and we are waiting for just that, the score – three 90+ this time, and all richly deserved, once again it is Mariette who is well out of step. Total – 85.22. YES.
Joep Bartels tells me he has introduced Andrew McLean’s wonderful book, The Truth about Horses to Anky and Sjeff and that they are finding his training principles fit in perfectly with their approach. He asks if I think Andrew would be good at his Global Forum next year, sure I say, he does great demos – perhaps he could teach Salinero, ‘park’.
It would seem that it is already working, since they start the test with a lovely square halt. Such sweet French chansons, even if the horse is a tiny bit stately in the first half passes. Big extended trot but there is still a lot more in front than behind and that is a fault. Big canter into the double pirouettes, but it is not as good as Edward’s version, such a steep canter half pass, then a clumsy flying change, quarters up and tail swishing, into another big canter down the arena, but there are some serious half halts happening and that lean back is in full tilt. Into the pirouettes, but something weird is happening in the second one, sort of a pirouette half pass left, the piaffe is losing the purity of its rhythm, passage to halt, and he does it again. The big pat and the bigger smile is in place and the crowd is up again.

Left to Right: Parco; P = Power; Micheal Whitaker & Portofino; whn the going gets tough. Organisers of next years showjumping world cup final in Malayaisa (including former Australian Chef, Peter Winton) at the flag handover ceremony.

The score – 86.677 and Anky has won again. Afterwards there is a general consensus around the press room and even amongst the spectators standing in the queues waiting for the shuttle, is that Edward and Lingh should have won. I suppose what comes round comes round again, Anky has lost a few she should have won, perhaps Mariette Whithages still feels bad about the World Championship, that Anky should have won seven years ago in Rome, who knows. Only the American judge, Axel Steiner had Edward in first (he had Anky third) so someone had the guts to call it like it was. Although putting Anky third behind Ms. McDonald was perhaps a tad patriotic.
Still, the Las Vegas magician has another trick in the hat. It is announced the next day that Anky and Sjef are doing the second most popular thing in this weird town – getting married in the Elvis Chapel no less. Sincerely, we wish them all the best and hope that like the heroes in every good fairy story, Anky, Sjeff and Yannick live happily ever after…
It’s a relief to turn to the Jumping final where the judge has nothing to do…
The course for the first round of the final leg is huge. The opening fence is 1.50 high and to an oxer of the same height but 1.60 wide, a tight turn to a 1.60 vertical, to a 1.50 by 1.65 (!) oxer, 14 metres to a ‘Brinkmann’ oxer, 1.55 high by 1.00 wide, (German course designer Mickey Brinkmann, who built at the 1972 Munich Olympics, is credited as being the innovator who popularised the ‘skinny oxer’) tight to a 1.55 vertical, into the treble – an oxer, 1.50/1.60, 7.9 metres to a 1.55 vertical, 7.4 to a 1.50/1.60 oxer, whew, round the corner to a 1.50/1.55 oxer, 20 metres to another 1.60 vertical, and round to the double, a 1.55 Liverpool, 11.1 metres to a 1.50/1.60 oxer and they finish on lucky number 13, a 1.60 vertical.
The first clear comes from the Quidam de Revel mare, Quibell and Jessica Kurten (Irish but Germany based).
Nick Skelton has a perfectly judged clear on Arko, they ‘go’ when they need ‘go’ and come ‘back’ when they need ‘back’.
Once again, the Americans seem to have brought the ‘wrong’ riders. Where’s Beezie Madden or Peter Wylde? Poor Chris Keppler is still recovering from the ravages of Athens but it would seem that if George Morris gets the chef post, he has a deal of re-building to do before Aachen. I don’t suppose they can tempt Meredith to return to her homeland bringing Markus with her?
Kimberley Frey is the best of their crew, but she gets too deep to the first of the treble and pays the price. Maylou is right at the limit of her scope but leaves the rest up to be the best of the Yanks.
Ludger Beerbaum has a wonderful ride on his ‘baby’ Couleur Rubin, that excellent amalgam of French and German breeding, and he is clear all the way to the last Las Vegas fence but no luck here. I would leave the gambling tables alone tonight if I were Ludger…
Michael Whitaker’s Portofino (Dutch bred by Habsburg) is deep to the first of the treble, but the mare is clever and clear and with just one time, the Brits are back in the hunt.
Markus and Constantin and Marcus and Gitania both have single rails.
Rodgrigo must go clear on Baloubet to have a chance. The stallion may have some trotter blood but he has the most excellent canter, a fabulous clear.
It is not Parco’s day, three down and out of it.
Candy and Alois have just one down, but it is interesting that the Germans have some wonderful younger riders coming on in the showjumping, it is their aging dressage stars that are causing them worry.
Lars and Lucie are going so well until she ducks left on the first of the treble.
Shutterfly and Meredith. They were leading right up until the last round in Milan last year – can they go one better than that second place? Meredith has just become the first woman in history to take first place on the World Jumping rankings, and she is riding like the star she is. They just toe out the last of the treble but the rest is centimetre perfect.
What a finish. Rodrigo and Meredith go into the final round, tied. Who is going to crack? The stallion looks fitter than the gelding, but…
The second track opens with a 1.40/1.45 high and 1.40 wide oxer, round the corner to a 1.60 vertical, 24 metres to a 1.50, 1.60 double of verticals (made of beer bottles, a new twist on Bud up straight) another little trip round the roses, to a 1.60 vertical, then 22 metres to a double of oxers, 1.50/.1.60 each, 7.6 metres and do the same again. Round the corner to a 1.60 vertical, 19.5 metres to another double: a 1.55 vertical then 7.7 metres to a 1.50 by 1.60 oxer and the finish line (kids don’t try this at home with your own pony…)
Another break enlivened by candid shots on the big screen of members of the audience who then have to kiss each other. They do – and get rated for performance. They then have to jump and scream for the chance to win an autographed t-shirt thrown into the crowd by rodeo clowns! It might not be my taste but it is a very slick production.
The first clear in the second round is another example of the French German détente – French rider, Philippe Leoni on the Hanoverian, Cyrenaika FRH (by Cheenook). FRH means the horse is supported by the Hanoverian Verband.
The next clear with just one time, comes from Eric Lamaze on Tempete v/h Lindehof, the Darco gelding is followed by the Darco mare, Sapphire, who has just one down. They are followed by Parco, who goes clear. Three Darcos, all into the final round, two with clears…
Clear for Cash, with one time, and a lovely clear from Pialotta – and Edwina has something to live up to!
There’s a super clear from Kimberly Frey and the patriots (that’s seemingly all of them) can go wild as an American briefly slips into the pole spot.
Marcus Ehning and Gitania. The mare may represent the ‘dumb power’ C line of Capitol, but she does not like to touch them, they all stay up. Lars Nieberg has another wonderful clear on Lucie.
Michael Whitaker rattles the back rail of the first with Portofino, and they almost trot coming into the Bud double (not at all a Whitaker-like approach to anything alcoholic – the previous day he was leading rider in a seriously weird Hunter v Jumper challenge and the speculation was that he had won instead of the traditional car, a Budweiser Clydesdale load of ale. Could he finish it off on the flight to Heathrow?) but they are clear with just one time and in the lead on 7 points.
Baloubet looks strong and still running, and by now the flashes in the spectator stands look like they are trying another laser show. The riders protested to the organizers who told them that their first priority was that the punters have a good time, so get lost. They have the first of the Bud double down, then the FEI vertical, Rodrigo is fighting to get him back for the Liverpool but they go clear. Still 8 faults and Rodrigo’s fairy tale is kaput.
Meredith has less than a rail in hand from Whitaker, she has to keep them all up. She’s brilliant, the horse is awesome, she’s clear, Shutterfly and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum are the Champions. So one fairy tale, the one about the blonde Californian princess who went to Germany to improve her riding and found love and happiness before coming home to prove herself the best in the world, came true. Like they say, only in Las Vegas.