FEI Budweiser World
Cup Jumping and
FEI World Cup
Dressage Finals, Presented by Offield Farms
Las Vegas, Nevada
April 20-24, 2005
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jamie Saults, 702-895-1051, classic.pr@verizon.net
Las Vegas, NV—April 23, 2005—Anky van
Grunsven of the Netherlands won her seventh World Cup Final during the FEI
Offield Farms World Cup Final.
Van Grunsven and the 11-year-old Hanoverian
gelding, Keltec Salinero, performed before a sold-out crowd of more than
11,500. The pair scored a total 86.725% with four artistic scores in the 90s.
“I was proud of my horse,” she said. “It’s great to have two Dutch riders here.
I’m really happy.”
Van Grunsven’s score was possibly a
freestyle record, beating her previously held 86.05% achieved at the 2000
Olympic Games riding Bonfire. “The scores are slowly getting higher,” she
commented. “A lot of riders are now on this high level. I can’t sit back and
think it’s easy.”
Edward Gal, also of the Netherlands, came in
second to his trainer riding Geldnet Lingh. Gal and the 12-year-old Dutch
Warmblood stallion received artistic scores in the 90s from three of the five
judges for a final score of 85.225%. The crowd uncharacteristically broke out
in applause during his one-tempis on a circle. “I don’t remember the clapping,”
he said. “However, it made Lingh go even better. I liked it!”
U.S. favorite and 2003 World Cup Champion,
Debbie McDonald of Hailey, Idaho, and the 14-year-old Hanoverian mare,
Brentina, came in third with an 83.45%. McDonald broke out in a huge grin as
she rode down centerline to “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” with the crowd clapping along with
the music. The audience was out of their seats before she could even make her
final salute. “Obviously I was having fun,” she said. “My goal was to bring fun,
not only for myself but for the audience. I think I achieved my goal.”
American Robert Dover of Wellington,
Florida, riding FBW Kennedy, came in fourth place with an 80.1%. Leslie Morse
of Beverly Hills, California, riding Kingston, took sixth place with 78.475%,
and Guenter Seidel of Del Mar, California, riding Aragon, placed 12th
with a 70.650%.
President of the ground jury, Uwe Mechlem,
of Germany, said, “It was very difficult to find the winner. The level of
riding was unbelievably high. After seeing each ride, you think it can’t be
beaten, then the next and the next. It is frustrating but exciting.”
Judge Mariette Withages said, “I thought
this was more difficult to judge than in Athens because of the level and the
small differences between riders.”
Mechlem said Van Grunsven’s music and
choreography set her apart from the rest. “In the end, I gave her a 10 for
music. The combination of horse and music couldn’t be better. The style of the
music fit the horse and the movements were in the right moment. Anky did it
perfect.”
Results—FEI Offield Farms World Cup Final
Rider
Horse
Country Score
1. Anky van
Grunsven
Keltec
Salinero
NED 86.725
2. Edward
Gal
Geldnet Lingh
NED 85.225
3. Debbie
McDonald
Brentina
USA 83.450
4. Robert
Dover
FBW Kennedy
5. Andreas
Helgstrand
Blue Hors
Cavan
DEN 78.500
6. Leslie
Morse
7. Jan
Brink
Bjorsells Briar
899
SWE 77.375
8. Hurbertus
Schmidt
Aramis
GER 77.200
9. Sven
Rothenberger
Barclay
II
NED 75.250
10. Carl
Hester
Escapado
GBR 73.475
11. Lone
Joergensen
Hardthof’s Ludwig G
DEN 72.275
12. Guenter
Seidel
Aragon
USA 70.650