Michael Jung is new HSBC FEI World Cup™ Champion

Michael Jung was crowned the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Champion for 2010 at the last event of the season, Schenefeld (GER), where he emphasised his domination of the series by finishing second, third and fourth behind the winner, Julia Mestern (GER) on FRH Schorsch.

After 12 events in 10 countries and three continents, Jung, who is being hailed as one of the world’s most exciting young riders, emerged supreme as the only rider to have won two events, at Marbach (GER) and Strzegom (POL).

His reaction on learning that he has won US$50,000 of HSBC prize-money was: “This is wonderful for me because as a professional rider I am always thinking about earning money. This will now allow me to relax and prepare my top horse, Sam, for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky next month.

“The HSBC FEI World Cup™ has provided great opportunities for me to prepare three horses to top level. It couldn’t have been better and I’m very pleased and grateful.”

It was an all-German line-up at Schenefeld – only two of the 16 finishers were non-German, Sweden’s Malin Larsson, 15th, and Belarusian rider Aleksandr Faminou, 16th.

The main beneficiary in HSBC FEI World Cup™ points was Dirk Schrade (GER), who finished sixth on Gadget de la Cere and earned enough points to be propelled into the top 15 riders who will share the US$180,000 prize-pot.

Schenefeld was a mandatory outing for the senior German squad preparing for Kentucky, and Julia Mestern, who rose from fifth place after Dressage to take the lead with one of only two Cross-Country rounds inside the optimum time, admitted that she felt considerable pressure with a host of experienced riders breathing down her neck in the final Jumping phase.

The 14-year-old FRH Schorsch is Mestern’s only event horse – she has also competed him in Dressage and Jumping, and she herself spends most of her time riding Dressage horses.

“I am so pleased, I love my horse,” she said afterwards. “It was very nerve-racking when Michael (Jung) rode three clear Jumping rounds – there was only 0.2 of a penalty between us – but my horse felt all weekend as though he wanted to win.”

Ingrid Klimke (GER), the Dressage leader on Butts Abraxxas, finished in fifth place after accumulating Cross-Country time penalties and having two Jumping rails down.

Her team mates had mixed results: Frank Ostholt (GER) withdrew Mr Medicott after Dressage, but Andreas Dibowski (GER) took a soaking fall in the double water complex with Butts Leon and Dirk Schrade (GER) retired King Artus after two refusals at the water-filled ditch in the coffin.

There were 15 clear Cross-Country rounds from the 19 finishers, and little change to the order in the final Jumping phase. All riders praised the excellent going, which drained well despite the heavy rain.

All in all, it was a fitting climax to the 2010 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing, as all eyes now turn to the fourth leg of the HSBC FEI Classics, at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) next weekend, and the forthcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.

Results
1 Julia Mestern/FRH Schorsch (GER) 39.0 + 0 + 0 = 39
2 Michael Jung/Weidezaunprofi’s River of Joy (GER) 36.0 + 3.2 + 0 = 39.2
3 Michael Jung/La Biosthetique Sam (GER) 39.8 + 0 + 0 = 39.8
4 Michael Jung/Leopin (GER) 45.8 + 1.2 + 0 = 47.0
5 Ingrid Klimke/Butts Abraxxas (GER) 34.8 + 4.8 + 8 = 47.6
6 Dirk Schrade/Gadget de la Cere AA (GER) 40.8 + 7.6 + 0 = 48.4
7 Andreas Dibowski/FRH Fantasia (GER) 42.2 + 8.4 + 0 = 50.6
8 Andreas Ostholt/Franco Jeas (GER) 47.8 + 4.4 + 4 = 56.2
9 Kai Rüder/Leprince des Bois (GER) 38.6 + 12 + 8 = 58.6
10 Anna Siemer/Charlott 23 (GER) 51.0 + 7.6 + 1= 59.6

Final Standings (in the case of riders tying on points, the best scores take precedence)

1 Michael Jung (GER) 142 points – US$50,000
2 Megan Jones (AUS) 138 – US$34,000
3 Phillip Dutton (USA) 131 – US$23,000
4 Clarke Johnstone (NZL) 128 – US$18,000
5 Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) 128 – US$13,000
6 Alexey Korshunov (RUS) 125 – US$10,000
7 Andreas Dibowski (GER) 122 – US$8,000
8 Kai Rüder (GER) 122 – US$6,500
9 Dirk Schrade (GER) 119 – US$5,000
10 Sonja Johnson (AUS) 119 – US$4,000
11 Kai-Steffen Meier (GER) 119 – US$3,000
12 Ruth Edge (GBR) 110 – US$2,000
13 Andrew Downes (GBR) 104 – US$2,000
14 Frank Ostholt (GER) 101 – US$1,500
15 John-Paul Sheffield (GBR) 101 – US$1,000