{"id":17443,"date":"2019-12-16T14:14:27","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T13:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpingamsterdam.nl\/?p=17443"},"modified":"2019-12-16T17:31:50","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T16:31:50","slug":"dutchman-van-der-vleuten-wins-dramatic-la-coruna-leg-with-bright-young-star-beauville-z","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jumpingamsterdam.nl\/en\/dutchman-van-der-vleuten-wins-dramatic-la-coruna-leg-with-bright-young-star-beauville-z\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutchman Van der Vleuten wins dramatic La Coru\u00c3\u00b1a leg with bright young star Beauville Z"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Netherlands\u00e2\u0080\u0099 Maikel van der Vleuten and his new star ride, the nine-year-old Beauville Z, could hardly keep their feet on the ground after their brilliant victory in today\u00e2\u0080\u0099s seventh leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019\/2020 Western European League at La Coru\u00c3\u00b1a in Spain. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(FEI\/Manuel Queimadelos)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were 40 riders from 16 different countries chasing down points \nin the race for a place at the Longines 2020 Final in Las Vegas, USA \nnext April. And this seventh round of the 14-leg qualifying series was a\n sizzler, with anything possible right to the\n very end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van der Vleuten clinched it however with an exhibition of pure \npartnership with the lovely Beauville Z, a gelding he has been riding \nsince the middle of last year. Ace Spanish course designer, Santiago \nVarela, set them a jump-off track with multiple twists\n and turns and a long gallop to the last that tested trust and \nunderstanding between horse and rider every step of the way. And it was \nthe double-Olympian who showed them all how it should be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically modest, the 31-year-old Dutchman said afterwards, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n“Sometimes a jump-off doesn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t go as planned and you have to put in a \nwaiting distance, but today it was all very smooth and we had a great \nrhythm all the way. My horse was very good, he stayed with me, and out \nof all the turns we got a nice forward distance”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nMaikel van der Vleuten (NED)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First against the clock, Ireland\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Michael G Duffy set the target \nwhen clear with Lapuccino Z in 39.95 seconds, but the lead kept changing\n until, seventh to go, Van der Vleuten came into the ring and clearly \nleft them with very little to play with. The Dutch\n horse-and-rider partnership were in complete harmony as they found the \ntightest lines everywhere on the course and galloped through the timers \nto set a whole new standard in 36.94 seconds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However there were still six to go, and plenty more excitement ahead.\n Pieter Clemens, one of three Belgians into the second-round decider, \nwas ousted from runner-up spot by Italy\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Emanuele Gaudiano and the \nextraordinary Chalou who stopped the clock on 37.66\n seconds. And as they set off it seemed more than possible that, \nthird-last to go, America\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Jessica Springsteen and the super-fast RMF \nZecilie could alter the standings until they clipped the very first \nfence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the Spanish crowd gasped in disbelief when their own star, \nEduardo Alvarez Aznar, was jumped out of the saddle when his long-time \nfaithful steed, Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot, went into orbit over \nthe vertical third fence off a tight turn. And\n when Frenchman Olivier Robert (Vivaldi es Meneaux) left one on the \nfloor it was a done deal, and a Dutch one at that\u00e2\u0080\u00a6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking about Beauville Z which is owned by Spain\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Marta Ortega, Van\n der Vleuten said, \u00e2\u0080\u009che\u00e2\u0080\u0099s still only nine and not at this level for long –\n I think he\u00e2\u0080\u0099ll grow into a great horse, he\u00e2\u0080\u0099s the kind of horse you need \nto be competitive at this level\u00e2\u0080\u009d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dutch rider is now going to take a short break from the World Cup\n circuit until early in the new year. \u00e2\u0080\u009cI\u00e2\u0080\u0099m hoping I\u00e2\u0080\u0099ll get a few more \nchances to get my points for the Final – after today I think about 10 \nmore should be enough\u00e2\u0080\u009d he pointed out, having\n moved his points tally up to 32 which leaves him lying fifth on the \nWestern European League table ahead of the next leg at Olympia, London \n(GBR) next Saturday (21 December). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch highlights <\/strong>here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n