RIDERS' REACTION LONGINES FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING FINAL 3: 21/04/2014

Philippe Rozier, international jumping rider , co-trainer of Marocco’s Abdelkebir Ouaddar:
“The course designer played a lot on the width. The sequence of the combinations is also something new, especially the double vertical after the triple. Certain distances, and the short turns, give the riders something to think about. The course designer has used the whole range of technical difficulties for this course. But it is a World Cup Final, there were a lot of clear rounds the second day, we did not expect anything different today. In all, this course benefits the powerful horses, because these large fences ask for much strength,so the powerful horses will not have to use all their resources, and that will count at the end of the course and in the second round.”

Nayel Nasser (Egypt):
“It is tough enough today, it is built very well for my horse, he is really small and the distances are short. When I walked the course I knew it was good for me and I rode well and it was fantastic. I feel good, I think I was a bit unlucky the first two days but I try to forget about that and tried to jump clear today and to get a good result, I’m happy. I live in California right now and there I train myself and here I have Piet Raijmakers helping me. He also helped me last year at the World Cup Final and I spend the summer there last year so he knows my horse “

Charlie Jacobs (USA):
“I have to compliment the organizing committee with the footing, it is fantastic. My horse has been jumping off of it very nicely all week. Today’s class is the biggest yet, in terms of the height of the fences and also the complexity of the course. I was fortunate to jump around with just one rail and going as early as I did, I wasn’t sure about the time allowed so I really didn’t take any liberties in terms of my track. But I have to say it was very well done by the course designer and the jury. You have to have a very careful horse but also scoopy horse, especially if you talk about spreads of 1.80m.”

Kevin Staut (France):
“This is not so much the physical aspect, but morally. It is difficult to have a refusal on the last day of the final after a bad jump-off two days ago. It has been an accumulation of small doubts that made me mount my horse with more pressure. I had to make him feel that the obstacles were more important today. Today nothing dramatic happened but I have not been able to optimize her form which is a normal form for a mare of her age. The little aches, the doubts after the jump-off of the day before yesterday and the extra pressure led to today’s mistakes. She did not have any mistakes on the oxers and the faults on the verticals were more technical.”

Simon Delestre (France):
“Today it is a different sport, it is a real championship course which is difficult. I made a stride more to enter the double for more security because he tends to become a bit defensive, so I had to be a bit harsh and then I lost it a little. I had a technical sequence that was not how I wanted it, and it was penalized quick and hard.”

Scott Brash (Great Britain):
“Even if I would have been clear in this first round, it was not a good ride. My mare was very hot because she had a day of rest yesterday and I have not always brought well towards the fences. Nevertheless she jumped well and I hope she will jump better in the second round.”