Thomas & Mack Center
For the sixth time in 15 years, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas is hosting the World Cup Jumping Final. As an added bonus, it is also hosting the World Cup Dressage Final, now for the fourth time. A highly tempting double bill which will liven up the gambling capital until Sunday.
In the jumping event, there are three trials to overcome, as there have been since the World Cup was launched 37 years ago by the Swiss journalist Max E. Ammann. These are a speed-class competition on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. local time (i.e. 4 a.m. on Friday on Equidia, with a subsequent replay, or on FEI-TV), a round against the clock with jump-off on Friday evening at 7 p.m. (4 a.m. Saturday morning and again during the day on Equidia or FEI-TV) and a final two rounds of jumping (66% of finalists in the first round, 50% in the second) from midday on Sunday (9 p.m. in Switzerland, available on Equidia or FEI-TV).
Steve Guerdat, brilliant leader of the 2014/2015 European qualifying circuit, is on his 9th World Cup Final and has shown superb consistency by finishing in the top 10 eight times (the only exception being Geneva 2010, of all things!). He has made it to the podium three times: once before in Vegas, in 2007, when he was placed third with Trésor V, and second in 2012 and 2013, with Nino des Buissonnets.
This time Guerdat, who hails from the canton of Jura, will be riding Albführen’s Paille de la Roque, placed third in the 2014 Top 10 Final, winner in Gothenburg at the end of February, and skilful enough to cope in this tiny arena. With support from his family and friends (the fan club numbers over 12 members in Vegas!), he is highly motivated. “Paille travels well by air and came second in the Los Angeles Masters in September. The journey and climate were quite similar, my groom Emma was with her each time, I’m confident.”
The riders’ predictions
The Olympic champion finished the 2014/2015 European circuit in the lead and is among the favourites, with the German Daniel Deusser, who holds the title on his sublime mount Cornet d’Amour, the French riders Delaveau and Staut, the young Irishman Bertram Allen and several Americans, particularly Beezie Madden and McLain Ward, also in the running.
The Canadian Tiffany Foster tips Steve Guerdat for first place, as does Martin Fuchs. Andres Rodriguez places him second behind Beezie (reminding us of Gothenburg 2013), and Lauren Hough, Rolf Göran Bengtsson and Rodrigo Pessoa see him finishing in the top five. The favourite as backed by a dozen or so punters, however, is Daniel Deusser, followed by Beezie Madden, Bertram Allen, McLain Ward and Steve Guerdat.
