Guerdat Sweeps Leipzig Going First in 11-Horse Jump-Off, Vale Owns Ocala

🇩🇪 CSI5-W Leipzig: Guerdat's Weekend Masterclass

The Sparkassen Grand Prix - World Cup Leg 11

Frank Rothenberger built a proper test for the 40 combinations that entered Sunday's Longines FEI Jumping World Cup at Leipzig's Partner Pferd. The 1.60m track featured early questions - a vertical to oxer with liverpool tray off a short corner at fences 3A and 3B that immediately separated those who could handle technical combinations under time pressure. The green triple combination late in the course caught out multiple top riders, contributing to six retirements or eliminations and thinning the field to just 11 clear rounds.

But it was what happened in the jump-off that defines championship riding. Steve Guerdat (SUI) drew the short straw - first to go in an 11-horse speed class. Most riders hate going early; you set a target with no reference point, and then you watch helplessly as 10 competitors dissect your round looking for time. Guerdat didn't flinch.

Riding Albfuehren's Iashin Sitte, the Swiss legend stopped the clock at 42.21 seconds. Not a reckless time - Guerdat never rides reckless - but a calculated, efficient round that left minimal room for improvement. The 57-second time allowed in the jump-off meant riders had to commit, and Guerdat trusted his 12-year-old gelding's footspeed and his own ability to find the tightest lines without sacrificing carefulness.

Simon Delestre (FRA) came the closest. On Gatsby du Tillard, Delestre's signature aggressive style produced a 43.25-second effort - fast, but over a full second behind. Gerrit Nieberg (GER) rounded out the podium at 44.54 seconds aboard Ping Pong van de Lentamel, and the rest of the field couldn't crack the 45-second barrier.

Guerdat walked out of Leipzig with his first World Cup win of the season, 20 crucial qualifying points, and a reminder to everyone that at 42 years old, he's still operating at the highest level of the sport.

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Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Podium: FEI Results

• Steve Guerdat (SUI) - Albfuehren's Iashin Sitte - 42.21s - €51,250

• Simon Delestre (FRA) - Gatsby du Tillard - 43.25s - €41,000

• Gerrit Nieberg (GER) - Ping Pong van de Lentamel - 44.54s - €30,750

Supporting Classes

But Sunday's World Cup wasn't Guerdat's only triumph in Leipzig. The Swiss ace had already warmed up on Saturday by winning the Championat der Stadt Leipzig aboard Is-Minka, stopping the clock at 36.13 seconds in the 1.55m jump-off to beat home favourite Gerrit Nieberg on IB Queen (38.58s) and Belgium's Rik Hemeryck on Navarro van het Elshof (39.62s). Two wins in two days, two different horses - that's the mark of a rider operating at peak form.

Friday's Range Rover Cup saw Dutch veteran Jur Vrieling continue his dominance of the Leipzig qualifiers, winning aboard the 15-year-old stallion Grand Slam VDL with a clear round in 63.72 seconds. Michael Jung (GER) placed second on Fischerheros Z, while Victor Bettendorf (LUX) took third on Doha de Riverland.

Saturday Championat Results | Friday Range Rover Cup Results