Willem Greve riding Carambole at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken (BEL). Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex
The Rolex One to Watch for February 2012 is awarded to Willem Greve (NED). Based in Markelo, The Netherlands, the 28-year-old jumped from number 299 to 241 during January – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 58 places.
Willem Greve had a very successful early career riding ponies before moving on to compete in both the Juniors and Young Riders’ Championships where he displayed a great deal of talent. When he was only 20 years old, Greve demonstrated that he was to have a promising future ahead of him, when he was named as the Rabobank Talent of the Year 2003.
When Greve moved on to Seniors, he competed as a member of the Dutch team at several FEI Nations Cup competitions. Last year (2011), Greve claimed victory in the first leg of the Grand Prix at CSI3* Hagen (GER), riding 10-year-old Hanoverian stallion, Ukato. Greve went on to ensure an impressive third-place finish at CSI4* Wiesbaden (GER) riding Sonate, beating the winner of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2011, Christian Ahlmann (GER). Before 2011 drew to a close, Greve and Sonate secured a well-deserved victory at CSI2* Wierden (NED).
Kevin Staut is presented with a Rolex watch by Arnaud Reverdin, Commercial Director, Rolex France. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
Bordeaux (FRA), 4 February 2012 – French hero, Kevin Staut, won the eleventh qualifying round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series on his home turf at Bordeaux tonight. Riding the 13 year old grey mare, Silvana HDC, he devastated the opposition in the ten-horse jump-off with a display of class and courage that snatched the honours from Australian runners-up Edwina Top-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau. Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck slotted into third with Quarco de Kerambars, while Ireland’s Denis Lynch finished fourth with his exciting new stallion, Contifex.
But tonight’s competition was as much about the battle for positions on the Western European League leaderboard as anything else. Following the next, and last, qualifying leg at Gothenburg, Sweden, the top-18 riders will make the cut for the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping final which will take place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands at the end of April. So the placings all the way down the line are critical at this stage, and the pressure is at boiling point.
Zurich (SUI), 29 January 2012 – Germany’s Marco Kutscher steered Cornet Obolensky to victory in the tenth qualifying leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League 2011/2012 series at Zurich in Switzerland this afternoon. The 13 year old stallion produced an exhibition of effortless jumping to outclass the rest of the 40-strong field on a tough day that saw six riders opting to retire in the opening round.
Course designer, Rolf Ludi, really piled on the pressure with a colossal track that quickly separated the best from the rest. But one man who was unfortunate to miss a place in the seven-horse jump-off was Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts whose 14 year old Kassini Jac left all the fences intact, only to be penalised for crossing the finish line just outside the 69-second time limit.
Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson wearing the Green & Gold at the ninth qualifying leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping in Leipzig (GER). Photo: Karl-Heinz Frieler / ROLEX
Swedish show jumper Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson has claimed the coveted Green & Gold armband from Canadian rider and Rolex Testimonee, Eric Lamaze, after he was crowned the Number One rider in the world according to the latest Rolex Rankings. Bengtsson is the first ever Swede to become the number one ranked rider in the world.
Lamaze originally held the Green & Gold between July and August 2010, and also between June and December 2011; however, following impressive performances at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping qualifiers in Lyon (first place), Stuttgart (third place) and Geneva (second place), Bengtsson soon staked his claim to the Number One spot.
Bengtsson’s great run of recent form also includes fourth place in the Grand Prix at the CSI5* in Abu Dhabi (UAE); fourth place at the CSI5* in Paris (FRA); and fifth place in the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping qualifier in London Olympia (UK). Not forgetting his individual victory at the FEI European Championships in Madrid (ESP), Bengtsson had a truly remarkable 2011; his achievements were duly recognised when he won Sweden’s most prestigious sports award at the Swedish Sports Gala 2012.
Germany’s René Tebbel, pictured here riding Light On, shares the Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 with Shalva Gachechiladze of Georgia. Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex
25 January 2012 – The Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 is jointly awarded to René Tebbel (GER) and Shalva Gachechiladze (GEO). The pair both jumped from number 304 to 238 during December – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 66 places.
Based in Emsbüren, Germany, 42-year-old René Tebbel had a very successful young riding career, winning gold at the German Junior Championships in 1986 and again at the European Junior Championships the following year. Tebbel went on to win team silver at the 1990 World Cup, and his victories did not end there.
Tebbel won gold in the German Championships in 2005 riding Source Homme, and won again in 2006 and 2007 riding Coup de Coeur. As well as his successes at the German Championships, Tebbel has also earned numerous first and second place rankings at various Grand Prix events with horses Radiator, Farina and Levien of Cabanes. Tebbel also trains his two children, Maurice and Justine, who are amongst the best young riders in Germany for their age groups.
Defending series champions, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet, won the ninth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series in Leipzig, Germany today. Photo: FEI/Karl-Heinz Frieler.
Leipzig (GER), 22 January 2012 – Defending champion, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann, returned to the scene of his 2010/2011 triumph to win the ninth qualifying round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Leipzig, Germany this afternoon.
Host-nation competitors filled the top-three places, but both the winner, and third-placed multiple champion Marcus Ehning, had to take a back seat in the aftermath as the spotlight shone brightly on rising star Katrin Eckermann who was pipped for pole position by only the narrowest of margins. The 21 year old from Muenster, who has just emerged at Senior level after a highly-successful career in Young Riders, produced a thrilling and polished performance to take runner-up spot and has put her name firmly on the German radar. She said afterwards that today’s competition will be her last indoor outing of the season as she has other plans for her lovely grey gelding Carlson. But everyone, including her German counterparts, agreed that this self-effacing young lady’s name will feature prominently in future years. A new German jumping star has announced her arrival.
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) becomes first Swede to lead the Rolex Rankings.
Lausanne (SUI), 6 January 2012 – Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) is celebrating after securing the world number one slot in the Rolex Rankings for the first time in his career.
The Hong Kong individual silver medallist has also made history by becoming the first Swedish world number in an Olympic discipline.
In the latest Rolex Rankings, published today, Bengtsson is 81 points ahead of Eric Lamaze (CAN), the reigning Olympic champion who had topped the Rolex Rankings since 1 June 2011.
Bengtsson, who turns 50 this year, will be celebrating his promotion to world number one at the Swedish National Federation’s annual awards ceremony in Stockholm this weekend, when the Swedes will be looking back on a successful 2011 season.
Gregory Wathelet and Copin van de Broy pictured receiving the winner’s prize of a Rolex watch from Mr Philippe De Baets, Managing Director, Rolex Benelux. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.
Mechelen (BEL), 30 December 2011 – Gregory Wathelet scooped the honours for the host nation when coming out on top at the eighth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Mechelen in Belgium this afternoon. And he did it in style, throwing down an impossible target when first to go with Copin van de Broy in the eight-horse jump-off, and sitting back to watch the rest line up behind him.
It was 2009 individual European Champion, Kevin Staut from France, who filled runner-up spot with the grey mare, Silvana HDC, while Belgium was prominently placed once more when Rick Hemeryck and Quarco de Kerambars finished third. Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher (Magnus Romeo) slotted into fourth, while the fifth-place result for Denis Lynch (Abbervail van het Dingeshof) has promoted the Irishman to second spot on the Western European League leaderboard as 2011 draws to a close with reigning European Champion, Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, still at the head of affairs.
Lexington, KY – The following modifications have been made to the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List Guidelines, Protocols for U.S. Riders Wishing to Compete Abroad, and Criteria to Compete in Foreign CSIOs and CSIs for Ch-P-J-Y-U25 Show Jumping and are effective January 1, 2012.
Modifications to the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List Guidelines
Primary Number Points: In order to address the lack of differentiation in the lower Class Values, the Primary Number points have been expanded from 100 to 300. The Primary Number Points for each class are determined as follows: If the
1st ranked horse/rider combination competes, 100 300 points are added;
2nd ranked horse/rider combination competes, 99 299 points are added;
3rd ranked horse/rider combination competes, 98 298 points are added;
4th ranked horse/rider combination competes, 97 297 points are added;
and so on to: 96th 296th ranked horse/rider combination, who, if they compete, add 5 points.
All horse/rider combination ranked below 96th 296th, if they compete, add 5 points.
Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Tripple X on their way to victory in the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 qualifier at Olympia in London today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
Olympia, London (GBR), 18 December 2011 – Great Britain’s Ben Maher produced a stunning performance from the nine-year-old Tripple X to win the seventh leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Olympia in London, Great Britain this evening. In yet another of this season’s super-exciting showdowns, the 28 year old rider effortlessly surpassed the seemingly impossible target set by three-time Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping champion Marcus Ehning from Germany in an 11-horse jump-off against the clock.
And, in a truly international line-up, Ireland’s Dermott Lennon slotted into third ahead of America’s Laura Kraut, while reigning European champion Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden finished fifth and Spain’s Manuel Anon filled sixth spot. “It’s the biggest win of my career, and the perfect end to a roller-coaster year,” said Maher who was additionally pleased because he bred the winning horse himself. “Some people breed hundreds of horses each year, and I breed just three, so I know I’m really lucky to not only ride, but to have bred one as good as this!” he pointed out.
The Grand Hall at Olympia is always a challenging venue, with the buzz of the crowd creating an electrified atmosphere and the relatively narrow confines of the arena placing extra pressure on horses and riders. And Bob Ellis, the man who will design the courses for next summer’s London Olympic Games, tested them truly this afternoon, with a course that required their full attention.
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Lexington, KY – The following modifications have been made to the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List Guidelines, Protocols for U.S. Riders Wishing to Compete Abroad, and Criteria to Compete in Foreign CSIOs and CSIs for Ch-P-J-Y-U25 Show Jumping and are effective January 1, 2012.
