The Longines FEI World Cup Final in Basel isn’t going as planned for French show jumper Julien Anquetin. “Yesterday, my horse wasn’t feeling quite right. After the second round, I sat down with our team vet and osteopath. Even though my horse felt better than on the first day, we decided not to continue fighting for the title,” said the Frenchman.

His compatriot, Julien Epaillard, will start tomorrow’s final as the leader. On Friday, Epaillard decided not to take part in the jump-off. “Before starting the jump-off, I pulled out the calculator,” Epaillard said with a laugh. “I was mostly worried about Martin Fuchs, who also performed well, but I knew he couldn’t overtake me in the rankings. I don’t know if it really makes a difference, but I took the risk. I appreciate Donatello d’Auge’s fitness and want to keep it intact for Sunday’s final!”