Although he’s already qualified for the final, Steve Guerdat would never miss the Bordeaux leg: “There would have to be a lot of unexpected circumstances to stop me for coming. And the fact that I already have my qualification for the final will not stop me either. This competition is one of those I really want to enter each year. I love the idea of having the World Cup Grand Prix on Saturday night, it sets up a different atmosphere, the arena is always full and the crowd so supportive.” The 2012 Olympic champion has not won the World Cup Grand Prix of Bordeaux yet, but his lately great form, thanks to his outstanding Albführen’s Bianca, make him the favourite to succeed after Pieter Devos. The Belgian, also already qualified, will be back on the land of his first World Cup victory with reliable horses like Apart (winner in Stuttgart) or Claire Z.
Ludger Beerbaum, aged of 56, has been running the circuit since last century, and is also after a first win on this land! Some will remember his ruthless lost duels with Frank Sloothaak at the end of the nineties. This year, the world most awarded rider will be back with the same ambition: to write down his name on this prestigious prize list. The German will lead an impressive team, among them his student Christian Kukuk, World No. 6 Daniel Deusser, World No. 3 and multiple winner in Bordeaux Marcus Ehning and… the Olympic Eventing champion Michael Jung, however not participating in the World Cup Grand Prix. Deusser is already qualified for Gothenburg, Beerbaum needs to secure his sixteenth position and Ehning has to move up two places in the ranking in Bordeaux: he misses the points of an easily reachable eighth place in this show he particularly enjoys. With an enthusiast crowd always behind the champion, he might feel just like home.
For others, the stakes are higher in this European final: Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (winner in Amsterdam last week), Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, Belgium’s François Mathy Jr. (second place in Leipzig), Swiss Pius Schwizer , Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Bertram Allen, the Dutch champion Maikel van der Vleuten and many more will have to put in some efforts in Bordeaux to reach a position within the list of the 18 Western Europeans qualified for Gothenburg. Not everybody will have their tickets for the final.
Tokyo Olympic Games in sight for French riders
For some, it will just feel like another weekend of competition: it is the case for ex-World No. 1 the BritishScott Brash, or the French Simon Delestre (those two didn’t score any points during the season).
Same scenario for France’s Olympic champions Pénélope Leprévost and Philippe Rozier. For their fellow teammates, the future is already set: only Kevin Staut, qualified early in the season, and Olivier Robert, remarkable in Leipzig, will be at the final in Gothenburg. No stake for France then, during this European final. With an eye on a French Olympic qualification, we will observe the rising Félicie Bertrandand Edward Levy, in the wait for the 2019 European Championship.
Devoucoux Indoor Derby: a battle of former winners
Competing in his main field, Michael Jung is obviously the favourite to follow his own win last year in the Devoucoux Indoor Derby. He will not be the only Olympic champion of the class since France’s Karim Florent Laghouag (three-times winner in Bordeaux) and Mathieu Lemoine will be there too. They will be joined by their fellow Eventing teammates to enter the so popular class of the Jumping International de Bordeaux. The indoor cross will welcome foreign riders such as the English Alexander Bragg (winner of the same class in Paris last December), the Dutch Tim Lips, the Brazilian Ruy Fonseca and the SpanishAlberto Hermoso Ferras. Great sport expected for this battle between seventeen of World best Eventing riders.
Driving: Exell for a ninth title?
The atmosphere will also be intense during the FEI Driving World Cup final. Six qualified drivers and one French guest at the start. Six participants who will try to jeopardize the unbeatable Australian Boyd Exell: Dutch father and son Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon, as well as Koos de Ronde, the Swiss Jerome Voutaz and Belgium’s Glenn Geerts (new in this final). The sixth competitor, Benjamin Aillaud, French guest of the final, won’t participate for the World Cup title (considering he is not really qualified) but the audience will expect a great performance from the one who made quite a show in Mechelen last December, thrown out of his carriage and saved by his groom. A great show indeed, but we may expect something a bit more conventional from the driver in Bordeaux. Maybe a place on the podium?
No matter the discipline, the greatest champions are always loyal to the emblematic Jumping International de Bordeaux. World No. 1, Olympic champions, World champions make this event one of the greatest sport appointment in France, filled with imminent objectives (Word Cup finals) and more long-term goals (European Championships and Tokyo Olympic games) … Some true great sport to be expected!