Remaining true to his bordelaise habits, Philippe Rozier has again won a competition this time, for the fifth consecutive year with Ideal de Roy!!! “It’s Ideal’s garden here. This is his last indoor competition before a three weeks pause and the resumption outdoor. We know each other by heart and if I don’t make a mistake, I know I can feel confident with him”, underlined the French rider who, within 6 years of their conjoined international career, has taken his 56th international competition home with Ideal de Roy. In this competition with increasing difficulties, the audience is 100 per cent French, as Philippe Rozier exceeded Michel Robert on Kronos d’Ouilly as well as Julien Epaillard who was riding Ninio de Rox. All in all, Kronos d’Ouilly and Michel Robert have successfully concluded the International Jumping of Bordeaux this year, as the couple constantly held their runner-up position, thus showing a “Poulidor”-worthy performance.

Germany's Marcus Ehning has won a few Rolex watches in his time, but he has rarely had to work harder for one of the exquisite time-pieces than he did tonight when winning the tenth qualifying leg of the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup£ Jumping series at Bordeaux in France.

Frank Rothenberger, the course designer, had announced the difficulty of his course to the press in advance: “As there were sixteen clear rounds in Leipzig, I thought I’d change the standard level and this course is without doubt the most difficult one I’ve constructed this season.” Thus tonight’s winner of this bordelaise World Cup stage is a true champion.

read more

IJsbrand Chardon is back on track. The four times World Champion set the tone in the warm up competition of the FEI World Cup Driving in Bordeaux by finishing nine seconds faster than the leader until then, wild card driver Daniel Würgler from Switzerland.

On Friday night, eleven riders qualified for the Grand Prix Generali jump-off, the most important class of the day. Simon Delestre has left the other contestants behind on a calm Melodie Ardente: „She did a perfect round, I kept control and she was not complicated at all. She did her jump-off smoothly.

The speed class that took place on on Friday evening offered a great show to the bordelaise assistance. Norway’s  Geir Gulliksen took the necessary risks to win with the family horse Lord II Z. “I borrowed my daughter Victoria’s horse. She usually rides him quite successfully as in Paris, last December, where she was regularly placed. In a few days Lord will be 17 years old, so he has a lot of experience but he is still very fresh and fit. He’s a small horse, but he’s a warrior,” said the Norwegian just after the prizegiving ceremony. Behind him, it was a tough battle to reach this prizegiving ceremony: Michel Robert and Kronos d’Ouilly missed the victory for a few hundredths of seconds, just ahead of Stefan Lafouge, the favourite of the bordelaise public.

A brand new Rolex Jumping Ranking has been published Thursday afternoon in which the Swissman Pius Swizer appears as the new no 1 of the world for the first time of his career. The winner of the Bordeaux World Cup qualifier 2009, Dutchman Albert Zoer has to fight now to get back to the throne.

THE FEI WORLD CUP DRIVING... THE COMEBACK!

The audience of the next Jumping International de Bordeaux will rediscover a unique spectacle: the only French stage of the FEI World Cup Driving, which means: an exciting four-in-hand driving competition. Be there for his premiere from 5th until 7th of February at the Parc d’expositions, hall 3.

Those drivers are true “showmen” and their leader, Dutchman and officiating world champion Ijsbrand Chardon, has announced his presence at Bordeaux.