10/12/2017 - 21:01

Edwina Tops-Alexander absolute winner in the FEI World Cup Jumping stage in A Coruña

Longines FEI World Cup returns to Casas Novas, after its premiere last year. The level was very high, proof of this was that only 8 riders qualified for the jump off. All the spotlights of the jumping world were in Casas Novas, with a full house in the equestrian center. A Coruña's competition is the seventh stage of 2017-2018 Western European League. The fans could enjoy the best jumping show in the world.

The course, designed by Santiago Varela, set bar very high for all the riders taking part in it, with riders as talented as Sergio Álvarez Moya or Ludger Beerbaum who could not get their place in the final. Varela wants to “congratulate the organization for a super great job, because is not easy to hold the World Cup and the place is fantastic”.

In an exciting jump off, in which emotion was not lacking from beginning to end, Edwina Tops-Alexander won riding her new 10-year-old mare California with a time of 40.08 seconds in a very fast performance without any penalty. The audience could enjoy again with the Australian horsewoman after her rest of the competitions last year. Elena Orozco, Director of Longines in Spain, give to Edwina the trophy.

Edwina declares that “it's very exciting and a fantastic feeling” to win here and, about her mare she explains that “It is her second victory in a Grand Prix and although it’s always hard to compare we match and we are doing good things”. About the jumping show, Tops-Alexander said that Casas Novas has an “unbelievable atmosphere, it's always full house.”

Austrian Max Kühner finished second with Chardonnay 79, with a time of 42.33 seconds. The rider said that “it was a fantastic day” and he is happy because he “needs to catch up points for the final in Paris”. Finally, the Spanish rider Manuel Fernández Saro held on for third place with Cuidam and 43.89 on the clock.

Another riders that competed in the jump off were Sameh El Dahan, Robert Whitaker, Luiz Felipe de Azevedo Filho or Maikel van der Vleuten.