Marcus Ehning shines bright again at Madrid FEI World Cup
Marcus Ehning, riding Coolio 42, clinched victory in the Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix Ciudad de Madrid, the most anticipated event of the IFEMA Madrid Horse Week 2023.
One of Germany’s most successful riders in recent times, Marcus Ehning, adds another triumph to his impressive list of victories in Madrid. Having already secured a win in the Global Champions Tour leg, Ehning now claims the Longines FEI World Cup.
In front of packed stands, the three-time FEI World Cup Final winner showcased his skill once again in the arena of IFEMA’s pavilion 12.
This achievement is significant as Ehning now holds the historic record of winning this category three times, marking another triumph in a special edition, the tenth.
The Grand Prix Ciudad de Madrid
The Longines FEI World Cup leg in Madrid, known as the Grand Prix Ciudad de Madrid and a qualifier for the Longines FEI World Cup – Western European League standings, lived up to and surpassed expectations. The anticipation for this category was high, with five of the top nine FEI-ranked riders participating.
Ten riders completed the first round without penalties, qualifying for the jump-off. Among them were the top two FEI-ranked riders: Henrik von Eckermann, riding Calizi, and Ben Maher, with the 9-year-old Enjeu de Griesen.
The jump-off featured two riders who had previously won this event twice, Marcus Ehning on Coolio 42 (a horse he has been riding at these heights for a relatively short time) and Julien Epaillard with Donatello d’Auge, along with the winner of last weekend’s CSI5*-W Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
The French rider Kevin Staut, alongside Pedro Veniss, fifth-place finisher at the Pan American Games, and French riders Olivier Robert and Jeanne Sadran were also ready to compete.
In the end, Marcus Ehning, seemingly effortlessly, took the lead with Coolio 42, a 10-year-old Holsteiner, son of Casalito, a horse he has been riding for only two months.
The German, as if he had known his horse for a lifetime, recorded the fastest double clear of the entire competition, securing victory with a time of 42.13 seconds.
Despite an excellent time of 42.38 seconds, which kept him in the lead for a significant part of the jump-off, Ben Maher had to settle for the second position.
Spaniard Mariano Martínez Bastida, a hometown favorite, riding Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z, secured the third spot on the podium after crossing the finish line in 43.06 seconds.
For the complete standings, click here.
General standings FEI World Cup 2023/2024 Western European League
Regarding the provisional overall standings of the FEI World Cup Western European League, the focus now shifts to the FEI World Cup A Coruña, scheduled from December 1 to 3, 2023.
In terms of the FEI World Cup WEL 2023/2024 general standings, Ben Maher now holds the top spot with 54 points, having participated in only four of the six legs this year, skipping Helsinki and Stuttgart.
Following closely is Rene Dittmer, representing Germany, with a score of 42 obtained from participating in the North American League sections A, B, and C, respectively in Washington, Lexington, and Toronto. These were the only legs, along with Las Vegas, where riders could earn valuable points for both the North American and Western European Leagues.
In the third position is Richard Howley with 40 points, thanks to victories in the first two legs of the Western European League in Oslo and Helsinki.
For the provisional overall standings, click here.
Photo Oxer | IMHW (c)
© Rights Reserved.
