STAUT AND SILVANA SCORCH TO VICTORY IN GENEVA
Kevin Staut and Silvana de Hus scorched to victory today in the sixth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series at Geneva in Switzerland. The 30 year old Frenchman, who continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the Rolex World Rankings and who was already leading the Western European League series going into today's competition, produced a last-to-go run that squeezed Olympic champion Eric Lamaze from Canada out of the top spot while Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson finished third ahead of Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in fourth.
It was a special afternoon for the German rider, as her three-time Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping winning partner Shutterfly - now 17 years old but looking as fresh and keen as ever - showed he is right back to his best. And for Staut, today's victory was further confirmation of the quality and class of the 11 year old mare which helped him claim team silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky two months ago. "I have her one-and-a-half years now and this is the first big Grand Prix I have won with her - I have learned to know her a lot better over the last few months and she is a really top horse" he pointed out.
Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2010/2011 Western European League - Standings After Round 6 at Geneva SUI:
1. Kevin Staut FRA - 63
2. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER - 50
3. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson SWE - 49
4. Harrie Smolders NED - 41
5. Christian Ahlmann GER - 40
6. Rodrigo Pessoa BRA - 36
7. Carsten-Otto Nagel GER - 33
8. Ludger Beergaum GER - 31
9. Sergio Alvarez Moya ESP - 29
10. Gerco Schroder NED - 28
11. Robert Whitaker GBR - 28
12. Billy Twomey IRL, Leon Thijssen NED - 27
14. Philip Weishaupt GER - 24
15. Malin Baryard-Johnsson SWE - 23
16. Marco Kutscher GER - 23
17. Lars Nieberg GER - 22
18. Jeroen Dubbeldam NED - 20
19. Marcus Ehning GER - 20
20. Nina Braaten NOR - 20
