Kühner holds nerve in jump-off to win Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch
Kühner holds nerve in jump-off to win Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch
Max Kühner won the first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping event of the season with victory at the Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
The Austrian was among eight riders involved in a jump-off to decide the winner in the Dutch city and he rose to the challenge.
Kühner captured the title with a time of 32.52sec following a flawless display on board Mk Sportpferde.
Brazilian Marlon Modolo Zanotelli, riding VDL Edgar M, was the last rider to finish but had to settle for second after completing the course in 32.69.
Germany battled it out for bronze with Christian Kukuk, riding Checker 47, edging out Philipp Weishaupt, on board Coby 8.
Kukuk secured third spot with 33.57 ahead of Weishaupt, who clocked 33.71.
AND HE WINS IT! 🏆🏆🏆@MaxKuehner is the new Rolex Grand Prix winner! What. An. Amazing. Race! 🔥😍#TheDutchMasters #JumpIntoHistory pic.twitter.com/8FSPIyr80y — The Dutch Masters - Indoor Brabant (@IndoorBrabant) April 25, 2021
Home rider Willem Greve, on board Carambole, finished in the top five, while Portugal’s Luciana Diniz, riding Vertigo Du Desert, came sixth.
Belgian duo Jérôme Guery, riding Quel Homme de Hus, and Gudrun Patteet, on board Sea Coast Pebbles Z, also contested the jump off but finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
The Dutch Masters was the first of four Rolex Grand Slam of Showing Jumping events scheduled for this year.
Calgary in Canada is scheduled to stage the next major - the Spruce Meadows Masters - from September 9 to 12.
Fast Facts: 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Apr 21, 2021
Fast Facts: 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Leslie Mintz - USEA Staff By
While the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian will look very different this year with spectators not allowed under the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan, fans will still be able to tune into every minute of action via the live stream and wall-to-wall coverage on the USEA’s website and social media. The 2021 LRK3DE gets underway this afternoon at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
Here’s what you need to know:
The CCI5*-L Field:
63 horses are set to present at the first horse inspection this afternoon – 23 more than came forward in 2019.
Eight countries are represented this year with pairs from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, and the U.S.
U.S. riders make up 62% of the field, but we haven’t had a home-side victory since 2008. Do you think this is the year that the title will stay in America?
There are four previous Kentucky winners entered this year: Oliver Townend, Phillip Dutton, William Fox-Pitt, and Clayton Fredericks. Fox-Pitt has won the event three times (2010, 2012, and 2014) and Townend is looking to match that figure as he brought back his two-time winner Cooley Master Class.
There are six riders making their five-star debut: Emily Hamel, Michael Pendleton, Fylicia Barr, Zoe Crawford, Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride, and Ema Klugman.
The ages of the CCI5*-L Horses.
The average age of the 2021 Kentucky field is 39 with Phillip Dutton the oldest at 57 and Ema Klugman the youngest at 23.
A female rider hasn’t stood atop the podium since 2011 when Mary King won with Kings Temptress. With 22 males and 27 females entered, will a woman best the boys this year?
Germany and Ireland tied for breeding the most horses with 14 each and the U.S. with 13.
There are nine mares entered this year: Stella Artois, Jollybo, On Cue, Classic Moet, K.E.C. Zara, RF Scandalous, Galloway Sunrise, Cecelia, and Grappa Nera.
There are 10 Thoroughbreds in the field hailing from six different countries: U.S., New Zealand, Australia, France, Great Britain, and Canada.
The most popular breed in the field is the Irish Sport Horse.
44% of the horses competing this weekend are making their five-star debuts.
This is the first year that Kentucky is offering a CCI4*-S to run alongside the CCI5*-L and 49 pairs are entered in the inaugural class.
The Facts:
Gretchen Butts is the technical delegate for the CCI5*-L and Andrew Temkin is the technical delegate for the CCI4*-S. They will be assisted by Karen Winn.
Christina Klingspor is the president of the CCI5*-L ground jury along with members Robert Stevenson and Peter Gray. Mark Weissbecker will preside over the CCI4*-S with Helen Brettell as member.
The cross-country course is designed by Derek di Grazia.
The show jumping course will be designed by Steve Stephens.
How To Watch:
Within North America, the event is streaming on the USEF Network. You can sign up for a free US Equestrian Fan Membership to watch using the promo code “LRK3DE21” by clicking here. The live stream will be available here starting at 7:45 a.m. ET on Thursday morning. Find the full schedule here.
Outside of North America, the event is streaming on Horse & Country TV+. A subscription is required.
The event will be broadcast on NBC on Sunday, May 2 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. ET and on NBCSN on Saturday, May 15 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
The horse inspections will be broadcast on Facebook live on the Kentucky event page.
Missing out on the Kentucky shopping experience? Be sure to head over to www.shopUSEA.com to stock up on your U.S. eventing gear!
Competition Schedule
Wednesday, April 21
3:00 p.m. – First Horse Inspection (CCI5*-L only) – High Hope Inspection Lane
Thursday, April 22
7:15 a.m. – Dressage Test Ride — Rolex Stadium
7:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – CCI4*-S Dressage Tests — Rolex Stadium
1:30 – 6:00 p.m. – CCI5*-L Dressage Tests — Rolex Stadium
Friday, April 23
7:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – CCI4*-S Dressage Tests Resume — Rolex Stadium
1:00 – 5:30 p.m. – CCI5*-L Dressage Tests Resume — Rolex Stadium
Saturday
8:30 – 11:30 a.m. – CCI4*-S Cross-Country
12:45 – 4:45 p.m. – CCI5*-L Cross-Country
Sunday
7:30 a.m. – CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L Horse Inspection — High Hope Inspection Lane
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. – CCI4*-S Jumping Test first group; reverse order of placing – Rolex Stadium
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. – CCI4*-S Jumping Test second group; reverse order of placing; awards immediately after – Rolex Stadium
1:30 p.m. – CCI5*-L Course Open to Competitors – Rolex Stadium
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. – CCI5*-L Jumping Test first group; reverse order of placing – Rolex Stadium
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – CCI5*-L Jumping Test second group; reverse order of placing; awards immediately after – Rolex Stadium
Did you miss our 2021 #LRK3DE Rider Roster on Monday? Click to take a look at all of the CCI5*-L competitors!
Helpful Links
Don’t forget to follow the USEA event coverage on social media!
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Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping: Martin Fuchs remains focused on Grand Slam quest
1:34 Martin Fuchs is currently the ‘Live Contender’ and on course to complete an incredible Rolex Grand Slam Martin Fuchs is currently the ‘Live Contender’ and on course to complete an incredible Rolex Grand Slam
After an extended break, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping continues this weekend on Sky Sports, and world No 3 Martin Fuchs is looking forward to picking up where he left off on his Grand Slam journey.
Having won the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI de Geneva in December 2019, Fuchs became the ‘Live Contender’ in the quest to complete the Rolex Grand Slam; winning three major Grand Prix in a row, and with it a €1 million bonus.
The feat has only been achieved once before, by the British rider Scott Brash in 2015 and that was before the Dutch Masters was added as the fourth major in 2018, with a €2 million bonus available should you win all four in a row.
For Fuchs, he had plenty of reasons to feel confident heading into the 2020 edition of the Dutch Masters, however the event was then cancelled just days before it was due to start, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of Europe.
The subsequent Rolex Grand Prix majors in Germany and Canada followed suit, as well as the 2020 edition of the CHI de Geneva being halted.
Things looked more positive for the March 2021 edition of the Dutch Masters, scheduled to be held behind closed doors before that hit a further roadblock; an outbreak of an invasive strain of the equine herpes virus - EHV-1- and that caused the FEI to cancel international events across Europe until the end of March.
Finally, after a 16-month delay, Fuchs can get back to pursuing the Rolex Grand Slam.
“I was on a real roll in 2019, when I could win the Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, so I really was looking forward to the Dutch Masters,” he said.
“Now, after almost a year-and-a-half it’s a different feeling; it’s going to be a different feeling, a different ambience.”
There will be no cheering spectators at the Dutch Masters and strict COVID-19 protocols will be in place, including temperature checks, testing, and mandatory wearable social distancing devices for everyone at the venue.
From a competition perspective, there’s a sense of the unknown too; with only three five-star events having taken place in Europe since last February, the form of the horses and riders is something of a mystery.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Fuchs commented. “I think the first two days we will see some strange moments maybe or some surprises.
“By the third day, I think the top horses and the top riders will be ready again. They will be back in shape and I’m sure we will see a top-class competition and a great Rolex Grand Prix.”
Fuchs himself spent the winter in Wellington, Florida, where he was able to compete in some five-star classes and, crucially, check the form of his Grand Prix horse, Clooney 51.
The 15-year-old grey has been with Fuchs since 2014. As a combination, they have steadily climbed the world rankings and picked up numerous Grand Prix wins, including the 2019 victory in Geneva, and his form is vital to Fuchs Grand Slam aspirations.
“Clooney feels great,” he reflected. “He placed second in one of the five-star Grand Prix in Florida.
“It was a strange situation to bring him back to a five-star after over a year out, so the feeling when he performed as well as he always does, was just amazing.
“It was really good preparation for the Dutch Masters. He’s in shape, I’m in shape, and I definitely go into the show with a lot of confidence.”
With seven of the world’s top ten, and a field of over 40 riders competing in the Netherlands, the competition is set to be fierce. And, it is the two riders above him in the world rankings that Fuchs will be keeping an eye on.
“Daniel Deusser’s looking really strong and I’m sure my Swiss companion Steve Guerdat has his eye on the title for this year.
“We will have the best horse and rider combinations in the world competing. At a show like this, there are really 20, 30 or 40 riders that are able to win the Rolex Grand Prix.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to be Clooney and I in the ring. We’re going to be really focused on leaving all the jumps up and try to be the fastest at the end.”
When put like that the thought of jumping fences set at 1.60m and higher sounds very simple, but the significance of a win on Sunday in terms of achievement is not lost on Fuchs.
“Any five-star Grand Prix is special to win but if you win one of the four majors that’s even more special, that’s really the childhood dream.
“If I could do it back-to-back after winning Geneva, and now the Dutch Masters, that would be just insane.”
Watch coverage of the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters, live on Sky Sports Mix from 12.55pm Sunday.