With the completion of the CSI5*-W event in Bordeaux, France, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann comes out as the leading rider for the 2015/16 Longines FEI World Cup Western European League. Ahlmann won a total of three FEI World Cup Qualifying events this season, including the back-to-back winning performance in November. Winning the CSI5*-W Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany aboard Codex One, Christian followed through the following week in Madrid, Spain, taking home the Word Cup Qualifying win aboard Taloubet Z. Adding the World Cup Qualifying victory in Mechelen, Belgium in December aboard Taloubet Z, meant Ahlmann shot ahead in the rankings with a strong lead over the competition.
Ahlmann will certainly be one of the hot favourites when the 2016 Longines Final gets underway in Gothenburg next month.
Another favourite will be France’s Simon Delestre, who proved that a single win and subsequent top three placings can secure a solid position in the final eighteen qualified riders for the World Cup Final in March. Winning the CSI5*-W Grand Prix in Verona, Italy aboard Ryan allowed two second place finishes and a fifth place finish aboard Qlassic Bois Margot to be enough for a strong second place finish heading to Gothenburg, Sweden.
Eighteen riders have qualifed for the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Gothenburg in March from the Western European League including USA’s Audrey Coulter and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander.
American rider Audrey Coulter and Australian rider Edwina Tops-Alexander may qualify through leagues other than the Western European League (FEI World Cup Jumping Rules art. 656 (3)), thus allowing Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten, currently ranked 19th, to qualify for the World Cup Final in Sweden next month alongside Niklas Krieg, currently ranked 20th.
The Top 18 from the Western European League are:
1. Christian Ahlmann (GER) – 86 points
2. Simon Delestre (FRA) – 78 points
3. Harrie Smolders (NED) – 58 points
4. Penelope Leprevost (FRA) – 54 points
5. Kevin Staut (FRA) – 54 points
6. Jos Verlooy (BEL) – 50 points
7. Audrey Coulter (USA) – 46 points
8. Denis Lynch (IRL) – 46 points
9. Marcus Ehning (GER) – 45 points
10. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) – 42 points
11. Marco Kutscher (GER) – 40 points
12. Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) – 39 points
13. Laura Renwick (GBR) – 39 points
14. Max Kuhner (AUT) – 37 points
15. Daniel Deusser (GER) – 36 points
16. Romain Duguet (SUI) – 35 points
17. Patrice Delaveau (FRA) – 35 points
18. Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) – 34 points