Max Kuhner and EIC Cooley Jump The Q produced a flawless performance in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ to take victory and become the first Austrians to lift the title since Thomas Fruhmann in 1989.
“It’s a really good feeling today. In a jump-off like that we listen to the horse and they tell us what’s possible and what’s not. Today we had a very clear communication, I could really feel him telling me what to do and asking which kind of support he needed. It was just a very smooth feeling – we were floating,” said Max.
Donald Whitaker (GBR) and Milfield Colette thrilled the home crowd with second place while Cian O’Connor and Chatoulinue PS took third – an impressive performance given the Irish rider has only been riding the 12-year-old gelding for three months.
“It’s a really good feeling today. In a jump-off like that we listen to the horse and they tell us what’s possible and what’s not. Today we had a very clear communication, I could really feel him telling me what to do and asking which kind of support he needed. It was just a very smooth feeling – we were floating,” said Max.
“It’s for sure good and it’s also a good finish of the season which hasn’t been my best season, but it’s now a little bit better than before. I’ve been second here with Elektric Blue when he was 10 years old but I could never win the class, so it’s good to have that in my pocket.”
The pair made light work of Alan Wade’s testing first round track which saw all but five of the 37 starters incur penalties. Faults were spread evenly around the 14-fence course and the time also proved influential – Ireland’s Tom Wachman, Netherland’s Hessel Hoekstra, Britain’s Ben Maher, Denmark’s Zascha Nygaard and Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck all jumped clear but missed out on the jump-off due to time penalties.
Second to go in the jump-off, Max and the 12-year-old Irish Sports Horse were not fazed by Donald Whitaker (GBR) and Milfield Colette’s blistering performance as pathfinders, and rode a smooth and controlled round to steal the lead by over a second.
“It’s the class at London that you always want to win. I’ve watched all my family doing it – John, Michael, Will. Obviously I wanted to win it, but second, I will take that all day,” said Donald.
“She’s naturally fast, so normally I just tried to follow her. Maybe I could have kept it a bit cleverer and a bit tighter in the jump off. I was a little wide and fast whereas Max was cleverer and tighter.
“I can’t be disappointed though as she tried her absolute heart out which she does every time. It’s devastating, but at the same time it’s amazing and fantastic. She keeps getting better and better. I don’t know what else she can do. She has done everything this year, at every show, she is one in one million. [She’s] the best horse in the world in my mind so I’ve got to look after her.”
Cian O’Connor and Chatoulinue PS were the only other pair to produce a fault free round in the jump-off. The Irish rider opted for a slow clear with the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding as he has only been riding him for three months.
Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Vermento recorded the quickest jump-off round but a rolled pole left them in fourth. The only other competitors to reach the jump-off were France’s Penelope Leprovost and Baloubet de Talma who also collected four faults to wind up in fifth.
