Sport: CSI Basel News

For the first time a woman won the Grand Prix at the CSI Basel which is the indoor Grand Prix (450’000 Swiss Francs) with the highest price winning money in the world. Born in Brazil, the rider is competing for Portugal and lives in Germany. In the jump-off she came out on top with Lennox and finished first in front of last year’s winner Roger Yves Bost (FRA) with Myrtille. With an audience of 5700 spectators in the St, Jakobshalle Alexandra Fricker from Zürich finished the pulsating jump-off with her French mare Paille as sixth. The daughter of a doctor was without any mistake in all three rounds. She is training since a short time with Achaz von Buchwaldt in Hamburg and this has already shown progress and brought her a bonus of 20’000 Swiss Francs. Second best of the Swiss was Clarissa Crotta, with West Side she was in the second round of the Grand Prix and finished as eleventh. Crotta will be moving from Breitenburg in North Germany to Osnabruck and was again able to get in the bottom line in Basel. 15 riders managed to get in the second round. It was a difficult course from course designer Rolf Lüdi. 14 finished without any faults. Nine of these where clear again, what meant a jump-off over six fences. Luciana Diniz, who was fourth in the World Cup Final 2010 in Geneva, was 65/100 faster than Roger-Yves Bost. This was her biggest victory up to now, winning 150’000 Swiss Francs.

The German Christian Ahlmann, participant at the Olympic Games, won the competition of the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois. This was the second win for him, after the accumulator completion. With his stallion Asca the leader of the World Ranking List was 0,06 seconds faster than the French Patrice Delaveau with Lacrimoso. Third on the podium was the Dutch rider Marc Houtzager with Sterrehof’s Uppity. Paul Estermann with the stallion Maloubet du Temple was the only Swiss that reached the jump-off. After one fault he finished as eighth.

Pius Schwizer was the one, that broke the ban of the Swiss riders during the CSI Basel. In the speed competition he had the first victory with his 16 year old Belgian gelding Ulysse for Switzerland. He just flew over the fences and earned a price winning money of 10’000 Swiss Francs.

In August this year Ludger Beerbaum is turning 50. The experienced German rider showed that he still has best chances. With his stallion Chaman he was the fastest in the jump-off and won 20’000 Swiss Francs. Behind the experienced rider from Riesenbeck, Michael Whitaker with Viking and Denis Lynch with All Star were on the podium. Best Swiss Rider was Paul Estermann from Lucerne after one fault with his mare Castlefield Eclipse. With his horse that competed with him at the Olympic Games he finished the jump-off as ninth. Clarissa Crotta was already in the jump-off the day before, but had two mistakes today, both at the verticals

The Championat of Basel was the first main competition on the first day at the CSI 5* in Basel, which was won by the French Patrice Delaveau. For his victory the 47 year old rider won the “golden drum of Basel” with his nine year old Holstein stallion Lacrimoso. Delaveau, who was the best rider of the tournament last year, could be pleased about a price winning amount of 20’000 Swiss Francs. He only won with a 0,10 seconds faster run then the British Team Medalist at the Olympic Games, Scott Brash with Sanctos and against the Dutch Marc Houtzager with Tamino, who was only 0,19 seconds slower 18 riders and horses were in the jump-off. Among them the Swiss Clarissa Crotta, Alexandra Fricker, Janika Sprunger  and Niklaus Rutschi. The four riders competed excellent against the world’s best. Rutschi finished great with the ten year old Windsor as fourth with only 0,24 seconds more than winner Delaveau. The three ladies Clarissa Crotta with West Side, Alexandra Fricker with Memphis and Janika Sprunger with Uptwon Boy finished with the good rankings six to eight.

The odds are good that olympic gold medallist Steve Guerdat will compete again at CSI Basel. Guerdat, who was placed second in the LGT Event in 2012 and third in the H. Moser & Cie. Grand Prize in 2011, feels at ease in Basel and is considering participation in CSI Basel 2013.