Dutch showjumper Jeroen Dubbeldam has proved himself best of the final four at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.Following on from team gold on Thursday (3 August), the former Olympic gold medallist can now add World Champion to his impressive CV.
Round one
In the opening round of the final four competition, held at Caen’s d’Ornano Stadium, the ‘slate’ was wiped clean from the previous rounds and the riders set out on zero faults. Each rider jumped the first round on their own mount before moving on through the other horses, taking their own saddle with them.
Only Sweden’s Rolf Göran-Bengtsson faltered in the opening stages, picking up four faults on his own horse, Casall Ask, at the treble combination.
Round two
Each competitor then warmed up on their new horse and were allowed to take no more than three minutes. They were allowed to jump each practice fence — a vertical and an oxer — only once.
Patrice Delaveau on Beezie Madden’s Cortes ‘C’ and Jeroen Dubbeldam on Patrice Delaveau’s Orient Express carried on into round three clear of any penalties.
Beezie Madden – despite looking confident on Rolf Göran-Bengtsson’s Casall Ask – knocked the middle of the treble to carry four faults through to round three. Rolf Göran-Bengtsson added to his tally from round one as Jeroen Dubbeldam’s Zenith began rattling fences and put a further six expensive faults on his score card.
Round three
Beezie Madden, carrying forward her four faults from round two, played pathfinder in the third round with Dutch horse Zenith SFN. The treble proved unlucky again for Beezie as the horse took out the top rail, adding another four faults to her score.
Rolf Göran-Bengtsson, with 10 faults already on the board, looked to be on for a clear with the French horse Orient Express but the usually careful jumper caught the front rail of the final Rolex oxer.
Patrice Delaveau and Swedish horse Casall Ask jumped a clear round, but the French rider picked up a time fault that would prove costly later on. With another clear from Jeroen Dubbeldam riding the American Cortes ‘C’, it meant those two riders went through to round four with only one fault between them.
Round four
With the crowds now on the edge of their seats, French rider Patrice Delaveau rode in first on closest rival Dubbeldam’s horse Zenith. To the delight of the fans in the d’Ornano Stadium, Patrice put in a faultless clear to put the pressure on the Dutch leader.
Jeroen Dubbeldam, up next, had to put in a clear within the time to secure gold on Swedish horse Casall Ask. A tiring Casall rubbed the last part of the triple but the pole stayed put and the Dutch rider carried on to victory with a clear, with Patrice Delavaeu winning silver.
The bronze medal was then decided between Rolf Göran-Bengtsson and Beezie Madden. The Swedish rider entered the arena with American horse Cortes ‘C’, and true to form, the brave gelding left everything up, meaning his own rider had only one rail of safety in her final round.
Beezie concluded the action with Patrice Delaveau’s Orient Express and again had a rail in the triple combination. The French horse then jumped cleanly till the end, leaving the only female of the competition with the bronze.
A dream come true
“It’s a dream, the pressure was on,” said Jeroen Dubbledam.”My own horse put me under pressure by jumping a clear round with Patrice, but I was really happy because this horse bought me so much this week and he really deserved to finish this tournament on a clear round.”