A SUPERB performance from Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and the stallion All Star 5, saw them finish in fifth place overall as the Longines World Cup Final concluded on Monday in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Lynch and the 13-year-old All Star were the only combination to jump five clear rounds over three demanding days of jumping in front of over 11,000 spectators at the Scandinavium Arena.

Having been in 22nd position after the opening speed class on Friday, Lynch climbed the leaderboard over each of the following four rounds and received a standing ovation from the Swedish crowd in the prize giving ceremony, as the only pair not to touch a fence.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat retained the World Cup crown he won 12 months ago in Las Vegas, after he topped the standings with the 10-year-old gelding Corbinian. Dutch rider Harrie Smolders finished as runner-up with Emerald, while Germany’s Daniel Deusser took the last spot on the podium with Cornet d’Amour.

Former World Cup winner, the 20-year-old Irish Sport Horse Flexible (by Cruising), finished with just one fence down in Monday’s final round and was the oldest horse in the competition with regular American rider Rich Fellers.

Irish show jumping manager Robert Spaine said: “These World Cup finals are a Championships at the very highest level and for Denis and All Star to jump five clear rounds this week was an outstanding performance. They are a combination who are clearly on-form and the ease at which they jumped these big World Cup courses was very impressive. To finish fifth is a brilliant result for Denis, his horse’s owners and for Ireland and he can probably count himself unlucky not to win after being the only pair not to knock a fence.”

Olympic champion, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, showed nerves of steel when galloping to victory for the second year in a row on Monday.

PERFECT END

The crowd went wild after the 33-year-old rider produced two faultless rounds with the 10-year-old gelding Corbinian to claim the €172,500 prizewinner’s purse. It was the perfect end to a great event for the Swiss champion, bringing his earnings for the weekend to €232,100.

Dutch rider Harrie Smolders took the runner-up spot and a cheque of €131,250 for Monday’s two rounds while Germany’s Daniel Deusser, winner of the Longines FEI World Cup Final in 2014, stood on the third step of the podium and joined Smolders in hoisting Guerdat and the trophy into the air in celebration.

Guerdat’s biggest wins have come with three different horses – Nino des Buissonnets at London 2012, the mare Albufuehrens Paille in Las Vegas last year, and now his latest champion Corbinian.

The Swiss rider was already out in front going into Monday’s final decider but had to leave all the fences on Santiago Varela Ullastres’ brilliant course standing in both rounds in order to complete his historic double.

The atmosphere was at fever-pitch as Guerdat rode back into the ring for the last time knowing that, although he could afford a few time faults, a falling pole would put paid to his chances, leaving the Dutchman and the German to battle it out for the title in a third-round jump-off. The Swiss rider pulled off a brilliant clear and the arena duly erupted.

Guerdat admitted that the memory of last year’s final still haunted him despite his victory, so his main concern was to get things absolutely right this time around.

“It was important to me to ride better than last year - I won, but that was the only reason to be happy that day! I didn’t ride very well and that stays always in your head,” he insisted. Of his 10-year-old gelding, Corbinian, Guerdat said: “But today... it felt that the horse was really with me and fighting with me, and that gives you confidence along the course.”