IT was another vintage Longines FEI World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany, last weekend when the result came down to the last rider into the arena. In the end, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs proved his phenomenal talent once again when hanging on to win the title for the first time, having been second in 2019, the last time the competition was held.

Fuchs kicked off with a win on the opening day aboard the 15-year-old stallion Chaplin (Verdi TN x Concorde) and he was one of few riders who opted to change rides for the second round, when he subbed in The Sinner, but the pair slipped to third place after that round when they picked up four faults.

However, the substitute paid off as, back on board Chaplin for Sunday’s final, the brilliant stallion was fresh from his two day break and jumped two phenomenal clear rounds, one of only three on the day, to finish on five penalties and take victory over The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders in second and Sweden’s Jens Fredricson in third.

The winners had one heart-stopping moment when they took a stride out down to the wavy planks, but Fuchs was delighted to get his name on the trophy. He is known for his wide smile and it was shining bright on Sunday evening at the German venue. “Chaplin is an unbelievable fighter, he gives me everything everytime he enters the ring, even today when I didn’t ride very well to the planks, he just gave me his best,” Fuchs commented afterwards.

“When I came out on Friday I walked to the warm-up and was pretty upset, but then Steve [Guerdat] said ‘congratulations, now you must win on Sunday after what you did today!’. It was a good plan that Chaplin had two days of rest and came back today to produce two clear rounds,” said Fuchs, who is the second member of the Fuchs family to win it, his uncle Markus Fuchs took the title with the brilliant Tinka’s Boy back in 2001.

“That I end up winning this prestigious and historical competition obviously is a dream come true. All the best of the best riders’ names are written on this trophy and now to add mine is fantastic!”

The 29-year-old has enjoyed an incredible run of form over the last number of years, including taking individual silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018, runner-up at the last World Cup Final in 2019 and individual European gold that same year before taking team gold and individual silver at the FEI European Championships in 2021.

He described Luigi Baleri’s Chaplin as “the horse of my heart”, adding: “He is just the biggest fighter, he doesn’t have the ability that Clooney has but at the end he always gives everything,” and he thanked his groom, Irishman Sean Vard, and his whole team for helping to make the victory happen.

Showdown

When Dutchman Harrie Smolders entered the arena on four penalties as second last to go with the 13-year-old gelding Monaco, owned by Evergate Stables, only a clear would keep him ahead of Fuchs. The pair fell foul to the vertical on the second last line to finish on eight penalties which was good enough for second place on the podium. He also finished second in 2016 with the great Emerald.

“This was his [Monaco] first Championship and I wasn’t sure how it would be. We knew he could do it one day, but over three days it’s a totally different story. He was coping with it very easily so I think this won’t be his last Championship,” the happy Dutchman said.

USA’s McLain Ward shot into the lead after winning Friday’s second round and still held that position heading into the final round despite four faults in Sunday’s first round. He was last to go with his Tokyo Olympic mount, the 13-year-old gelding Contagious, and only a clear would win; a time fault would mean a jump-off with Fuchs.

It was not to be for the Tokyo silver medallists as two fences fell on course to drop them down to seventh place.

That meant Sweden’s Jens Fredricson took the final place on the podium with the 11-year-old Markan Cosmopolit. He was lying ninth as the day began and two spectacular rounds, where he never touched a pole, saw him finish on eight penalties, in a slower time than Smolders.

“I had great expectations actually and I enjoyed every second, it’s fantastic to be here doing what I love!” said Fredricson, older brother of world number one Peder. Jens (55) describes himself as a “hobby rider” but his CV would suggest he’s long been a serious contender with a lifetime of international successes behind him. “I work at Flyinge and Stromsholm, I’m responsible for the next generation of riding instructors in Sweden,” he explained.

He credits the influence of his brother with improving his riding. “I had the advantage of watching him going up to world number one. We talked almost every day so even if I wasn’t at the shows I was there mentally. I followed his thinking and his development and I tried to do the same things, and I’ve changed a little bit my approach to the fences and I now have a horse with very big scope. I’m blessed that I have such good contact with my little brother.

“One of the most fantastic things in our sport is that I’m 55 years old and getting better every day. If I was running 100 metres I would be less good every day,” he said with a laugh.

Young guns

British youngsters Harry Charles (22) and Jack Whitaker (20) finished in fourth and fifth places and surely put their hands up for a place on the British team at this year’s World Championships. Tokyo Olympian Charles finished one point off the podium with Ann Thompson’s Romeo 88 when faulting in the final round.

Whitaker, riding his father Michael’s Equine America Valmy de la Lande, was the only rider not to knock a pole over the five rounds and then also finished on nine penalties in a slower time, for fifth place at their first championship.

Ireland’s Conor Swail went into the final day in joint-sixth place on seven penalties with Mannon Farm and Sandy Lupton’s Count Me In. They picked up four faults in the first round of the final, before being clear over the jumps with two time penalties and finish on a high in eighth place. It was a first World Cup appearance for Swail who won the North American League to qualify.

Denis Lynch finished in 15th place with Onyx Consulting Ltd’s Cristello on a total of 20 penalties. The pair also finished on a high with a superb clear inside the time in the final top-20 round.