Photo:Sportfotos-Lafrentz.de

Leipzig - On Friday afternoon of PARTNER PFERD, presented by Sparkasse Leipzig and Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe Sachsen, the second final competition in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ was on the agenda. McLain Ward (USA) won with Contagious and thus took the lead in the overall standings. The title decision will be made on Sunday.

The second competition in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final was a fascinating jump-off and promises a unique decision on Sunday. McLain Ward gained the most comfortable starting position by winning this competition: "I was able to watch a few rides in the jump-off, which was of course an advantage. Of course I wanted to attack without taking too much power out of the horse," explained McLain Ward. "Contagious is a fundamentally fast horse and at the end of the course I was actually faster than I thought. He's in brilliant form."

Second place went to 22-year-old Brit Harry Charles with Romeo, who was delighted not only with his success in the jump-off, but also with the impact on the overall ranking, in which he is in third place ahead of the third and decisive final test: "Looking at the list like that, I'm really in quite nice company there," laughed Charles. "I didn't expect this. I'm really looking forward to Sunday now. Romeo is a great jumper and has a lot of experience."

In third place in the classification is a name that is not missing from any international show, a Whitaker. This time Jack Whitaker (GBR), son of Michael and nephew of John, who incidentally jumped to sixth place: "I watched my uncle's round and it really helped me a lot for my jump-off. I made a decision after his ride for two distances that I wasn't quite sure about. And so I had the better plan for my jump-off."

The best German rider in the second final competition and now also in the ranking - in fifth place - is Gerrit Nieberg. In his first Longines FEI World Cup™ Final, he has a simple plan for Sunday: "Two clear rounds," laughs the son of Lars Nieberg. On PARTNER PFERD Saturday, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ takes a break. The international show jumping elite will use Saturday to shine in the Leipzig Sparkasse Grand Prix. The decision for the World Cup victory will be made on Sunday afternoon from 2.45 p.m. and will be broadcast on the MDR program "Sport im Osten".

Tickets for PARTNER PFERD are on sale at www.partner-pferd.de. Here you can also get a lot more info about the event. Currently, the Saxon Corona Protection Ordinance no longer imposes any restrictions on events. Nevertheless, the wearing of a mask is recommended.
You can find the current info here: https://www.partner-pferd.de/de/news/ihre-sicherheit-liegt-uns-am-herzen.