WEG 2006: Jos Lansink is New World Champion Show-Jumper
Equestrian News Release

Aachen, September 3rd, 2006

Belgian snaps up gold ahead of Madden and Michaels-Beerbaum in gripping final

Jos Lansink is the new World Champion Show-jumping . On the last day of the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 on Sunday, the Belgian rider with his stallion Cavalor Cumano beat Beezie Madden (USA) with Authentic (4/43.74) and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum from Germany with Shutterfly (4/45.40) in the jump-off.

More than 40,000 spectators in the sold-out stadium of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALVR) watched the final that remained exciting right up until the very end: With gold almost at her fingertips, Beezie Madden’s horse Authentic knocked the very last fence. Minutes before Michaels-Beerbaum’s Shutterfly had also picked four faults. “I didn’t think I was even going to reach the final, so I am very proud of my bronze medal,“ the German rider remarked. Meanwhile Lansink couldn’t believe his luck: “I am simply overjoyed, but I guess it will take a few days until I realise what I have actually achieved.“

The „ROLEX World Champion“ had provided a real challenge for the riders because of the rotation of horses: Each rider not only had to complete the course on his own horse, but also on his competitors’ horses as well. Four riders had qualified for the final and apart from Edwina Alexander (Australia) all had mastered the four rounds without picking up a single fault. The enthusiastic crowd had been joined by the Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, patron of the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006: “I am impressed by these World Championships and by the attendance figures. The wonderful thing about this sport is that men and women can compete against each other on an equal basis. Of course I had crossed my fingers a little harder for Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum." After the show-jumping final, the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 were brought to an end by the official Closing Ceremony.

http://www.aachen2006.de



Picture shows Madden, Lansink, Michaels-Beerbaum and Alexander