Verona, Italy—Nov. 12 

In the most thrilling jump-off of the season so far, wild card rider Abdel Said from Egypt left many of the sport’s greatest stars in his wake when winning the fourth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League at Verona, Italy.

It isn’t easy to get an invitation to compete at the top shows when you are 142nd in the world rankings, but the 27-year-old set an impossible target when third to go in the 13-horse jump-off with his feisty mare Hope van Scherpen Donder, and not even world No. 2, Simon Delestre from France, could catch him.

Abdel Said of Egypt turned a wild card into a victory in Verona aboard Hope van Scherpen Donder. Photo by Stefano Secchi/FEI

“I was here two years ago and this is one of my favorite shows,” Said said. “I didn’t come last year, but I got a wild card from John Roche [FEI Jumping Director]. [The wild card entries] go to small countries to give them a chance get to shows like this and I’m very grateful.”

Delestre won the Verona leg last year and is no shrinking violet when it comes to speed against the clock. Last to go with Chesall Zimequest the 35-year-old rider gave it everything he had, but as he said afterwards, “Abdel was almost invincible today! I was two seconds slower, but I’ve no regrets because I’ve picked up good points towards the Final.

“Today for sure there was a little bit of pressure because of my win here last year, but I had a different horse then—it was Ryan. However Chesall is also a special horse,” Delestre said. “When I walked the course it looked difficult, but when it started there were a few clears and I was worried there would be too many clears. But in end it was perfect and we had a fantastic jump-off.”

He is now just 6 points behind Western European League leader Romain Duguet from Switzerland going to the fifth leg in Stuttgart, Germany next Sunday, and a ticket to the Longines Final in Omaha, Neb., next March already looks well within the Frenchman’s grasp. 

There were 10 clears from the first 21 riders over Uliano Vezzani’s track, but then only three more of the 37 starters managed to make the cut into the jump-off, bringing it to 13 for the short course.

And despite the best efforts of three of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold-medal-winning team from France—Philippe Rozier, Penelope Leprevost and Kevin Staut—it was the younger generation that really shone when 24-year-old Swiss rider Martin Fuchs produced a careful clear with Clooney to slot into third while 25-year-old Swede, Douglas Lindelow, did likewise with Zacramento to finish fourth. 

Said’s fearless gallop and breathtaking turns brought him through the beam in 37.96 seconds. “My mare has won three grand prix but not at this level. She’s only 9 and she doesn’t have mileage like most of the horses in today’s class, but I trusted her” said the rider who runs a coaching and training business near Antwerp, Belgium.

He was determined to make the best of his wild card opportunity today. “I don’t have any big sponsors but I have some very good students and I produce many nice young horses—I produced this mare since she was 7. I hope this win shows people I am serious, and that today’s success will open a few doors for me!” he added.

Said rode with Emile Hendrix for eight years when he was a junior and in school in Holland. Then he started working for Jos Lansink when he was 19.

“I started my own business when I was 21, I’m now 27,” Said said. “I started from nothing, no groom—just a truck my parents bought for me. Seven years down the road I have a farm near Antwerp and we are progressing, slowly but surely. Most of the horses I try to own myself; I buy them young, build them up and produce them myself and hope it works out.”  

See full results of the Longines FEI Verona World Cup Qualifier.

Standings: Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 Western European League

After Round 4 in Verona (Italy):

1.    Romain Duguet SUI                –    37

2.    Simon Delestre FRA                –    31

3.    Pieter Devos BEL                     –    28

4.    Kevin Staut FRA                    –    28

5.    Lauren Hough USA                    –    25

6.    Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum GER    –    25

7.    Steve Guerdat SUI                    –    25

8.    Lorenzo de Luca ITA                –    21

9.    Shane Breen IRL                    –    21

10.    Abdel Said EGY                    –    20

10.    Alberto Zorzi ITA                    –    20

10.    Daniel Deusser GER                –    20

13.    Mathieu Billot FRA                    –    18

14.    Niels Bruynseels BEL                –    18

15.    Marcus Ehning GER                –    17

16.    Olivier Robert FRA                    –    17

17.    David Will GER                    –    17

18.    Martin Fuchs SUI                    –    16

19.    Nick Skelton GBR                    –    15

20.    Darragh Kenny IRL                    –    15