The seventh leg of the 2023/2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League at La Coruña in Spain was a sheer equestrian spectacle. The initial round began with all 14 riders successfully clearing the round without any faults.

However, the subsequent jump-off added an extra layer of excitement and turned out to be a wild ride. In an unexpected and thrilling turn of events, the crowd was left amazed until the climactic last-to-go run, which finished the night on a surprising note.

Equestrian World prowess at La Coruña

In an Instagram post by Official FEI and Casas Novas, they shared the recap of the spectacular 2023/2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup WEL Shines in La Coruña. In the video, Armando Trapote and Tornado were seen performing with incredible skill in front of a home crowd in what was the first clear of the jump-off that night in 45.98 seconds. Next came Max Kühner and EIC Julius Caesar of Austria, who delivered sheer thrills and outpaced the Spaniard in a faster time of 45.69 seconds.

In the last round, surpassing all expectations, came the cherry on top with Britain’s Harry Charles and his 10-year-old gelding Sherlock, who outdid the 14 riders and secured a win in the jump-off with 44.12 seconds. The post declared on Instagram, “🥇Harry Charles & Sherlock 🇬🇧 🥈Max Kühner & EIC Julius Caesar 🇦🇹 🥉Armando Trapote & Tornado VS 🇪🇸”.

The nail-biting jump-off

The jump-off following the initial round witnessed Switzerland’s Barbara Schnieper and Carnice, as well as Belgium’s Pieter Devos, emerging as strong contenders. However, both faced faults at the last fence of the course. The complexity of the triple combination led to faults for Italy’s Emanuele Camilli (Odense Odeveld), Sweden’s Evelina Tovek (Moeboetoe v/d Roshoeve), Spain’s Santiago Nunez Riva (Chakira Z), and the Netherlands’ Leopold van Asten (VDL Groep Iron Z). Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, aboard Glamour Girl, delivered a commendable performance but unfortunately knocked down the second fence, a vertical at fence three. Despite the fault, Henrik achieved an impressive time of 42.17 seconds.

Among the contenders, Christian Ahlmann and Mariano Martinez Bastida faced faults at a critical turn. Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca also encountered penalties at a challenging triple combination. The thrilling climax featured Armando Trapote, Kuhner, Willem Greve, and ultimately, the victorious duo of Harry Charles and Sherlock.

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Following the competition, 24-year-old Harry Charles, proud of his equestrian companion Sherlock, said, “He’s like my baby; I’ve had him since he was a five-year-old, and I’ve done everything with him. I can’t tell you how proud I am of him!”

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