Battle is on for World No.1 spot
Markus Fuchs’s (pictured) reign at the head of the FEI Gandini World Riders Rankings looks set to come to an end next month. The Swiss rider, who was injured last December during CSI-W Geneva, has had his lead reduced to just 298 points by his fellow international show jumpers.
Previous world No.1, Ludger Beerbaum, is snapping at Markus’s heels in second place, but he won’t have it all his own way in his bid to regain the title, as his German compatriot Marcus Ehning is only eight points adrift in third.
Although Ludger is favourite to return to the number one spot the battle is likely to be fierce. Marcus is currently in top form having won the Credit Suisse Grand Prix in Zurich and scored an impressive 175 points in Switzerland.
Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa has moved up two places after scoring 120 points in Zurich, where he finished second in the grand prix, to take fifth place in the rankings behind Germany’s Otto Becker.
Belgian rider Jos Lansink, the present leader of the FEI World Cup Western European League standings, only scored five points in Amsterdam and goes down from sixth to eight place in the FEI Gandini Rankings.
Michael Whitaker has retained his important top 10 position in ninth, while British No.1, Robert Smith, is on a downward slide and has dropped from 11th to 14th.
Strong performances by Nick Skelton has seen him improve from 31st place last month to 22nd at the end of January. Andrew Davies is the only other British rider inside the top 50, in 46th place.
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- To view the full FEI Gandini World Jumping Riders Rankings on the FEI website, click here
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.