WISE SOCRATES GIVES EDWINA ALEXANDER THE EDGE IN VIGO

ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING 2009/2010
Vigo (ESP), 13 February 2010

WISE SOCRATES GIVES EDWINA THE EDGE IN VIGO - with a little help from
YouTube!

Australia 's Edwina Alexander scooped maximum points at the eleventh leg of the
2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series in Vigo , Spain tonight with a
brilliant performance from Cevo Socrates. In the 11-horse jump-off the 15
year old gelding showed the wisdom of his years when producing a classy, clean
and confident round that was simply too good for the rest. And this
latest result has rocketed Alexander up to fourth place on the series table
with just two more qualifying legs remaining.

But Edwina also used her head today. "I woke up at 7 o'clock this
morning and turned on YouTube to watch my round with Socrates in Zurich Grand
Prix where we won two years ago. He's very different from my other horse
Itot, and I don't always find him so easy to ride, but it reminded me just what
I needed to do - and I think it worked!" said the delighted rider
tonight. Runner-up was Switzerland's Beat Mandli, winner of the third leg
at Lyon in France last November, while, after four previous attempts, Belgium's
Judy-Ann Melchior picked up her first points of the season when third with the
bay mare Cha Cha Z.

OPENING ROUND
This leg of the series attracted five riders from both the home nation and from
Germany , but Pilar Cordon and the Holsteiner stallion Herald were the sole
Spanish representatives in the jump-off. Some notable names missed the
closing stages including Germany's Lars Nieberg whose 11 year old gelding
Levito threw in a surprise refusal at the second element of the triple
combination at fence six, and Sweden's Malin Baryard-Johnsson whose mare,
H&M Actrice, clipped the final element here also to join the seven-strong
contingent who put just four faults on the board. Unluckiest of all was
possibly Portugal 's Luciana Diniz who was put in a copybook tour of the track
with Winningmood only to fault at the final oxer.

It was a top-class line-up against the clock however, and it was never going to
be an easy one to win.

PATHFINDER
Frenchman Patrice Deleveau was pathfinder with Katchina Mail, but a mistake at
the FEI Vertical, now fourth fence on the track, left the door open for those
coming after him and it widened even further when Pilar Cordon followed with a
disappointing three fences down with the super-handsome Herald. It was
Judy-Ann Melchior who set the first real target as she brought the 10 year old
Cha Cha Z through the finish clear, and although her time of 51.61 seconds
looked beatable she still held the lead after Germany 's Marco Kutscher and
Cash returned more than six seconds quicker, but leaving the penultimate
vertical on the floor.

Kutscher showed that the turn to the FEI vertical was the key to a fast time,
but while Mandli snatched the advantage he didn't test Louis to the limit when
stopping the clock at 50.29. The 2009 individual European Champion, Kevin
Staut from France , lost his chance at the very first fence when Le Prestige St
Louis inexplicably jammed on the brakes. The 11 year old stallion looked
sharp and fresh in the first round but it seemed like his cheeky nature got the
better of him this time out as he went on to buck his way around the course and
return with 17 faults for that one refusal and a lot of time penalities.

FOOT-PERFECT
The Netherlands Harrie Smolders and Exquis Oliver Q collected four faults, but
Alexander and Cevo Socrates were foot-perfect all the way.   They
were already up on time at the vital vertical and as they galloped through the
finish in 48.75 seconds it was clear that this would now take some
beating. Switzerland 's Steve Guerdat, winner at Zurich two weeks ago,
was giving it a shot riding down to the last but that fell to leave him in
fifth spot, although he would have been more than pleased with Jalisca Solier
who has returned to the ring with all of her enthusiasm intact after a layoff
following a leg operation last September. When the final two runners -
Holland's Leon Thijssen with Tinky Winky and Switzerland's Pius Schwizer with
Ulysse - both returned with two fences down then Alexander was assured of top
marks.

"The last few World Cups were not good for me" the winner said
afterwards, as she praised her 15 year old winning ride. "Socrates
has had a great career but he's been out for eight months and this was his
first show back so I didn't know what to expect. He won the Zurich Grand
Prix in 2008, and the Gothenburg Grand Prix in 2009 and was also third in
Valkenswaard - he's is an incredible horse, not a championship ride but
incredibly clever and brave - I'm really thrilled with him tonight!" she
said, aware that she is more than comfortably qualified for the Rolex FEI World
Cup™ Jumping final in Geneva in April.

The next leg of the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping
series will take place at Gothenburg , Sweden from 25-28 February. For
all information on the Swedish fixture check out website www.goteborghorseshow.com
or contact Press Officer Mayvor Thorin, (mobile) +46 705 82 84 20, (email)
mayvor.thorin@gotevent.se

RESULT: 1, Cevo Socrates (Edwina Alexander) Aus 0/0 46.75; 2,
Louis (Beat Mandli) Sui 0/0 50.29; 3. Cha Cha Z (Judy-Ann Melchior) Bel 0/0
51.61; 4, Cash (Marco Kutscher) Ger 0/4 44.92; 5, Jalisca Solier (Steve
Guerdat) Sui /4 46.09; 6, Katchina Mail (Patrice Deleveau) Fra 0/4 46.93; 7,
Exquis Oliver Q (Harrie Smolders) Ned 0/4 50.34; 8, Ulysse X (Pius Schwizer)
Sui 0/8 46.95; 9, Tinky Winky (Leon Thijssen) Ned 0/8 51.95; 10, Herald (Pilar
Lucrecia Cordon Muro) Esp 0/12 49.06; 11, Le Prestige St Lois (Kevin Staut) Fra
0/17 63.25; 12, Napoli du Ry (Simon Delestre) Fra 4/68.30; 13, Cabreado (Daniel
Deusser) Ger 4/69.80; 14, Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) Ger 4/70.73; 15, AD
Picolein Zeldenrust (Alvaro Miranda) Bra 4/70.78; 16, Winningmood (Luciana
Diniz) Por 4/72.50; 17, L'Espoir (Geir Gulliksen) Nor 4/73.40; 18, H&M
Actrice (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) Swe 4/73.50; 19, Isaac du Jonquet (Mikael
Forsten) Fin 8/70.97; 20, Kellemoi de Pepita (Michel Robert) Fra 8/71.75. Full
results at: www.scg-nl.nl

ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING - Standings after Round 11 at
Vigo , Spain :
1.    Pius Schwizer
    -        66
2.    Marco Kutscher
-        65
3.    Marcus Ehning
    -        64
4.    Edwina Alexander
-        60
5.    Kevin Staut
    -        59
6.    Beat Mandli
    -        57
7.    Eric Van der Vleuten    -
    57
8.    Philipp Weishaupt
-        57
9.    Patrice Deleveau
-        55
10.    Jessica Kuerten
-        53
11.    Penelope Leprevost
-        47
12.    Ludger Beerbaum
-        46
13.    Natale Chiaudani
-        43
14.    Rodrigo Pessoa
-        41
15.    Daniel Etter
    -        40
16.    Steve Guerdat
    -        39
17.    Michael Whitaker
-        39
18.    Svante Johansson
-        39
19.    Albert Zoer
    -        34
20.    Luciana Diniz
    -        33
Complete standings at www.feiworldcup.org

Facts and Figures:
33 starters
11 into jump-off
5 riders from both Spain and Germany started in the first round
Pilar Cordon was the only Spanish rider to qualify for the jump-off
Riders from a total of 15 nations took part in this evening's competition
The oldest horse in this leg of the series was the 16 year old Aboyeur, ridden
by Italy 's Gianni Govoni
The youngest horses were the two 9 year old geldings, Cabreado ridden by
Germany 's Daniel Deuser and Napoli du Ry ridden by Simon Delestre for France .
There was one elimination in the first round - Spain 's Sergio Alvarez Moya
with What's Next
Two riders retired in round one - The Netherlands' Leopold Van Asten (VDL Groep
Santana) and French rider Julien Epaillard (Kanthaka de Petra)
The youngest rider in today's competition was 17 year old Manuel Anon Suarez
from Spain riding Fantasia.

Quotes:
Edwina Alexander, talking about her winning ride Cevo Socrates -
"Sometimes he's almost too careful and that's why I decided to check out
my ride on YouTube. I have to use a lot more leg on him than I do on Itot
but he is so brilliant - he jumps from his heart, he wants to do it for you and
if he ever makes a mistake it is my fault. He doesn't know how to put a foot
wrong!".

Website: www.csivigo.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE: 1, Oslo
(Norway) 9-11 October; 2, Helsinki (Finland) 15-18 October; 3, Lyon (FRA) 28
Oct-1 November; 4, Verona (Italy) 5-8 November; 5, Stuttgart (Germany) 15-22
November; 6, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 15-21 December; 7, Mechelen
(Belgium) 26-30 December; 8, Leipzig (Germany) 21-24 January; 9, Zurich (SUI)
28-31 January; 10, Bordeaux (France) 5-7 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 11-14
February; 12, Gothenburg (Sweden) 25-28 February; 13, s'Hertogenbosch (The
Netherlands) 25-28 March; FINAL - Geneva (Switzerland) 14-18 April.

Broadcast Schedule can be downloaded from www.feiworldcup.org

Photo Catalogue - Photographs of winning riders in high/low
resolution can be downloaded from FEI Photo Calalogue at
www.fei.org>Media>Photo Catalogue - no reproution fee ut photographer
must be credited (name appears under picture). Usage strictly for
editorial purposes.

FEI World Cup™ Jumping has entered its 32nd season. The
series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best
riders from 121 preliminary competitions will qualify for the final in Geneva ,
Switzerland which takes place from 14-18 April 2008.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921,
is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations.

Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three
disciplines - Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports
in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which
involves two athletes - horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned
itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be
subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.