By Daniel Kaiser

Anna Cavallaro (ITA) and Lukas Klouda (CZE), winners of the opening leg of the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2012/2013 series in Munich, both made it a double by claiming a second leg win in Salzburg (AUT) at the weekend.

The vaulters, both 28 years old, treated spectators at the Pappas Amadeus Horse Indoors event to dazzling freestyle-to-music rounds and their wins were greeted with great enthusiasm by the crowd.

Another one-two for Italian females

Italy’s eight-time national champion Anna Cavallaro and her 19-year-old training partner Silvia Stopazzini, Junior Champion in 2011, repeated their one-two finish from Munich at the second leg of this prestigious series with outstanding performances.

Silvia Stopazzini led the field after the first round with 8,819 points, 60 points clear of Anna Cavallaro. But in the second round, Cavallaro convinced the judges with her complex gymnastic moves on the 15-year-old Harley, lunged by Nelson Vidoni, to Luciano Pavarotti’s “Time to say Goodbye”, completing with the winning score of 8,785 points.

Verona-born Anna Cavallaro explained the secret of her success. “I am able to focus on the important little steps on the horse. I know that it will work already when I run into the circle, and I love my horse Harley.”

When asked if this would be one of her last seasons, she was very clear that she is intending to continue for some time to come. “I am focusing on the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Braunschweig next March, and after that I will be training hard for the FEI European Vaulting Championships 2013 and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy.”

Silvia Stopazzini, disappointed by her small mistakes in the second round, was thrilled to be competing in Salzburg. “This never happens in my training, but I’m so happy to be part of the FEI World Cup Vaulting series,” she said.

Switzerland’s Simone Jäiser on Luk, lunged by her mother Rita Blieske, took third place with 8,210 points and Germany’s Regina Burgmayr secured fourth place on Cappucino, lunged by Alexander Hartl with 7,934 points.

Klouda keeps his cool

Cologne-based Lukas Klouda secured a 212-point-lead with Radix SB, lunged by Maria Imhäuser, to collect a total score of 8,489 points and claim victory ahead of Germany’s Victor Brüsewitz.

After placing seventh at the FEI World Vaulting Championships 2012 in Le Mans (FRA), Klouda was happy to be back at the top level and leading the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2012/2013. “I had to stay cool,” he explained. “I’m in a good frame of mind at the moment and I hope to continue like this for the rest of the FEI World Cup Vaulting series.”

Germany’s Viktor Brüsewitz, competing for the first time on Luk lunged by Rita Blieske, was pleased to secure the highest second-round score with 8,371 points. “In the first round, I had some problems with the back pad and could not give 100 percent,” the 23-year-old said. “But after two training sessions I felt confident and I’m happy with the result.”

Germany’s Torben Jacobs from Cologne secured third place, also on Radix SB, scoring 8,128 points, with Switzerland’s Lucas Heppler on Aron von Eichhof, lunged by Vanessa Rusca, taking fourth place on 7,999 points.

International judge Jochen Schilffarth (GER) was delighted with the competition in Salzburg. “It has been a fabulous advertisement for Vaulting, with the athletes delivering high-level performances in front of fantastic audiences. The Pappas Amadeus Horse Indoors organisers have also taken great care in providing a wonderful environment for the second leg of this FEI World Cup Vaulting series.”

FEI World Cup Vaulting™ - Salzburg results:
View female results here.
View male results here.

Notes to editors

Download the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2012/2013 press kit at FEI Press Kit Zone.

For further information on the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting series, please visit the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting hub here.