Ardi Hapsoro shines in Volvo W. Cup

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Ardi Hapsoro Hamidjojo retained the top position in the Southeast Asian League of the Volvo World Cup showjumping competition at the Arthayasa stable in Sawangan, Bogor, yesterday.

Ardi, who rode Outrageous, finished second with four penalties and earned 13 points. He has collected 50 points from the three series.

The 26-year-old rider won the first series and finished second in the second series in Kuala Lumpur early this month.

Julie Hicks of the United States, who rode Cajou, finished first without any penalties. But since Hicks does not represent a Southeast Asian country her points were excluded from point counting at the world cup.

Peter Abisheganaden of Singapore, who rode Chakwal, finished third with 4.5 penalties and earned 10 points. Abisheganaden trailed Ardi in the standing list after collecting 36 points from three series.

The fourth series of the championship will be held at the same venue on Sept. 28.

"I think I have a good chance next week but I have to perform consistently," Ardi told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Ardi plans to compete in seven series, including the fifth and sixth series in Bangkok and Cha Am, Thailand, and the seventh series in Kuala Lumpur to improve his total points.

The league's final competition will take place in Kuala Lumpur in December.

"If I skip the series in Thailand, the difference in points between Peter (Abisheganaden) and I will be very slim," Ardi said. "We have to consider that other countries like Malaysia and the host country, Thailand, will send more riders."

Ardi will have difficulty collecting points if there are more riders in the next series. The points of each series are decided by the number of riders who finish the round.

The winner and runner-up of each league will have a chance to compete in the World Cup in Helsinki next April.

Rubyanto Hamidjojo, a member of the organizers' appeal committee, said that the main purpose of competing in the league was not only to get to the world cup but also to get a wild card for the 2000 Olympic Games.

"If one of our riders can go through to the world cup, he will have a chance to get an Olympic wild card. Even if he finishes in the 30s ranking, it doesn't matter. Having the world ranking is more important," he said.

"Staging regional leagues all over the world is part of an FEI's (International Equestrian Federation) initiative to encourage more Asian riders to compete in international events."

Indonesia's Indra Rosendi, riding Lorina, finished 15th yesterday and earned one point, maintaining her league ranking at third and bringing her points total to 27.

Handry Mawengkang of Indonesia, riding Indigo, finished fourth with six points but he had to share his position, with 23 points, on the league's list with compatriot Roy Ibrahim, who failed to finish the competition yesterday after his horse Sea Diamond declined to jump twice. Ibrahim was eliminated from the championship.

Malaysian Quzier Ambak, on Genever, finished fifth with five points but so far has collected 24 points to finish fourth in the league's list.

Indonesia's Rafiq Radinal, riding Imon -- who was also yesterday's organizing chairman -- finished seventh in the league's list with 19 points but finished 12th yesterday with 21.5 penalties and earned 4 points. (yan)