EQUESTRIAN : Fruhmann Rides Genius to the World Cup Title

Thomas Fruhmann became Austria’s second World Cup champion Sunday when he rode Brockmann’s Genius through two fault-free afternoon rounds in front of a sellout audience of about 9,000 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds equestrian arena.

It was the first World Cup show-jumping title for Fruhmann and only his second major victory astride Brockmann’s Genius. He won $40,000 and a new Volvo.

Fruhmann has shared ownership and ridden the 9-year-old gray gelding for 1 1/2 years. A member of the Austrian national team, Fruhmann said Brockmann’s Genius will be his Olympic mount.

That’s understandable. He didn’t knock down a rail all week and was assessed only a 0.25-second time fault on the second day of the three-day event.

Markus Fuchs, who had a clear ride in the first round, virtually assured Fruhmann’s victory after knocking over rails on the first and final jumps.

The final horse-and-rider team to jump, Fruhmann and Brockmann’s Genius would have had to knock down three rails to lose to Switzerland’s Lesley McNaught-Maendli, who had 10.5 faults and whose Moet Pirol knocked over one rail in the first round.

After a smooth first round, the winning team raised gasps in the second when Brockmann’s Genius charged the line from jumps No. 1 through 3 and tickled the top rail on 2 and 3.

The winning team negotiated the rest of the 10-jump, 13-element course without difficulty, only the sixth to have a clear round.

“It was a little spooky (on the early series of jumps),” Fruhmann said. “Maybe a bit too careful, eh?”

Fruhmann, 41, last competed in the World Cup in 1990 and finished tied for 14th, his best finish in nine tries. With the victory, he moved up in the computer rankings from 14th to 10th.

McNaught-Maendli began the day in fourth place, fell to seventh after the first round and finished second.

Rancho Santa Fe’s Bernie Traurig, who finished fifth--the highest-placing American and his personal best--said he knew little about Fruhmann as a rider, but was well aware of his reputation.

“I’ve seen the guy eat wine glasses,” Traurig said. “He can make a cow jump.”

Maybe he can do it because of the tremendous hand strength. For kicks, Fruhmann rips telephone books in two.

“Fifteen, 20 years ago I was a bit wild,” he said.