Rutherford Latham won the first leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup held in Oslo, Norway. Latham is now one step ahead of the other riders who are vying for a place in the Rolex FEI World Cup final in April 2009.
On October 12, 2008, Latham bested 15 riders to grab the win in Oslo. He was only 1.87 seconds faster than Thomas Velin, who placed second. Latham now has 20 points followed by Velin with 17, and Daniel Etter with 15.
The riders who garnered more than 10 points in the Rolex-sponsored competition are Maikel van der Vleuten with 13 points, William Funnell with 12 points, and Geir Gulliksen with 11 points.
The riders and their horses will now get ready for the second leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup slated for October 16 to October 19 in Helsinki, Finland. The other venues for the competition are Verona, Italy; Stuttgart, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; London, UK; Mechelen, Belgium; Leipzig, Germany; Zurich, Switzerland; Bordeaux, France; Vigo, Spain; Goteborg, Sweden; and Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The riders who qualify will get to compete in the Rolex FEI World Cup final held at the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.