Sergio Alvarez Moya, the Spanish genius

Twenty-ninth in the world rankings, he currently leads the Rolex FEI World Cup table with 39 points after four qualifiers.

Considering that on average 40 points are needed to qualify for the final, it is difficult to imagine what could stop him from booking his place in Gothenburg next April, especially since his stable is so strong.

Should there be any problems with Action-Breaker, Alvarez Moya can always call on Carlo 273, the horse recently bought from Britain's Nick Skelton.

And if both these horses are tired, the Spaniard is able to introduce -year-old stallion Zipper, as he did in Verona to win the World Cup Grand Prix ahead of the likes of Marco Kutscher and Cash or Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Bella Donna.

Alvarez Moya showed his talent at an early ago: he was European champion at 16 and joined the Spanish team aged barely 20 in 2005.

He rode his first World Equestrian Games the following year, while his friends were still competing on the young riders' circuit.

He can even afford the luxury of finishing 18th, in front of no less than Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Eric Lamaze.

And with such horses in his stable, the indicators are that his future is bright. He may not even reach his 30th birthday without winning a title.