Release date: 04/08/2016

After days of torrential rain the weather conditions were just perfect today during the first day of the Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard at Tops International Arena. First place in today’s main class, the CSI2* Big Tour competition, was for the USA’s Jessica Springsteen (USA) and her mare Davendy S. Jessica was pleased about the course: “It was a good course, it had a good size which perfectly fitted my horse.” She rides Davendy for two years now, their first competition was here at Tops International Arena. “She is a fun horse to ride, she might not look fast, but she is!, said Jessica, who will also compete in the Longines Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League,afterwards.
 
This morning the Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard kicked off with a CSI2* Medium Tour class (1.40m). Winner was Khaled Abdulrahman Almobty (KSA) with his Holstein mare Zypern 4. Khaled lives in Arnhem and trains with Jurgen Stenfert since May. “I love it here in the Netherlands, everybody is so kind,” says Khaled. He has his mare Zypern 4 for one year  and describes her as “a very obedient horse who really want to fight for me.” He took three horses to Valkenswaard.
 
The USA’s Alexandra Crown was last to go in the Medium Tour competition (Two Phases, 1.35m) and snatched the victory from Belgium’s Celine Schoonbroodt, who was in the lead for a long time. Alexandra rode the KWPN mare Basic (Silverstone x Indoctro). The 21-year-old is riding the mare for two years now and she thinks she “is a great horse although she’s quite sassy too.” Alexandra is trained by American international Kent Farrington.
 
The first great day was closed with a competition for young horses, ‘Gestüt am Grünwoldhof Prix Manfred von Alwörden’. Britain’s Tim Wilks and his six-year-old stallion Kay were third to start but none of the combinations that followed were able to beat his time. Tim only rides this horse for four months. “It is a super horse, very straight forward and careful.” Tim was here before and won multiple classes.  
 
Tomorrow the programme will start at 9 am. Click here for the full schedule.

Full results.