Release date: 08/05/2017

The first day of Event I at Tops International Arena offered good sport, talented young horses and wellknown and new names at the prizegiving ceremonies.
 
It was a close finish between the first three combinations in the CSI2* Medium Tour (1.40m) on Monday afternoon. At the end it was Eric van der Vleuten who had the fastest round with the mare Quivive S Z (Zang, Quasimodo Z x Amsterdam). They stayed clear in both phases in 29.52 seconds. Runners-up was Egypte’s Abdel Said, who lives in Zandhoven, Belgium. He stopped the clock at 29.59 seconds with SIEC Captain Future Z (Zang, Chellano Z x Dollar de la Pierre). Bassem Hassan Mohammed from Qatar finished in third with Argelith Squid (Hann, Salito x Gibraltar) in 29.75 seconds.
 
Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano, who won four classes during the first event last year, started off well again in his second season in Valkenswaard. He won the Two Phases (CSI2*/Small Tour, 1.35m) with the KWPN gelding Einstein (Clinton x Nimmerdor). He came into the arena as 36th combination and had set such a fast time none of the following 48 riders could beat his time of 30.07 seconds.  Closest came Angelos Touloupis from Greece with Coco Chanell 15 (Meckl, Celestial x Quality Boy) in 30.62 seconds to finish runner-up. Holland’s bianca Schoenmakers took third place with Elmo (KWPN, Larino x Calvino Z).
 
The first day was concluded with a competition (Table A with jump-off, 1.45m) in the CSI2* Big Tour. Ireland’s Bertram Allen was unbeatable. In the first round he had the fastest clear round and in the jump-off he again was faster than the rest of the 22 horse jump-off. Bertram, member of the Valkenswaard United team in the Global Champions League, stopped the clock at 35.42 seconds with the Holsteiner stallion GK Casper (Canto x Quantum). Runner-up was the USA’s Michael Hughes with Zerlin M (KWPN, Berlin x Concorde) followed by Egypt’s Abdel Said with Jackson de Regor (BWP, Vagabond de la Pomme x Querlybet Hero).
 
CSI1*: Belgium on  top
In the CSI1* tour it was Belgium on top! The top three in the Small Tour class (1.10m) was all Belgian. Winner was Kim Celis with the KWPN mare Beaujolais (Oramé x Ueleme de Longpre). The rider from Halle (Antwerp) rode a clear round in 36.11 seconds. Runners-up were Mauranne Smets and Baya van Essene (Athlet Z x Eros Platiere): 0/0/38.30. Alex Servais finished in third with Jokinal de Litrange Cix (BWP, Indoctro x Darco).
 
Belgium’s Jerome Counasse won both the Medium and the Big Tour. A great achievement by the rider from Liege who rode a clear round in the Medium Tour (1.20m) with Ismaya Des Bruyeres (BWP, Baloubet du Rouet x Domburg) in 35.10 seconds. He won the Big Tour with Next Up Z (Zang, Nonstop x Skippy II).
Runner-up in the Medium Tour was his compatriot Nathalie De Martin with Vaciende (KWPN, Hors La Loi II x Indoctro) followed by Italy’s Giovanni Torre and Toscan de Kergane (SF, Campo Flamingo Z x Caloubet du Rouet).
South Africa’s Oliver Lazarus finished runner-up in the Big Tour with the Oldenburg stallion Bagheera Blue (Chacco Blue x Carnute), they were 0.48 seconds slower. Third place went to Jan Geukens with Illusion GT (BWP, Couleur Rubin x Voltaire) for Belgium. Geukens was very successful in Valkenswaard last year, when he won two classes in the five-year-old section.
 
Full results
Time Schedule Tuesday 9 May