Release date: 14/05/2018

The first day of the first event at Tops International Arena has just finished. Hundreds of horses performed in the two arenas and offered the public good and exciting sport.

CSI1*
The first class, the Small Tour, of the CSI1* had a completely British top three with Caroline Breen finishing first with Kilmastulla Douglas (ISH, by Ard VDL Douglas). The rider, who runs a stable, Breen Sport Horses Ltd, together with her husband Trevor, was over two seconds faster than runner-up Sebastian Bischop with Springsteen Z. Caroline Breen was two out of the three Small Tour classes during the second week at Tops International Arena last year. Third place went to Natasha Dunsdon with Captain Morgan EW.
The Big Tour competition was won by Belgium’s Kevin Gielen with Umbrella Brimbelles (SF, Kannan x Toulon). The 10-year-old black mare is owned by Sandy Blanckaert, TV-host and daughter of the Belgian well-known singer Will Tura. Runners-up were Germany’s Alexander Hufenstuhl and Chacira followed by Sonia Hungerbühler and Balumba Z for Zweden.
Last competition of today’s CSI1* was the Medium Tour class which counted 73 participants. Final winner was Australia’s Georgina Harvey with Que Sera, a 12-year-old Holstein gelding by Quinar x Landgraf I. Harvey mainly rides competitions in Europe in the past years and is engaged to international Oliver Lazarus who rides for South-Africa. Runner-up was Britain’s Benjamin Raistrick with Top Limit and Holland’s Niels Tacken finished in third with Greatfull.
 
CSI2*
The public saw the first Dutch rider win the main prize in the Medium Tour competition. The 35-year-old Siebe Kramer was the 27th starter and none of the following 53 combinations were able to better his score. The rider from Oud-Beijerland crossed the finishline in 31.63 seconds with the eight-year-old KWPN mare Evermeta (Mr. Blue x Nimmerdor). Spain’s Carlos López-Fanjul Tariere finished runner-up with Cerano and third place went to Belgium’s Constant Van Paesschen and Verdie Treize.
The sportive programme finished with the Big Tour competition. The jump-off counted no less than 25 combinations, so the competition was tough, but it was Holland’s Aniek Poels who beat them all. The 31-year-old rider from Swolgen was just 0.03 seconds faster with Coocanusa (KWPN, Numero Uno x A Hold Up Premier) than Gabriel Coumans with Coco Blue de Lui who therefore had to settle with second place. Austria’s Christian Rhomberg finished in third with Redley Kerfontaine.

Full results