Release date: 16/07/2021

The second summer event at the beautiful Tops International Arena was opened by the 2* 1.40m Medium Tour combinations, who were presented a two-phase course. No fewer than 45 horses came to the start. Austrian Felix Koller was third in the ring and set a good time with the 11-year-old gelding Zenon Z (Zandor x Pilot): 30.15. Koller and Zenon won the same class last weekend. Koller held the lead for a long time but Egyptian Nayel Nassar, who was 20th on the starting list, managed to beat Koller's time by more than a second with the 10-year-old gelding Jiminy Cricket (Colestus x Cornet Obolensky): 29.04. However, at the end it was Mexican Enrique who secured victory with the nine-year-old stallion Parrandero (Clarimo x San Patrignano Cassini) by cutting Nassar's time by 0.02 seconds.
 
The 2* Small Tour (1.35m) was won by Irishman Michael Pender with the 10-year-old mare HHS Fortune (Catoki x Douglas).  This fast combination was one of the last to start with a time of 28.22 seconds. Leandro José Abrahao was long in the lead with Disco (2008, Numero Uno x Corland). The Brazilian had to settle for second place with a time of 30.48. The Belgian Dries van der Linden finished in third place in 30.58 with Henna de Beauvois (2007, Toulon x Lys de Darmen).
 
36-year-old Sergio Alvarez Moya, who is based in La Coruna in Spain, took victory in the 2* Big Tour (1.45m). As the last starter, he directed the Irishman Darragh Kenny to second place. The Spaniard completed the second phase in 25.73 seconds with the eight-year-old gelding Incredible Bleu (Zirocco Blue VDL x Diarado). Kenny stopped the clock at 26.07 with Cicomein VDL (2007, Chacco-Blue x Jus de Pomme). Piet Raijmakers finished third with the nine-year-old mare Van Schijndel's Olaya Z (Ogano Sitte x Concorde) with a clear second phase in 26.72, making him the best Dutch rider.
 
CSI1*: Belgium, the Netherlands and Brazil in front
The Brazilian Leandro José Abrahao was in good shape in the 1.30/1.35m. He won the class with the 10-year-old Bella des Causses (Luccianno x Quartz du Vallon) and also took second place with the 12-year-old gelding Virtual Boy de Sheloa (Quality Touch x Hivanoe). The 17-year-old was the only one with both horses to stay under 30 seconds in the second phase.
"It's great to perform like this with my two horses," Abrahoa said afterwards. "I am super happy, also that I get the chance to ride here, it is fantastic. I have good horses, they are both very fast." Despite the fact that there had been a lot of rain the last few days, the soil was super according to Leandro: "The soil is super, they did a top job."
The Belgian rider Kasper De Boeck came third with Taloudor KZ (2007, Taloubet K x Indorado).
 
In the 1.20m competition the spectators saw a great Dutch victory. The 38-year-old Piet Raijmakers Jr was the fastest in 29.33 with the 8-year-old stallion I'm Specialized Z (Special de Muze x Commanchi).
Second place went to Norway's Thea Gunleksen and the 8-year-old gelding Chelino (Conway x Calato Z) followed by Susana Epaillard with Beefeater d'Auge (2011, Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel) for Spain.
 
The last competition in the CSI1* was for the 1.10m combinations where a Belgian rider was also at the front of the prize-giving ceremony. The 24-year-old Anouch Danneels was by far the fastest with her Oakingham Francessca (2012, Heartbreaker x Stakkato). She stopped the clock at 27.32 and was almost 5.5 seconds faster than runner-up Maiju Lankinen with Argelith Sue.  Japanese rider Risako Hara came third with the 11-year-old stallion Will-O-The-Wisp T.
 
Young Horses: Raijmakers the best
After winning the 1* 1.20m Piet Raijmakers Jr was also the fastest in the 1.30/1.35m competition (two phases) for young horses. He rode the seven-year-old mare Jadzia (Van Schijndel's Rascin x Vittorio) over the finish line in 32.40. His compatriot Steven Veldhuis took second place with the seven-year-old stallion Equus Tame (Qlassic Bois Margot x Quaprice Boimargot Quincy). Irish Olympic rider Darragh Kenny finished in third with Rockwell RC (2014, Kannan). Best six-year-old was Celebrity-H (Comme Il Faut 5 x No Limit) ridden by German Tobias Meyer in fourth place.