Release date: 17/07/2021

The Big Tour was won brilliantly by Brazilian top rider Marlon Modolo Zanotelli with the 14-year-old mare Catalina (Chacco-Blue x Converter). An enthusiastic Zanotelli said afterwards: "I am very happy, also to be here again. It is a fantastic event and I want to thank the organisation for making this possible." He was the first starter: "Yes, I was the first, I had to be because my horse Catalina, owned and ridden by Cindy van de Straten, is a bit scared of other horses. I walked the course together with Cindy's trainer, who helps me a lot. He knows the horse very well, which is a big advantage. He told me exactly what to do with the lines and we made a plan and that worked well." It's often difficult for riders to go into the ring first, that's no different for Marlon, "Definitely! At this level you know that there will always be riders after you who can beat you, even if you think you have ridden a very fast round. Darragh (Kenny) and Julien (Epaillard) were faster but had a fault. Catalina is not very fast, but we had a good plan. I would also have been happy with her performance if we had finished in second or third place."
Second place was for Michael Pender and HHS Lou (2013, Luidam) for Ireland followed by a compatriot of Zanotelli, Eduardo Menezes with H5 Chacco's Charlie PS (2013, Elite) in third place.
 
The Medium Tour (1.40m against the clock) was won by Michael Pender and HHS Fortune (Catoki x Doublas). The 21-year-old Irishman rode a clear round in 63.10 seconds. Dutchman Steven Veldhuis needed over a second more to cross the finish line with the eight-year-old mare Installera Balia RS (Emerald xx Germus R). They realised a time of 64.23 seconds. Britain's Ellen Whitaker came in third with Spacecake (Stakkato x Kannan) with a clear round in 65.75. 
 
The victory in the Small Tour, in which the jump-off took place immediately after the clear round, went to the Dutch Aniek Diks with her 18-year-old stallion Winston Jumper R (Cantos x Concorde). The stallion is already a bit older, but that didn't stop him from going for the win. Aniek was happy with him: "He jumped very well and he is a fast horse. They beat some big names including Marlon Modolo Zanotelli. "I'm not that impressed anymore then, my horse has a lot of experience." The 31-year-old Diks has been riding Winston Jumper R for 11 years now, in 2017 they were in Valkenswaard for the first time. "We have won quite a lot together, including the Derby of Eindhoven. Today we owe the victory to one less stride towards the vertical.” 
Marlon Modolo Zanotelli was second with Chili (2012, Consolidator x Berlin) and Patrick van der Schans finished in third place with Heavy Plot (2012, Plot-Blue x Gelha's VDL Emilion).
 
Young Horses: Tobias Meyer shows he is serious
 
German rider Tobias Meyer clearly had a mission and brought it to a successful conclusion. Meyer and the six-year-old mare Celebrity-H (Comme Il Faut 5 x No Limit) were the first to start in the 1.30/1.35m against the clock competition and stopped the clock at 66.26. None of the combinations after that, 28 in total, managed to match this time. Last weekend during the first summer event this duo was also unbeatable in the final.
Yesterday's winner, Dutch rider Piet Raijmakers Jr, came second with the seven-year-old mare Jadzia (Van Schijndel's Rascin x Vittorio) with a clear round in 67.39 seconds. Ireland's top rider Darragh Kenny came third, just like yesterday, with the mare Rockwell RC (2014, Kannan).
 
CSI1*: Three times is a charm
 
In the 1.35m class against the clock the victory went just like yesterday to the Brazilian Leandro José Abrahao with the 10-year-old mare Bella des Causses (Luccianno x Quartz du Vallon). Still only 17 years young, but certainly a promise for the future. The top three were remarkably faster than the rest of the field. Abrahao stopped the clock at 63.39. Patrick van der Schans finished second for the Netherlands with Habrina (2012, Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Phin-Phin) in 63.89. Chilean Maria Ignac Del Pedregal Villalobos came third with Larbraker (2007, Larino x Heartbreaker) in a time of 64.09.
 
Dutchman Piet Raijmakers Jr also repeated his victory of yesterday in the 1.25m class with jump-off. In the jump-off, which counted 15 combinations, he managed to improve the time of Boris Kapp from Germany and none of the combinations after him could beat that time. Raijmakers rode the 8-year-old stallion I'm Specialized Z (I M Special de Muze x Commanchi) over the finish line in 39.55 seconds. Kapp had to settle for second place with Pauline F (2011, Bravour 1197 x Casa Grande). American Isabel Coxe came third with Off White (2007, Cassini II x Carano).
 
Three times is a charm. Belgian Anouch Danneels and her nine-year-old mare Oakingham Francessca (Heartbreaker x Stakkato) confirmed their good form by winning the 1.15m (against the clock) today as well. Kasper de Boeck completed the Belgian party by finishing second with Gerenia (2011, Cantos). Finland's Maiju Lankinen came third with the 11-year-old mare Argelith Sue.