Horse Festival of Valkenswaard 5-7 August 2011

Henk van de Pol and Kirfa de Kreisker on their way to winning the Big Tour Class at the Horse Festival (photo: Sportfot/www.sportfot.com/GCT)

The final day of competition at the Horse Festival in Valkenswaard was a huge success for Dutch rider Henk van de Pol, taking the Small, Medium and Big Tour classes against very good competition from an international array of competitors. 

Young Horses

Table A with one jump-off

Five of the 19 six year olds and 8 of the 14 seven year olds headed to jump-off to ascertain the best youngster of the Horse Festival. The Six year olds were first to jumped-off before the course was raised for the seven year olds.

Gerco Schroder (NED) bettered his third place posted on Friday with the stallion Eurocommerce VD Groep Zagreb by taking out feature young horse class on the program today.

A good time of 38.29 was set by Phillip Lever (AUS) with his 6 year old Kannan x Quidam de Revel bred gelding that was rounded up later by the seven year olds. The combination eventually sat in third place. “It is only my second show with this horse,” Phil said.  “He is a big horse with  lots of scope and should be a good horse in the future.”

Schroder was first out of the seven year olds to be very tidily home in a time of 35.91seconds.

Belgian Jody Bosteels was the closest rival finishing clean with a with a time of 37.98 seconds with Hanry Reynten’s  7 year old Action Breaker stallion Explosive III.

“It was a good class and I am pleased with the way the horse jumped and to be second place,” stated a happy Jody as he dismounted.   “I am training him to go to the World Young Horse Championships in Lanaken.  He was 3^rd at the Belgium 7 Year Championships and I have had him for about 2 ½ years.”

 

Special Invitational 1.15m

Belgium rider Elisa Schepers realised her second rosette for the show as she came in behind winner Joanne Sloan-Allen (IRL) who won yet another class here at the Horse Festival of Valkenswaard.

Elisa was early to go in the jump-off and had no choice but to post the best performance time laying it down for those to come.  Her coloured mare Verona set 38.36 to beat.   Kim Rothengatter (NED) on VDL Groep Alitta (38.77sec.) and Kelly Hermans (BEL) riding Wilke (39.63) didn’t better Elisa’s time and they placed 3^rd and 4^th respectively.

It was Irish Joanne Sloan-Allen, one but last to jump-off with Chekane, who took the shorter track to be home one second faster to win.  Three classes for the Horse Festival of Valkenswaard with two wins is surely a great way to start a partnership with a new horse.  Joanne took the ride on this mare only last week.

 

Special Invitational 1.25m

There’s no point travelling a long way to an event unless you mean business.  And the business of winning was certainly met with success by Brazilian rider Isabella Salles.  This young lady has had exceptional performances over the weekend of the Horse Festival in Valkenswaard. Today she won the Special Invitational 1.25m final event by a massive 3 seconds.

Riding the grey mare Umora, Salles eclipsed fast times set by British riders James Payne and Rebecca Marsh with their horses early in the contest.  American rider Cortright Wetherill attempted to chase Salles down but could only come home in 35.82 to be second.

Charlotte Casiraghi (MON) was also determined to win with her mare Madison D’Olgy coming home clean in a time of 36.31 seconds to rest in 3^rd place.

“Winning this class topped off a great weekend, “said the young Brazilian. ”I have won a few classes and placed well also.  This mare won on Friday, was the fastest time yesterday and won again today.  The partnership has certainly come together. “

Salles attributes this to good training. “I came here three weeks ago and train with John and Beezie Madden. It is the first time that I have been able to send a lengthy period with them and I have been able to completely follow their systems of management and training and it has paid off.  They are truly great people.”

Concluding college this year Salles intends to ride full time now with greatful support from her family. “My dad Paulo will hopefully be here next weekend for the Global Champions Tour to watch.  He enjoys the sport and I like him to be part of my life with the horses. I stay for two more weeks before returning to Rio for the Global Champions Tour event and others until the end of November.”

 

Special Invitational 1.35m

The jump-off of the final 1.35m invitational class on the program for the Horse Festival was an international affair that saw 3 Brits, a Syrian, Brazilian and Dutch rider join two Americas for the jump-off. Four of these went double clean and results set on time given.

Seventeen year old Rebecca Marsh, from Cheshire, UK was second on course with the plan to have a cut knowing that some very good combinations were to follow.  The round was stylish and quick as Rebecca could trust her ride Onarco who she has been riding for about 4 years. They showed a clear set of heels and across the finish line in 39.50 seconds.

“I knew Claire Beecroft (UK) was directly after me and knowing she could go fast  I had nothing to lose,” commented Rebecca after the ride. “It is the best win for me and 100% worth coming here from England.  My mum Mary won here four years ago with this same horse.  My parents give me great support and we are really enjoying the Horse Festival.”

Claire Beecroft showed how consistent her and the Sergeant Pepper mare Sally are jumping clear.  They were a little slower through the double as the mare appeared to get a little more airborne and they completed in 40.06 to be second.

Dutch rider Lauren van Berkel chose a tighter track with Little Lancer and posted the fastest time 38.88 but felled the oxer at the second last.  Brazilian Isabella Salles, who has had a very successful weekend, didn’t quite capitalize on the first available inside line and finished clean in 40.06seconds.

Last to go Flaminia Straumann (USA) chose to produce a nice round from the big jumping grey Tarpan completing clear in 44.84 seconds to be 4^th in line.

 

Small Tour Final – Table A with Jump-off

Homeland victory today for Dutchman Henk van de Pol with the Buckskin ‘Flicka’ in the Small Tour competition that saw 41 strong combinations start. “This 9 year old mare is very, very quick,” Henk said after the round. “ The plan was always to try to win the class as I attempted to do yesterday.  If we had not had one down then we would have won that class also, as we had the fastest time. She is a nice second team horse, not a Grand Prix horse, but a winner of classes at this level.”

Jody Bosteels (BEL) scored another good placing to his scorecard for the day, this time a to second place with Coconut 27.  This imposing grey ‘Concorde’ gelding has place very consistently over the Global Champions Tour events throughout the series tis year and a great team horse for the Belgium rider.

Swedish competitor Mathilda Karlsson placed third

1^st Henk van der Pol   Netherlands   Flicker 0/0/57.56

2^nd Jody Bosteels   Belgium   Coconut 27  0/0/58.73

3^rd Cassinus  Sweden  Mathilda Karlsson

4^th Zeline Rob Heijigers Netherlands   0/0/60.84

5^th Calypos Z  Eric van der Vleuten  0/0 60.88

6^th Zeosina L James Fisher 0/0/61.38

 

Medium Tour – Table A with jump-off

Henk van der Pol turned in back to back wins today.  Immediately following the win in the Small Tour Henk headed to the grassed arena to walk the course for the Medium Tour.  Full focus played out well as he won the Medium Tour with John Straagst’s buckskin ‘Chesterfield’.

As 13 of the 45 field jumped-off, all riders were out to win but van der Pols felt confident with his mare’s ability. “I have had this speedy mare for about half a year,” explained Henk.  “She has done a lot of local events with her owner and now stepped up to this bigger national event today.  The win today is good and she can do a little bit bigger classes in the future.  She is very, very careful.”

They were careful and fast winning in a time of 35.88. “We had a good run to fence three and then 7 strides to the double and everything came up well.  This is where I think we won the class,” stated Henk.

In form rider of the show Thomas Weinberg claimed 2^nd place with Violetta 53 with a time of 36.72 seconds.  This 8-year-old Voltaire mare won the Medium Tour class the prior day and is certainly one to look for in Grand Prix’s in the future.

British rider James Fischer, last to go, appeared to have Low river Queen Z motoring as the smooth round ended clean in a time of 36.52 seconds.  Not good enough to round up Weinberg and Van der Pol yet smart enough to take the third place spoils.

 

Big Tour – Table A with Jump-off

When riders are on fire at an event the momentum often carries them to further successes throughout a show. 

Henk van de Pol secured 8000 euros and his third tour class today.  Having already won the Small and Medium Tour events, Henk put in a very quick jump-off round on Kirfa de Kreisker.  The Papillon Rouge mare crossed the timer at 38.47 seconds bettering Gerco Shroder’s earlier set time of 39.20 seconds of on Eurocommerce Vigaro.

“I wanted to win again today,” Henk assured us as he was preparing to head into presentations. “This mare has only been with me for two weeks and has placed already in Grand Prix’s recently.  She is extremely capable as proven here today.  It would be good to ride her next week in the Global Champions Tour, so I hope to see you here next week.”

Maikel van der Vleuten, who was early to set the pace at 39.69 seconds ended up taking the third position with VDL Groep Vleut.

Results showed a very strong stranglehold by the Dutch in this Big Tour final event on the program of the Horse Festival in Valkenswaard.

The International Concours program of showjumping will commence next Friday 12 August and conclude on Sunday 14.  The feature event, the Global Champions Tour of Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, will start at 14h15.  For those who are unable to come to this eighth round of 10 in the global series, viewing of the first round can be seen at GCT Live at www.globalchampionstour.com or watched on Eurosport to all countries at 21h00 (CEST).