In the RAI Amsterdam Prix, riders faced an international 1.45m speed class at CSI5*-W level, a race against the clock that also counted for the Longines Ranking. With 55 starters, it turned into a battle decided by fractions of a second. The Netherlands left a clear mark at the top of the leaderboard, claiming no fewer than two podium places.
The home crowd went wild when it became clear that victory would stay in Dutch hands. Michael Greeve delivered the winning performance aboard Rubens (Luganer), producing a faultless round and stopping the clock at the fastest time of the class: 53.83 seconds.
Greve reacted enthusiastically: “It was a really fast round. I’d seen Sanne go, and she was already seriously quick. I know my horse is very fast too. I watched Sanne and rode the same lines as she did. I took one stride less than her, and that’s what won it for us. Rubens felt really good yesterday as well, but then I had an unlucky mistake at the double combination. So I started this course with a good feeling.”
Sanne Thijssen held the lead for a long time, but ultimately had to give way to her compatriot. Riding the Zangersheide mare Farah Z (For Pleasure), she also jumped clear to secure second place in 54.70 seconds.
Third place went to Great Britain, with Robert Whitaker guiding Strike A Pose (Catwalk IV) through a clear round in 55.03 seconds.
Willem Greve kept the Dutch dominance firmly intact by steering Party In de Hus (Kannan) into fourth place in 55.75 seconds, while fifth place also stayed with the Netherlands thanks to Enrico van Manen, who produced another clear round aboard Keep In Mind JB (Berlin) in 55.94 seconds.
