Van der Vleuten secured victory with Kentucky Tms Z (Kannan), guiding the stallion faultlessly through both the first round and the jump-off and stopping the clock in 33.79 seconds.

“This victory means a lot to me. This is one of the most important classes of the event and I really think Kentucky deserves this title. He is a stallion with enormous quality, a lot of speed and a fantastic mentality in the ring. I knew we had a chance, but whether everything truly comes together on the day is always uncertain,” he said afterwards. “You try to make the best possible plan and today it worked out perfectly, even in a very fast jump-off. We’ve had this horse since he was four and produced him ourselves to this level. He is a true sport horse and the goal is to keep developing him, hopefully towards five-star level,” Van der Vleuten added.

Seppe Wouters finished second in the saddle of Goldeneye Gem (Cicero Z) after also producing a faultless jump-off in 33.81 seconds.

Wouters commented: “I’m very happy with this result. It was a nice course and for us it was also the first time competing together at this height, so I’m proud that it went so well. The horse will now get some rest after this class and afterwards we will look at how to build up towards the outdoor season.”

Third place went to Christian Ahlmann with Dourkhan Hero Z (Don’t Touch Tiji Hero), who finished clear in 33.98 seconds. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli placed fourth aboard Hermes Gem (Vagabond de La Pomme) in 34.65 seconds.

Belgium was also represented in the top five thanks to Thibeau Spits. Riding Jazzy des Dames (Emerald), he delivered a clear round in 35.55 seconds to secure fifth place.

Results