The first round of this afternoon's feature Grand Prix course was a true test for the experienced horsemen and women who took the the stunning grass arena to be tested by Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani. VIPs and visitors crowded around the arena to catch a glimpse of the world-class show jumping on offer as threatening black clouds passed the venue leaving just a few drops in their wake to reveal more sunshine. Vezzani provided a smart challenge for some of the best riders in the world with an array of beautifully designed fences - he is one of the most popular course designers with the riders due to his ability to create a fair test that produces the right winner without taxing the horses unduly.
Of the 46 starters, 13 clears progressed into the the final 18 who come back for round two. Key points around the course were the difficult treble combination towards the end, which caught a number of top names, including Championship leader Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Luciana Diniz (POR). But it was the tall, lone uprights, sitting unobtrusively at points around the arena that caught out many riders - Gerco Schroder (NED), Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) and Kent Farrington (USA) all collected four faults at these deceptively tricky fences. The final oxer of the course with it’s brushes in the centre sat right in front of the busy stands also caught a few horses’ eyes and caused a few faults.
Eventually it was the winner of the Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen, two weeks ago, who claimed this Grand Prix's victory. Christian Ahlmann and the 12-years-old Codex One (by Contendro) were the fastest out of three clear rounds in the jump off. Henrik von Eckerman (Gotha FRH) and Ludger Beerbaum (Chira) followed in a second and third position.
