In the denouement of the first edition of JPM International, it was Petronella Andersson who claimed victory in the 1.50m Grand Prix with Claptonn Mouche. In second place was a student of Emile Hendrix, Saudi Meshari Alharbi, with Cascadello Boy RM. The third step of the podium was for Brit Robert Murphy in the saddle of Comme Cornet.
Michel Hendrix' backyard was packed with fans for the Grand Prix who watched the riders' exploits in glorious sunshine. In the 1.50m class, in which Louis Konickx directed the obstacles, 12 riders secured a place in the jump-off.
Cutting edge
Meshari Alharbi set an excellent time with Cascadello Boy RM, the stallion with which Katrin Eckermann was previously successful. The student of Emile Hendrix managed to make his coach proud by finishing in 35.52 seconds. The Saudi could not enjoy the top ranking for long, as he was immediately beaten by Sweden's Petronella Andersson. Robert Murphy, who jumped clear all day with the 10-year-old, particularly careful Comme Cornet (by Comme il Faut), made a solid attempt to beat the times of Andersson and Alharbi, but climbed no further than third place in a time of 37.07 seconds.
Close to the heart
Sweden's Andersson rode the 11-year-old Claptonn Mouche (by Conrad) at the cutting edge and appropriated the win with a ride in which she finished quite a bit faster than Alharbi in 34.23 seconds. "My time as a stable rider with the Hendrix family nine years ago now has been close to my heart, so I'm very pleased that it worked out so well at an event where it's nice to see you again," the winner responded.
"I normally ride this horse at the 5* level, but the competition was fierce here. There were many top riders competing, but I knew I wanted to make an effort for the win. It was quite a delicate jump-off course, so Claptonn Mouche's caution came in handy here. I went for it and luck was on my side," Andersson said.
Source: Press release
Photo©: JPM International - Digishots