In Lanaken the last final of the day has just ended: the final for 7-year old horses. Combinations were jumping over an height of 1m45. 40 combinations started in this class but only eight of them managed to jump a clear first round and came back for the jump-off.
Marc Bettinger was the first rider to enter the jump-off. He counted on the Toulon mare Trinity D'In to ride to the finish in 44,36 seconds. Unfortunately for them, this combinations got three penalties for jumping behind their names. At that moment the German rider already knew he could probably forget a place on the podium. The Italian rider Nico Lupino was the second rider who entered. He and his Lylord Carthender Dei Foletti (f. Mylord Carthago) didn't keep the zero on the score board either. They got a total of eight points behind their names and finished in 39,84 seconds.
The first rider who did manage to jump a clear jump-off was Mathijs van Asten. He and Hotspot (f. Hors la Loi II), a KWPN stallion, didn't touch the wood and finished in 40,71 seconds. With this achievement, he put some pressure on the other contestants: they knew what they had to do, ride clear and ride faster. Van Asten would end on fourth place in the overall standings. The winner of the class for 6-year olds, Katrin Eckermann, didn't jump clear either. She and Daddy's Destiny (f. Comme il Faut) got two penalties for jumping and finished in 38,46 seconds. This would result in a sixth place.
After that it was up to the Brazilian roder Victor Mariano Luminatti. He took over the leadersposition from van Asten with a super fast round in the saddle of Cipollini Second Life Z. They cleared the course and finished in 38,70 seconds. But in the end he would take home the victory: the last rider to enter the jump-off, Seamus Hughes-Kennedy, went fast as lightening. He and Cuffesgrange Cavadora (f. Z Wellie 72) jumped a clear round and finished in 38,58 seconds. Luminatto therefore had to take peace with the second place. The young Belgian rider Alexander Housen ended on fifth place with Uricas vd Kattevennen (f. Ulriko).
Marco Kutscher ended on third place with Policeman (f. Perigueux). They cleared the course in 39,63 seconds.
Click here for the results
