48 riders tried their chances in the Middle Tour Final competition in Proznan, counting for the Longines Ranking. The first course was quite technical, and ultimately 12 pairs qualified for the jump-off. The best one of them all in the end was 24-year-old Lucas Porter from the United States, aboard the holsteiner Hope Street (by Casall) – a pair training under the eye of Olympic champion Jeroen Dubbeldam. They crossed the finish line in 35,18 seconds.
"I knew it would be a quick jump-off. Fortunately, I was able to go tenth, so I could see what I needed to do to take the victory today. I can’t name one competitor that I feared, because there were a lot of quick combinations in there. My horse is really fast, and she always looks to the next fence when we land, and so I just tried to lay down a jump-off that I could do, and that would take the victory, and fortunately it was enough. It’s my first time in Poland, so starting with a victory is always great. It really is a top show, thank you for the organizers who are able to run the event in these difficult times we’re all facing. The Polish fans are very enthusiastic", said Porter.
Second place went to Greek rider Angelos Touloupis, with Lord Mexx (by Larimar 7), who was only 0,6 second slower and recorded a time of 35,18 seconds. Experienced Dutch athlete Jur Vrieling closed off the podium riding Griffin van de Heffinck (by Castelino van de Helle). They ticked off the clock in 35,84 seconds.
The top five was completed by the Dutch riders. Loewie Joppen (Important Style VK) came in fourth. Gerben Morsink (Carsey Z) followed as fifth.
Click here for the full results.
Source: press release