The finale class of the week was the culmination of three days of competition, and course designer Uliano Vezzani served up a crafty round one track that with clear trouble spots. From 38 starters, just six jumped fault free over a tricky, flat-cupped FFE vertical that rode off a short right rollback turn. And if they made it over that, the final two fences, both oxers with liverpools underneath, were likely to cause faults.
The top four all rode double clear, but Ahlmann was the only one to break the 36 second mark with Carabis Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide stallion (Caretino x Canabis Z) that is owned by the Zangersheide Stud. Ahlmann’s partner Judy-Ann Melchior bred the flashy stallion, and expressed her surprise at their superstar; this is the second major grand prix Carabis Z has won this year (he won the Longines Masters Grand Prix of Hong Kong with Ahlmann in February,) and yet, as a young horse, they didn’t think he would make a grand prix horse.
But everyone is happy to be proven wrong in this instance, none more so than Ahlmann, who smiled his way through the prizegiving high above the arena, and a wild victory gallop.
Jerome Guery of Belgium took 2nd place honors with Garfield de Tiji de Templiers, giving Ahlmann a run for his money but ultimately finishing just a bit slower.
The other notable performance of the day was that of Alberto Zorzi, who placed 3rd with Rackham’Jo. Zorzi recently took over the reins of the 12-year-old Selle Francis stallion (Diamant de Semilly x Alcamera de Moyon), and it was a happy touch that the stallion’s owner is Athina Onassis herself. Sweden’s Peder Fredricson was the final double clear of the day with H&M Christian K, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding (Namelus R x Calvados).
The complete results list is here.
