Sunday, 03 February 2013 CSI3* CSIYH1* CSIAm-B

Beat Mändli takes crown – win in hotly contested GLOCK’s Grand Prix

Every last seat was taken in the arena at the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER today and yet you could have heard a pin drop in the final of the GLOCK's Grand Prix Tour. Exactly 48 riders from 22 nations, including Olympic, World and European champions, managed to qualify for this Grand Prix (1.60 m) with a purse of €60,000. Among them were four Austrians: Julia Kayser (Tyrol), Markus Saurugg (Styria), Robert Puck (Carinthia) and Christian Schranz (Lower Austria). 

The riders from Austria did not however play much of a role in the battle for glory. It ended up being an exciting duel between the Netherlands and Switzerland. Double silver medal winner in London Gerco Schröder (NED) went into the lead with the first clear second round and a breathtaking performance on the 12-year-old grey stallion Urban Hero (42.11). Only a few minutes later it was snatched away from him by his team mate Marc Houtzager. The Dutchman riding the 12-year-old chestnut gelding Sterrehof's Uppity produced an ideal mix of fast pace, control and a great deal of risk to top the leaderboard with a time of 40.03 seconds. 

Beat Mändli must have nerves of steel: the Swiss was the last rider out for the final round and suddenly there was deathly silence. With such a large number of Grand Prix wins under his belt, would he add the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER to his collection? He did. Nobody rode so uncompromisingly to win, without hesitating, without a trace of wondering whether to reduce his speed, always pushing forward to potential victory. Every turn was tight, every distance ideal and in the end the result, too – the GLOCK’s Grand Prix win in 39.16 seconds! 

16 GLOCK'S GRAND PRIX TOUR FINAL
CSI3* | International jump class in two rounds (1.60 m)
Competition counting for FEI Jumping Rankings

1. Louis - Mändli Beat (SUI) 0 39.16 - Round 2
2. Sterrehof's Uppity - Houtzager Marc (NED) 0 40.03 - Round 2
3. Urban Hero - Schröder Gerco (NED) 0 42.11 - Round 2
4. Sacramento - Schans Wout-Jan van der (NED) 4 38.75 - Round 2
5. VDL Bubalu - Vrieling Jur (NED) 4 39.98 - Round 2
6. Uppercut DS - Gaudiano Emanuele (ITA) 4 41.08 - Round 2
7. Armani The Gun CH - Mallat Maiju (FIN) 4 43.23 - Round 2
8. Balouzino - Skrzyczynski Jaroslaw (POL) 4 43.45 - Round 2
9. Zydoctro vd Kapel - Bettinger Marc (GER) 8  39.81 - Round 2
10. Ballymore Eustace - Carey Shane (IRL) 8 44.42 - Round 2
11. Carlina - Coyle Trevor (IRL) 8 50.21 - Round 2
12. Delphi - Bahamdan Kamal Abdullah (KSA) 9 56.24 - Round 2
Results link

All results here