- He was the man of the day: Dr Georg Hladik and his Obora’s Partano © Michael Rzepa
Tournament report 22 June 2012
Styria wins their sixth team championship title – Georg Hladik of Lower Austria is the big surprise winner in the individual rankings
Immensely thrilling, immensely selective and positively gripping: that was the first round of the 2012 Austrian national championships at the Glock Horse Performance Center. It was not an easy task that course manager Adi Appe of Carinthia had set for the 31 title contenders. A technically challenging course with a maximum height of 1.50 m, it demanded the fullest concentration to the last Glock-oxer and also called for top stamina in this heat. Optimally overcoming all these obstacles not once but twice was the ideal way to reach a good initial position after the first round of the individual ranking.
Today was definitely Lower Austrian Georg Hladik’s day. Hladik, Carinthian Dieter Köfler and Rob Raskin from Vorarlberg were the three riders who turned in clear rounds, but only the equestrian vet on his horse Obora Partano managed to stay without fault in the second round too. He thereby secured the lead in the individual rankings with a great point total and ahead of local hero Dieter Köfler. Riding Glock’s Prince de Vaux, Köfler took only one knockdown, positioning himself ideally for the second round on Sunday.
The Styrian Simon Johann Zuchi shone in third place in the individual rankings with a horse from his own stable, Apollo von Pachern, who splendidly fulfilled the high expectations for him and finished with a total of eight faults. Other riders with eight faults but worse times were Christian Schranz of Lower Austria on Quartz van de Nieuwmolen (4th place), Markus Saurugg of Styria on Texas I (5th place), Alice Janout of Lower Austria on Wodka Lime (6th place) and Christian Juza of Styria on Lady Like 25 (7th place). “For me it’s a dream come true to win in front of such an audience and to be in the lead,” the beaming Georg Hladik said at the victory ceremony. “I’d like to thank the Glock family for everything. It’s unbelievably beautiful here, but I would also like to thank my horse, who performed so well for me. I am, after all, an amateur and entirely dependent on him.”
Competition 6: Austrian team championship title for Styria
- The winning Styrian team with the exclusive cups made by Martin Schaller: Simon Johann Zuchi, Mario Bichler, Kathrin Glock (GHPC director), Barbara Belousek and Markus Saurugg © Studio Horst
The team ranking was also decided today, bringing guaranteed excitement: while Vorarlberg was still in the lead ahead of Styria and Lower Austria after the first round, the Styrians (Markus Saurugg, Mario Bichler, Barbara Belousek, Simon Johann Zuchi) pulled past everyone with 24 faults in total to secure their fifth Austrian team championship title. Victory earned them the wonderful prize trophy made of black anodized aluminium with a plastically milled GLOCK logo.
Lower Austria (Simone Scheiblauer, Anton Martin Bauer, Alice Janout, Christian Schranz) also made a great final rally to finish in second place with 28.25 faults ahead of the mixed team of Vienna and Vorarlberg (Helfried Knotz, Christian Rhomberg, Franz Aschenbrenner, Rob Raskin) with 42 faults; Carinthia (Andrea Skorianz-Jenull, Markus Stock, Dieter Köfler, Gerfried Puck) with 45.75 faults; and the Upper Austrians (Roland Englbrecht, Josef Schwarz Jr, Iris Murray, Astrid Kneifl), unfortunately trailing behind with 48.75 faults.
Competition 5: Young horse competition 125/130cm 7-year-old - at LM level
- The best pair scored 8.50 points: Anton Martin Bauer (Lower Austria) and Viper Van De Huize Ruisdael © Michael Rzepa
[Translate to en:]
Masterful: Anton Martin Bauer on Viper Van De Huize Ruizdael also wins the second young horse competition
Today a pair that we can expect to see on the big show jumping arenas in the future won the young horse competition for six- and seven-year-old horses for the second time. With plenty of care, Lower Austrian Anton Martin Bauer guided his horse Viper van de Huize Ruisdael (son of Feliciano) across the LM course and towards a stunning score of 8.50 points. Great things can also be expected of the best six-year-old: second place finisher Capillon, a chestnut gelding sired by Caitano and raised in Oldenburg, which Gerald Beck from Burgenland presented in ideal fashion, scoring 8.20 points. Iris Murray, the successful young woman from Upper Austria, is also excellently positioned for the future: she snagged places three and four with her junior whizzes Qui Doo and Gioletta, which received scores of 7.80 and 7.70.
Competition 4: Two-phase show jumping at M level
- That was the winning round: Dieter Köfler (Carinthia) and Golden Gun © Michael Rzepa
Carinthia keeps on winning! Dieter Köfler wins the two-phase at level M
Strong and fast! With a time that was out of this world in the two-phase at level M, Carinthia’s local hero today staked a claim for the current Austrian team championships. In 36.68 seconds the experienced rider secured his victory on Golden Gun ahead of Lower Austrian Christian Schranz on the chestnut gelding Whisper von Lichten. Third and fourth place went to Susanne Jurkovic on Edison 5 and Anton Martin Bauer on Confetti 2, both members of the Lower Austrian team, which is preparing for the Austrian team championships.
“Today we have a goal, we really want to bring the title to Carinthia,” Dieter Köfler said in an interview with Dancing Stars celebrity Dorian Steidl after his victory. “It will definitely be hard, but it’s possible. I hope the local fans will give us strong support!”
Competition 13: Standard jumping at level L
- That makes it all worthwhile! Prize for Nani Kulmitzer from GHPC press officer Claudia Wolfahrt © Michael Rzepa
Go Carinthia! Young talent Nani Kulmitzer secures GHPC Amateur Tour victory
Nani Kulmitzer of Carinthia managed her GHPC Amateur Tour performance perfectly today. Every turn was just right, as were the distances and the speed, and her grey mare Colbera jumped excellently – all the ideal ingredients for the young local talent’s well-deserved victory in the GHPC Amateur Tour. Speedy Alpenspan team member Gudrun Priker of Styria nearly matched the winning time. With her mare Alpenspan Citadelle, she swept to second place in 59.35 seconds, edging past Carinthian Christiane Fleischhacker with Silvane 6, who finished in third place.