Saturday, 04 February 2012 Competition 11: Gold Tour – GRAND PRIX – 1.45 m

What a winner! Marc Houtzager (NED) comes out top in the Gold Tour Grand Prix

Many had had him down as a favourite, but due to the huge number of high-calibre riders, it was difficult to accurately assess the performance of Marc Houtzager (NED) at the Gold Tour Grand Prix in advance.

The thrilling main competition that took place on the fourth day at the GHPC in front of a full house relied on a course built by Adi Appe (AUT), which seemed more than manageable at first, but proved rather selective in the end.

 

Eight of the 70 competing riders made into the jump-off of the FEI Rolex World-Ranking Jumping Competition. Judging speed correctly proved essential: being fast enough, but without knocking down any bars.

Course builder Adi Appe had confronted the 70 riders with a tricky task, which accounted for only eight riders making it into the jump-off. The round that lay the basis for Marc Houtzager's victory seemed effortless – no problems there for the successful Dutchman who secured his victory with a flawless round in record time and almost one second on Carey Shane (IRL) on Trebox Acorada and Houtzager's fellow-countryman Jack Ansems (NED) on Wilkina.

But Austria also had two aces up its sleeve: Upper Austrians Iris Murray came eleventh with Cash Flow and two fault points. Hugo Simon came in at place 18 after a knockdown on Ukinda.

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