Saturday, 09 June 2018 CSI5* CSI2* CSIYH1* GHPC

Marc Houtzager is the Gaston Glock’s Champion

Today, already for the second time this weekend at the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER Austria, riding the course meant a chance of points in the Longines World Rankings for show jumpers. Thirty-eight rider-horse duos faced up to the challenge of this 5-star competition over 1.55 m, to be decided over two rounds.

Those wishing to secure a share of the 93,000 euro prize pot had to give it all in the first round, comprising 16 jumps. Particularly important was judging precisely the distances to the total of three double combinations, because any small error would affect the result through a knockdown or lost time. No fewer than twelve duos dealt with the first round perfectly and remained penalty-free. Given the rule that only 25% of participants, namely the fastest ten, could enter the deciding round, unfortunately Karel Cox (BEL) and Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) could only look on.

The Austrian course designers Franz Madl and Adi Appe had laid out the second round within the large jumping arena in such a way as to allow both speed between the jumps and the saving of valuable metres through tightly executed turns. There was correspondingly hot competition to decide among the best ten, and indeed only two duos managed the trick of remaining penalty-free the second time.

An ideal round in 49.32 seconds ultimately meant a well-earned victory for team-silver medallist of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Marc Houtzager (NED), who had just nine-year-old Sterrehof’s Edinus under his saddle.

“Today I really was lucky that many of my colleagues had knock-downs”, said a grinning Marc Houtzager in the winner’s interview. “I was already the second to start in the deciding round, which isn’t that easy. So I’m all the more pleased that it was enough for victory. I’ve been coming here to the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER for several years now and would like to take the opportunity to offer my thanks for this superbly organised event.”

It was also zero penalties twice for the world’s number 82, Gudrun Patteet (BEL), and her twelve-year-old Swedish gelding Sea Coast Atlantic. This duo only needed seven hundredths of seconds more to finish and were delighted with second place in the Gaston Glock’s Championat.

Third placed (4/46.18) in this world ranking jumping competition was Henrik von Eckermann, currently the world’s number four and certainly a well-known face. With his experienced 12-year-old mare Toveks Mary Lou, this year the Swedish rider succeeded in winning the World Cup of Gothenburg (SWE) and came third in the Welt Cup final in Paris (FRA).

Olympic medal winner, world and European champion, GLOCK Rider Gerco Schröder (NED), riding his 14-year-old KWPN stallion GLOCK's Zaranza, was happy with fourth place.

07 CSI5* Gaston Glock’s Championat
Int. jumping competition over two rounds (1.55 m)
Counts for the LONGINES Ranking

1. Sterrehof’s Edinus - Houtzager, Marc (NED) 0/49.32
2. Sea Coast Atlantic - Patteet, Gudrun (BEL) 0/49.39 3. Toveks Mary Lou - von Eckermann, Henrik (SWE) 4/46.18
4. GLOCK’s Zaranza - Schröder, Gerco (NED) 4/47.15
5. Bulavsco - Thijssen, Sanne (NED) 4/47.69
6. Bintang II - Renwick, Laura (GBR) 4/48.47
7. Inferno - Mansur, Yuri (BRA) 4/48.73
8. Coach - Madden, Elizabeth (USA) 4/50.41
9. Chalou - Gaudiano, Emanuele (ITA) 8/48.92
10. Cornet - Deusser, Daniel (GER) eliminated
11. Cascor Z - Cox, Karel (BEL) 0/77.03
Link to results

INFO BOX
What: International Show Jumping
When: 08-10/06/2018
Where: GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER Austria
VIP day-tickets: call +43 664 88 73 44 01
Free entry to all competitive events
www.ghpc.at

Photo enquiries  to:
office@glockpress.at

Beaming winners in the CSI5* Gaston Glock’s Championat over 1.55 m were Marc Houtzager (NED) and Sterrehof’s Edinus. © Cedric Vlemmings

Dutch rider Marc Houtzager and his nine-year-old gelding Sterrehof’s Edinus succeeded in winning the CSI5* Gaston Glock’s Championat penalty-free by a margin of seven hundredths. © Cedric Vlemmings

Gudrun Patteet (BEL) and Sea Coast Atlantic also remained penalty-free twice, coming second in the CSI5* Gaston Glock’s Championat. © Cedric Vlemmings

Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and Toveks Mary Lou came third in the CSI5* Gaston Glock’s Championat. © Cedric Vlemmings

GLOCK Rider Gerco Schröder (NED) and GLOCK’s Zaranza jumped to fourth place in the World Ranking jumping competition with prize money totalling 93,000 euros. © Cedric Vlemmings