Wednesday, 20 July 2016 NED Championships dressage & CHIO Aachen

Championship honours and Grand Prix success for team GLOCK

The past week was marked out by two events for the GLOCK team. In The Netherlands, GLOCK Riders Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud participated in the dressage championships in Ermelo. They were obligatory for all riders and horses striving to participate in the Olympic Games. They are also valued as a last form assessment before the official announcement of the team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In Aachen, GLOCK Rider Gerco Schröder met the elite of top show-jumping riders at the CHIO in Aachen, which once again offered breath-taking equestrian sports before sold-out grandstands.

One time gold, twice silver - Rio, here we come!
From July 14th - 17th, all of the Oranje dressage elite met up in Ermelo, the “equestrian capital of The Netherlands” in order to participate in the national dressage championships. This time, the pressure was twice as high. At stake were not only the championship title, but also final nomination for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

But first in the schedule were the championships in the Small Tour. Here, there was no getting past Edward Gal and the enormously expressive stallion, GLOCK’s Zonik. With 79.430 % in the first part of the test (Prix St Georges) and 81.708 % in the second part (Inter I Freestyle),  this eight-year-old son of Blue Hors Zack conquered the hearts of audience and jury, winning these championships by a large margin with a total score of 161.138 %. Hans Peter Minderhoud and similarly eight-year-old Dream Boy (of Vivaldi x Ferro) followed with a total of 153.904 %, winning silver. GHPC Netherlands trainer-rider Marieke van der Putten came 10th in the saddle on the elegant mare Ambria with 144.870 %, also winning several more places. Thus, in the Grand Prix on Friday, she came ninth with Zingaro-Apple (72.360 %) and 14th with Ambria (69.420 %). With 73.706 %, this great female rider was able to win the Grand Prix Special on Saturday in the saddle on Zingaro-Apple. In addition, with six-year-old Four Legends, Marieke was able to qualify for the World Young Horse Championships taking place in Ermelo at the end of July.

Edward started in the Grand Tour with 14-year-old son of De Niro, GLOCK’s Voice. Hans Peter relied on the impressive KWPN stallion GLOCK’s Johnson TN N.O.P.. In the first test of these championships (Grand Prix), the GLOCK dream teams were indeed able to celebrate double victory. Edward and “Voici” won with 79.500 %, Hans Peter and “Johnny” came second with 79.340 %. GLOCK’s Johnson TN N.O.P. presented himself once in again in top shape in the freestyle, and received a score of 80.850 %, despite a few small mistakes in the lead changes, which meant a silver medal in the final ranking if the championships. Upon agreement with the team coach, Johan Rockx, Edward and GLOCK’s Voice did not start in the freestyle in order to give the black stallion some rest before his journey to Rio, given that this is where the two GLOCK Riders Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud will be travelling in a few weeks following the top results from Ermelo – to take part in the Olympic Games!

Top result in Rolex Grand Prix, Aachen
It is widely known that only the best of the best are allowed to ride on Aachen’s holy turf. And also that GLOCK Rider Gerco Schröder belongs to this class of riders. Already on Thursday, the current team world and European champion, was able to achieve an penalty-free round with eight-year-old GLOCK’s Debalia in the Sparkasse Youngsters Cup. However, the true highlight followed on Sunday. In the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen over 1.60 m, the participants had to tackle a rather demanding course. None of them was able to make a clean run of the tricky sequences of hurdles in the very tightly timed course. Only Gerco Schröder and 13-year-old son of Clearway, GLOCK’s Cognac Champlanc, along with Swiss rider Martin Fuchs and his Clooney, came to the finish with just one penalty point, thus reaching the intermediate lead. Suspense in the second round was tangible and the audience applauded all active riders frantically. After an error at the third but last hurdle, Gerco and ‘Cognac’ finished this difficult jumping test in 12th place.

As for the dressage riders, show-jumping team coach Rob Ehrens announced his nominations for Rio. Despite the fact that he had come back to big events only recently, the performances by GLOCK’s London N.O.P. and Gerco Schröder were so convincing that the duo will be the “fifth man” in the team for Rio.

Super Zonik! GLOCK’s Zonik enchanted both the audience and expert jurors to the same extent, winning the Small Tour with GLOCK Rider Edward Gal. © Arnd Bronkhorst

The new Dutch champions in the Small Tour: Edward Gal and GLOCK’s Zonik. © Arnd Bronkhorst

Hans Peter Minderhoud and Dream Boy won silver in the Dutch Championships Small Tour. © Arnd Bronkhorst

GLOCK’s Voice won the Grand Prix in Ermelo and will travel with Edward Gal to the Olympic Games in Rio. © Arnd Bronkhorst

GLOCK’s Johnson TN N.O.P. and Hans Peter picked up the silver medal in the Grand Tour. © Arnd Bronkhorst

The podium for the Dutch Championships Grand Tour: Hans Peter Minderhoud (silver), Diederik van Silfhout (gold) and Adelinde Cornelissen (bronze). © Arnd Bronkhorst

GLOCK's Johnson TN N.O.P. and Hans Peter Minderhoud. © Arnd Bronkhorst

Dutch Champion! GLOCK Rider Edward Gal. © Arnd Bronkhorst

GLOCK Rider Edward Gal and GLOCK's Zonik. © Arnd Bronkhorst

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK's Cognac Champblanc N.O.P. in Aachen. © Arnd Bronkhorst

GLOCK Rider Gerco Schröder and GLOCK's Cognac Champblanc N.O.P. © Arnd Bronkhorst

Brilliant! Gerco and GLOCK's Cognac Champblanc N.O.P. © Arnd Bronkhorst