Saturday, 04 February 2012 Competition 9: Silver Tour – 1.40 m

Everything ventured, everything gained: Alex Duffy (IRL) wins this morning's Silver Tour

"The early bird catches the worm", thought young Turk Alex Duffy (IRL) and ventured everything with a steamy run for a record time. Italy's Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) with Admara 2 had already put on a performance in a league of its own, and until shortly before the end of the competition, it seemed as if Italy's speed export and his amazing time of 55.91 seconds would secure him his second victory at the GHPC. A miscalculation, as it turned out – the last word on speed was yet to be said, and Alex Duffy and his Holstein mare Romeo's Child (son of Ramiro) said it, taking them straight to the winner's pedestal.

Amke Stroman (GER) also showed herself not averse to risk-taking: second-before-last to start, she and Sundance, son of Monaco, flew over the 1.40m-high course and made third place just before the end of the competition.

Austria's riders also had a word to say: Tyrolean Julia Kayser (T) came ninth with a flawless round on her eight-year old chestnut mare Sterrerhof's Ushi and Robert Puck made it third in his third round with eight-year-old Glocks Zaranza, son of Karandasi. Two Austrian duos that we will hear plenty about in future!

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