Tuesday, 28 January 2014 The stars are on their way!

No obstacle is too high for them

Equestrian sport’s stars will soon be here and the live action can be followed at close quarters. Starting on Thursday, the international show jumping at the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER will see them riding to win and place well over four days. 94 riders with 205 horses from 14 nations have entered.

No obstacle is too high for them
Gerco Schröder, Marc Houtzager and Jur Vrieling from the Netherlands are coming to the GHPC, three of the silver-winning team at the 2012 Olympics. Having already won World and European Championships, Gerco Schröder also took individual silver in London. He will be competing as number eight in the world rankings.

The current number 12 in the world is reigning German Champion Daniel Deusser who claimed silver at the 2007 World Cup final in Las Vegas and took European silver home from Denmark in 2013.

Hailing from Australia, the planet’s third best lady rider ranks number 18 in the world. Edwina Tops-Alexander is 39 years old, was overall winner of the Global Champions Tour twice, has a Bachelor’s degree in sports science and her motto is “learn from mistakes and never give up”. She now lives in Monaco.

Netherlands-born Jos Lansink has been riding for Belgium for years. In 1991 he helped his country of birth, the Netherlands, to team gold and individual bronze at the European Championships in France and to team gold at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 1992. He then helped Belgium take the championship title in 2006 at the World Equestrian Games. These are however just a few of the many successes achieved by the 52-year-old who started his riding career on a pony at the tender age of three.

John and Robert Whitaker, undoubtedly the most famous father and son in the sport, will be making their way from the British Isles to Treffen. With over 18 medals to his name from Olympics, World and European Championships, John Whitaker has become a British legend in show jumping. His son Robert is highly successful in his own right, having also won the British Open three times.

Italy is pinning its hopes in Treffen on “Mr Speed”, Emanuele Gaudiano, who as number 27 in the world charges round the course like no other. Also there will be Filippo Moyersoen, who has already taken part in Olympic Games, World and European Championships. 

China’s Kenneth Cheng, who is a big star in his home country, has put his name down. At the tender age of 20 he took part in the Olympics, a member of the first equestrian team in Hong Kong’s history. Kenneth won team bronze at the 2010 Asia Games and is also placing his faith in trainer Jos Lansink in Treffen. 

Travelling from the far north is Douglas Lindelöw. The young Swede proved himself at the 2010 European Championships for Young Riders in Jardy, returning home with individual gold and team silver. At 23, he will give many of the other more experienced riders a run for their money.

Team Switzerland is also in a strong position with Paul Estermann, Pius Schwizer and young Martin Fuchs. Only recently, Olympian and European Championship competitor Paul Estermann was much talked about when he won the Grand Prix of Salzburg – and that was just one of his many triumphs in the past year. 51-year-old Pius Schwizer boasts Olympic bronze, European Championship gold and silver plus bronze at the World Cup final. Martin Fuchs also keeps chalking up successes. Despite being only 21, he already has a gold medal from the Olympic Youth Games, two golds, four silvers and two bronzes from European Championships for Young Riders and notable Grand Prix wins to his credit.

Austria will be countering with its number one, local hero Dieter Köfler, and the other Carinthian stars Gerfried and Robert Puck, reigning national champion Thomas Frühmann, European Championship riders Stefan Eder, Julia Kayser, Roland Englbrecht and Christian Schranz, young star Stefanie Bistan and naturally Hugo Simon. Hugo Simon, now aged 71, feels top fit for the event.

FACT BOX

What: international show jumping
Where: GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER Treffen/Villach
When: 30 Jan – 2 Feb 2014

Free admission to the gallery in the indoor arena for all the jumping competitions But please note: limited availability 

Public viewing: in the Public Lounge at the GHPC site
Live stream: www.ghpc.at

VIP day ticket: €200 in the Riders Lounge
with international show highlights, Spa Lounge, Styling Lounge, Kids Lounge, Dog Lounge, Cinema Lounge and exclusive catering

Info: live stream, news, photos, results – www.ghpc.at
Hotline: +43 664 887 34401