Dutch rider Pim Mulder with Viktor Z was victorious in the Big Tour (150 cm), counting for the Longines Rankings and CAVALIADA Tour, for the prize of the National Support Centre for Agriculture, under the patronage of Śliwocki Home. The best Pole – Andrzej Opłatek – placed 9th.
On the second day of the CSI4*W CAVALIADA Poznań, the course was demanding for the riders, requiring concentration and at the same time – smooth forward riding. The last three fences were the most influential – firstly the line starting with the triple bar, which then required a very dynamic gallop to the double combination. A lot of poles fell there. The next challenge for them was the approach to the last obstacle. None of the riders could be sure of a clear round today until the finish line. Eleven pairs took part in the jump-off, including two representing Poland – Cassandra Orschel with Dacara E and Andrzej Opłatek riding Diaroubet, the last one to go.
It was a very dynamic and interesting jump-off. Emma Emanuelsson from Sweden opened the rivalry, well-known in Poznań as she won the third CAVALIADA Grand Prix here back in 2012. It was this rider who set up the race from the start, forcing the other riders to take big risks. In the end, it was the Dutchman, Pim Mulder with Viktor Z, riding towards the end of the competition and making a fantastic turn to the penultimate Grupa MTP obstacle, who took home the win.
“The most important thing for me was to stay calm. My horse is quick and sometimes a touch nervous, so if I override him, he goes too quick. I need to stay calm and then he can do his job.” – said the winner – “I thought it was a difficult course, and then the first six or seven riders had very good rounds, so I thought – oh, we’ll get many clears – but at the end it was difficult enough. I like the show a lot, I didn’t know it so well, but last year I really wanted to come. At the end, I entered and I liked it so much that I thought I have to come back for sure!”
Swede Emma Emanuelsson with Canbella Blue PS had to settle for second, and third place
went to Omer Karaevli from Turkey with Avant Toi.
In the CAVALIADA Tour ranking, the leader is Sara Vingralkova from the Czech Republic, who was fourth today. She is closely followed by Angelos Touloupis from Greece and in third place by Harm Lahde from Germany. The highest ranked Pole is Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski (7th place).
The CSI4*W Medium Round Competition for the prize of Apart, under the patronage of the Polish Horse Breeders’ Association, was lucky for the Polish representative, Hubert Polowczyk on K’Ermitage Premices Z.
“My horse was much calmer today than he normally is. That’s why I let him gallop, made three shorter turns quickly and the victory came by itself. Honestly – I didn’t count on such a good result today, I didn’t expect it. I have been working with this horse for five years, he is specific, even difficult – he is already nine years old and he only started competing at the age of six. He has been doing shows for a relatively short time, but he is very ambitious, I would even say a bit too wild,” said the winner, Hubert Polowczyk.
Full results here