Michael Whitaker claimed the Amesterdam GP
Michael Whitaker of Great Britain riding Insul Tech Quidame Des Hayettes Z for owner Haras Des Hayettes topped a field of 33 horses to claim victory in the BMC Grand Prix of Amsterdam in The Netherlands today, pocketing 25,000 euros. Held in the Europahal of the RAI in Amsterdam, the spectacular indoor course designed by Rob Jansen and Kris van Gelder of The Netherlands took its toll on the field, with only four horses qualifying for the jump-off round.
Whitaker was last to go and clocked in clean almost two seconds faster than his closest competitor, zinging around the course aboard the nine-year chestnut mare by Quidam de Revel.
The Table A 1.60 meter course with a jump-off featured a first round of 13 jumps that included two double combinations – one at fence 8 and another at fence 10. Seventeen horses attempted the track without a clear trip, and then four riders in a row went clean; but after that spurt the rest of the roster continued to tumble lumber for the remainder of the class.
Posting the first clear was crowd favorite Mareille Schroder of the Netherlands riding the seven-year-old Dutch mare Parabel for owner D. van Geel & C. Klaver. Following her lead, fellow Dutchman Harrie Smolders riding the black gelding Verelst Quebec for owner Eurohorse, also nailed the first round. On a streak, the next rider from the Netherlands, Gerco Schroder aboard the Swedish warmblood mare Eurocommerce Lanapoule for owner Eurocommerce Promotie clocked a clear. Wrapping up the rash of clean rounds, Whitaker claimed his right to the jump-off.
Whitaker explained that the particular difficulty of the first round was in the first line. “Two to three was okay, but three to four was a pretty long distance and a lot of horses got really strung out. The next vertical was very big, and a lot of horses had that down – the top of that was very big. The first line just undid them all a bit.”
The eight-element jump-off course included one double at fence 10, with Time Allowed set at 52 seconds. Mareille Schroder was first to go and set the pace with a clear round in 38.07 seconds. She received wild cheering from her fans for a super trip. Smolders went next and produced a clear round as well, but could not best her time, and tripped the timers at 38.50 seconds. Gerco Schroder put the pedal to the metal next, but though he left all the jumps up, his time was 38.59. Last to go Whitaker zipped around the course on the handy little chestnut mare, streaking to a finish in 36.96 seconds for the win.
Whitaker has had the ride on the French mare for only eight months, and today´s event was her third Grand Prix competition. “She´s a very fast horse, actually,” Whitaker said of his racy mare. “On the first day in the speed class she was four seconds faster than the winner – we had one down, but she was four seconds quicker. She´s like a little Thoroughbred. She´s really quick – she´s quick across the ground, she´s quick over the jumps. She´s just a real quick horse, actually. I tell you, if I did the same route with Portofino (the horse he will ride in the upcoming World Cup Final in Kuala Lumpur) I probably wouldn´t have been as fast. This horse, she´s just like a little Thoroughbred type, she´s really quick everywhere.”
Whitaker said where he most likely shaved almost two seconds off of Schroder´s time was his turn after the double heading into the vertical. “She was very quick turning back,” he noted.
Having worked with the mare for only a matter of months and started her in her Grand Prix career, Whitaker credited her mental outlook as the most important element in her success so far. “It´s her temperament, but she´s still a little bit strong,” he said. “Some horses just learn very quick – they want to do it, they want to get in there, they want to jump the fences. Being of blood really helps a lot because she´s quick to react.”
Marielle Schroder had a great day in the ring, being the first clear in round one and second in the jump-off. “I thought I could ride a fast round but it wasn´t fast enough,” she said of her jump-off trip. “On the first line I made one more stride than the others.”
Schroder participated in all three days of show jumping at the venue and was pleased with her experience overall. “I´m really happy that the horse was so good in the Grand Prix,” she said. “And I was so happy that I had such good luck also with the other horses. I never expected that we would do so well.” Schroder also was enthusiastic about the spectators. “I was happy when I rode a good round and it was really nice with all the people yelling.”
Claiming third place, Harrie Smolders noted that in round one, “the fences were big enough and technically the distances were either far or very short. The horses had to be very obedient today to make a clear round.” He reviewed his performance in the jump-off and explained, “I know I don´t have the quickest horse, but I tried everything. At the vertical in the middle I had to wait when I came back to the fence – I saw my distance but it took a long while before he made the stride. I think I lost a little bit there. He was solid after that. He gave everything and I´m very pleased with the result with this horse.”
In the fourth place slot, Gerco Schroder commented that he “had a good feeling in the first round and my horse did very well.” He described the first round as “a bit tricky.” In the jump-off, he noted that coming out of the turns, more than once he found he was at a bad distance “so I could not get the fastest time. But I´m happy with the horse.” Summing up, Schroder said, “It was a good Grand Prix – it was difficult.” Schroeder will also be competing in the World Cup Final next week in Kuala Lumpur with his mount Milano.
Course Designer Rob Jansen of the Netherlands said of today´s competition, “It was great sport. The course was very good. In the end we had four in the jump-off, which was not very many – I had expected seven or eight at least. The jump-off was great. We have very good winners with good horses and I´m very satisfied.”
Over 58,000 spectators attended the Jumping Amsterdam event, held April 20-23, which featured the FEI World Cup Dressage Final as well as competitions in eventing, driving and show jumping.
Results (23.04.06)
BMC Grand Prix of Amesterdam
Table A 1.60m with jump off
1º Quidame Des Hayettes Z / Michael Whitaker (Gbr) / 0 / 0 / 36.96
2º Parabel / Mareille Schröder (Hol) / 0 / 0 / 38.07
3º Verelst Quebec / Harrie Smolders (Hol) / 0 / 0 / 38.50
4º Eurocommerce Lanapoule / Gerco Schröder (Hol) / 0 / 0 / 38.59
5º Tiquila / Dirk Demeersman (Bel) / 4 / 71.95
6º Capriola Van De Helle / Kristof Cleeren (Bel) / 4 / 72.47
7º Van Schijndel´s Optical / Piet Raymakers Jr (Hol) / 4 / 72.65
8º Vs Now Or Never / Piet Raymakers (Hol) / 4 / 72.73
9º Irco Mac / Erika Lickhammer (Swe) / 4 / 73.22