It’s all the same as it was twelve short months ago. Germany’s Marco Kutscher, victorious at the European Championship held at San Patrignano, has shown that he feels perfectly ay ease in the community0s large grass competition arena by winning the Hewlett-Packard Prize, second of three competitions scheduled for today at the “Challenge Veincenzo Muccioli” CSI.
The German champion arrived today, fresh from the German National Championships being held contemporarily to San Patrignano’s show jumping event. Kutscher rode Cash in the “winning round” class, which saw the best riders from each of eight groups compete in a jump-off. He rode clean and fast – 37.81 seconds, beating out some of the world’s top riders like Sweden’s Rölf Goran Bengtsson, second on Mackinley with 38.23.
“It’s obviously a great pleasure for me to win where I earned the European title just last year – the best results of my career “, exclaimed Kutscher after his winning round, “ It was a bit strange being here after flying in directly from Germany where I am competing in the National Championship. Tomorrow I will be competing there, then I will fly back to compete here in the evening’s Grand Prix”. Well worth the effort, considering he is among the favorites to win the “Challenge Vincenzo Muccioli” scheduled for tomorrow night.
The Hewlett Packard Prize offered a challenging course. The other riders on the podium this evening were Bengtsson and France’s Partice Delaveau (who rode Quincy to a clean finish with a time of 38.55). The best results for the Italian team were Giuseppe Rolli’s twelfth place on Hibis du Theil.
Earlier in the Day it was a Double Dutch win the Tamoil Prize
The first class of the second day of competition during the “Challenge Vincenzo Muccioli” 10th CSI held at San Patrignano ended with the final notes of the Dutch national anthem.
In the “Tamoil” prize, a two phase class for horses six and seven years of age, the Netherlands’ Eric van der Vleuten, a staple at the event for years now, rode St. Laurent to victory thanks to a double clean round and a time of 24.88 seconds in the jump off. Second place was claimed by Albert Zoer on Sam, who was merely a few hundredths of a second behind in the second round.
Swiss rider Beat Mandli rounded out the top three on Libertè Coorcelle, just losing out to the Dutch pair.
The best placed Italian rider was Bruno Chimirri on Sodylle, who garnered a seventh pace with two clean rounds and a time of 27.69.
Dutch win in the “Grand Chasse – Uliveto” at San Patrignano
Albert Zoer, twenty fifth in the worldwide ranking, finished the second day of competition at San Patrignano’s CSI***** with a win in the “Grand Chasse Uliveto”. The Dutch rider won in the speed class which was absolutely unique. Course Director Marco Cortinovis let the riders decide between two different routes in the last part of their round. After the eleventh fence (a vertical), the riders could either ride the last three jumps on the left side or on the right side of the arena.
Zoer finished his lightning fast round on Lincoln without faults and in 71.14 seconds, beating the second place finisher, Italy’s Natale Chiaudani on Newport Clover by six full seconds. Switzerland’s Markus Fuchs, ninth in the world ranking on Sylver II, came in third. Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker was fourth and his nephew Robert was fifth.
Another notable achievement: Kutscher, winner of this afternoon’s class, is flying back and forth each day from Germany (where he is competing in the National Championships) and Italy (to take part in San Patrignano’s CSI) each day. Each morning he rides in his home country, each evening in Italy. Together with his teammate Ludger Beerbaum, he flies to Rimini so as not to miss the show at San Patrignano.
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