(Ommen/NED) This evening in Ommen, the Netherlands, a top-class international field prepared to qualify for the third stage of the BEMER Riders Tour. A total of 66 starters started the course of the 1.55m jumping of the Grand Tour. The quality of the starting field was so good that a third, namely 24 couples, finished the first round with zero errors. 13 riders started a second time and ensured an exciting jump-off.
Jos Verlooy (BEL) started in the jump-off with the Irish sport horse gelding Fts Killossery Konfusion. The pair set a record of a fast, clean-shooting 36.94 seconds that remained unmatched to the end. It took an Irish rider to almost beat Verlooy and his gray Irish horse. Bertram Allen (IRE) and Edison de Hus by Conrad were close with 38.35 seconds, but had to settle for second place in the end. Allen knows the horse of his good friend Verlooy very well: he raised FTS Killossery Konfusion to 5-star level and won the 'VBR Prize' at the CHIO Aachen 2021, among other things. Winner SIEC Livello descends, is naturally fast and has already proven this several times in the last two years under Verlooy. Host Frank Schuttert (NED) sat in the saddle of Hawaii-S and the chestnut mare almost gave her rider a home win. 38.52 meant third place in the end. Fourth place also went to the Netherlands to Daan Van Geel and I'M Special Power Sih. Alex David Gill (GBR) and Jourdain VDL took it easy, the reward was two clear rounds and fifth place.
German riders in good shape
The successful German riders Sophie Hinners and David Will both showed strong, clear rounds in the first round. Hinners and Hialita B v. Unfortunately, Emerald had to accept a drop in the jump-off. Her stable colleague David Will had a similar fate on the stallion Zinedream by. Zinedine. The time of the two would easily have been enough to win, but four penalty points prevented a top placement. Sixth place was the result for the fastest four-fault ride. Patrick Stühlmeyer and Michael Kölz, as leaders in the current ranking, are already pre-qualified for the third special stage on Sunday. While Stühlmeyer made use of this option and kept the Holsteiner gelding Quando Vengo fresh for Sunday, Kölz already showed his cellato the arena of Ommen this evening. And with success: The two finished the first round without any mistakes and made it clear that they can definitely be counted on in the third stage of the tour. The best 50 couples in the qualification start in reverse order in the BEMER Riders Tour special test on Sunday. Patrick Stühlmeyer will be the first participant in the course because he did not ride the qualification. The Grand Prix van het Vechtdal powered by Handelshuis Schuttert & Provincie Overijssel starts at 3 p.m. and can be seen live on ClipMyHorse.TV.
