EQUINE NEWS

20th December 2007

Christmas Fun at Olympia Horse Show 2007

After  the  dressage World Cup qualifier at Olympia on Tuesday, The London International Horse Show, it was unanimously agreed that dressage, both on the international and British stage, has moved into a new era.  Anky Van Grunsven, the Olympic, World and European freestyle Champion, presented her brand new freestyle composed by concert pianist Wibi Soerjadi, called ‘Dance of Devotion’ with her golden partner Salinero to take the class by storm and the qualifier, her first this season, by a 7% margin. “It was a great test – although not necessarily foot perfect – but Anky has definitely brought the sport to a higher level than ever before,” said British Olympic judge Stephen Clarke. “What Torvill and Dean did for skating, Anky has done for dressage”.

Having won the opening Welcome Speed Stakes on Kalusha, Robert Whitaker then scooped the BIC Accumulator with Jimmy McLuskeys Mr Springfield, the horse on whom he so nearly won an Olympic medal in 2004.

Some audacious turns and a faultless jump over the joker earned Robert first prize of £1200. The result was particularly pleasing, because the horse has spent three years on the sidelines due to a ligament injury. "When hes on the road, hes phenomenal," said Robert of the 14-year-old gelding who finished fourth at the Athens Olympics.

Robert Whitaker won his second class of the show with an outstanding performance in the Christmas Eve Six Bar, the only rider to jump clear in the fifth round when the final fence went up to 2m (nearly 6ft 7in). 

Robert Smith on Ronaldo and France’s Jean-Marc Nicolas (Joal de Madame) both hit the last fence, but Robert Whitaker conjured a prodigious leap from the tall, leggy chestnut Finbarr V, his ride in tomorrow night’s Puissance. 

Finbarr has won 11 Puissance competitions in a row, and Robert had, fortuitously, remembered to back himself at Olympia’s on-course bookie. ‘Sometimes he’s really, fresh, like today, but he’s a big horse and he can get tired, and that’s when he feels a bit like a tractor,’ said Robert.

KBIS British Equestrian Insurance presented three special awards at Olympia, The London International Horse Show.

On Tuesday evening Mr President was presented with the KBIS British Equestrian Insurance Dressage Horse of the Year award. Derbyshire based Stephanie Croxford and her international Grand Prix horse have enjoyed a successful year, a year made all the more special for Stephanie as she also gave birth to her first child. The pair was ninth in that evening’s Rolex World Cup qualifier. “I am thrilled for Mr President to win the award he is such a star,” said Stephanie of her much loved Gelderlander/Hackney cross.

The Olympia website is packed with news and information about the show and riders if you want to find out more. www.olympiahorseshow.com