Derin Demirsoy and 'Elzas', fly around the Big Tour 1.50 with the fastest time of the day

Andres Vereecke with 'Call Me de Muze Z' share the top spot on the podium in this really popular class

With a record of 103 entries in the Big Tour 1.50 class, there were two sets of results today.  This speed class was really competitive and held in the main grass arena, named after one of the Tour’s founders, David Broome. With a cracking round, the Turkish rider, a regular here at the Tour, Derin Demirsoy absolutely flew around on the very athletic, 15 yr old gelding  'Elzas', with the super breeding lines of 'Diamant De Semilly' and dam sire 'Cornet Obolensky’, owned by ES Equestrian Team Holding BV. This talented pair stopped the clock in 56.10s.

Sharing first place in 57.12s, was another top rider, from Belgium, Andres Vereecke with the very fast, 12yr old mare 'Call Me De Muze Z’, also with great bloodlines, 'Clarissimo Z' x 'Ramiro Z', and who is owned by Joris de Brabander.

Second places were taken by Belgian rider, Jordy Van Massenhove with 'Danger Civil VH Lindenhof Z' in 57.34s and Dutch, Kars Bonhof with 'Ivoor TN’ in 57.79s.  Third were Austrian Christoph Obernauer with 'Kleons Renegade' and Columbian, Rene Lopez Lizarazo with 'Kheros Van't Hoogeinde'.

There was another win for Belgium in the Big Tour 1.35, from Lieven Devos who was riding 'Eldorrado MVNZ', and beat off a serious challenge from the very successful British rider, Nicole Lockhead Anderson with 'Chinoubet PS’.  In third place was the Swedish rider, Amanda Eriksson with 'Hard Rock'.

The Big Tour 1.30 was won by Moroccan rider, El Ghali Boukaa with ‘Gabbana de Lessac’ in 33.99s. Close on his heels in this 2PhSp, was Spanish rider, Carlos Borho Giron, stopping the clock in just over 34s with ‘Coco Chanel’.  Third was British rider, Stephen Lohoar, with ‘Kameron LSH’.

The Medium Tour 1.45, was another really big class with doubled results and again, hotly contested. Two British riders took the top podium spots with Matthew Sampson and 'Curraghgraighe Obos Flight’, having the fastest clear of the day in 57.80s and sharing the top spot with Ellen Whitakerand 'Demi Louvo’ in 58.71s. Not content with this, Ellen also took one of the second places with 'Conshira Blue PS', as did Swedish rider, Petronella Andersson with 'Ollister Du Lys'. Third places were taken by Austrian, Christian Rhomberg with 'Tonic AZ' and German rider, Claricia Brinkop with 'Ma Belle'.

The Medium Tour 1.40 was also a class with doubled results;  Italian, Luca Moneta, had the fastest clear, taking one of the top places on offer with ‘Capone RK' and he also took a second place with 'Chilli 41’. 

The other winner in this class with a smart, fast round was British, Olivia Sponer with 'Crazy Girl’ and the Moroccan rider, Farid Amanzar took the other second spot with 'Churchill Z’.  Completing the podium were Belgian rider, Jos Verlooy with 'Parise van del Dael’ and Italian rider, Paolo Paini with 'Japonica Di Ca'San Giorgio'.

The last Medium Tour class was the 1.30, with top British event rider, Gemma Stevens winning in fine style on 'RSH Monbeg Marshall'; with Czech rider, Albert Pisarik and 'Conada 2' in second and Swedish, Amanda Eriksson with 'Havvana Heart' in third.

The 8yr old class was really competitive today. Kendra Claricia Brinkop from Germany, was the winner with ‘Quercus van den Oude EIK’ in 60.02s followed by Belgian rider Gilles Thomas with ‘Lavanoche T&L Z’ in 61.39s and in third was Petronella Andersson this time riding ‘Loharna-P’.

The 7yr old class results were; first, Nicole Lockhead Anderson with 'Adonis VD Nosahoeve Z'; second Irish, Sean Monaghan with 'Tiberio Della Caccia' and third Moroccan, Samy Colman with 'Remember Van't Kieveld’.  In the second class Christian Rhomberg was on the podium again, this time winning with 'Rivera AEG'; German, Philipp Weishaupt with 'Carlina O' was second and American, Michael Hughes with 'Chinook Pommex Z' was third. So far 86, 8yr olds are qualified for the Final which will be held on Wednesday 21st February.  There are still two more qualifying  classes next week.

In the first 6yr old class Christian Rhomberg was once again on the top of the podium, this time with ‘Kiki’.  In second was Portuguese, Francisco Fontes with 'SES Titanic’ and in third, French rider, Edouard Le Boux with 'Isiana de Treho'. In the second class British, Rebecca Middleton was the winner with 'Billy Canopy’; Spanish, Carlos Bosch Cebrián was second with 'Sempre van de Berghoeve’ and Belgian, Dries Dekkers was third with 'A Classic Azzaro Z’. In this Young Horse class there are 101 horses already qualified for the Final.

In the 5yr old classes our winner was Belgian, Manuel Thiry with 'Byblosh-K Van Kattenheye Z'; second was British rider, Scott Brash with 'Hello Duchess' and third was French rider Edouard Le Boux with 'Jewel Star LR’. In the second class the winners were; Dutch, Sanne de Jong with ‘Foreplay Waldstar Z’; second  was British, Maisy Williams with ‘Tuinman van de Lentamel’ and third, Spanish,  Santiago Nuñez Riva with ‘Valenza de Capellan’.