Podium Veterans Make Their Mark on Day 2 of Summer Festival 3 at Longines Tops International Arena

Day 2 of Summer Festival 3 was buzzing with pumping entertainment and top-tier show jumping. Marking the mid way point of this weekend’s event, crowds started to flow in as the action got underway.

As the world-class venue of Longines Tops International Arena opened its doors, show jumping got underway from 8am, and rolled on late into the afternoon as the DJ set kicked off for what was set to be a social evening for those from both near and far.

4* sporting action kicked off in the grass arena today with the 1.45m Table A producing some lightning quick double clears despite the sporadic summer rain. Kars Bonhof aboard Ivoor took top podium position, quickly followed by Harrie Smolders and Escape Z. Alberto Zorzi and Floyd wrapped up the podium for this class, finishing just 0.36 seconds behind Smolders leaving the grandstands and VIP on the edge of their seats.

The 4* 1.50m against-the-clock Grand Prix Qualifier followed as the last class of the day in the grass arena with a stellar lineup of riders. With the likes of yesterday’s 4* Grand Prix Qualifier winner Jessica Springsteen, fresh off her win in the 2* Big Tour Grand Prix Qualifier earlier in the day, as well as Nicolas Pizzaro, Maikel Van Der Vleuten, Abdel Said, Ioli Mytilineou, and Cian O’Connor making their mark.

Again a speedy clear from Bryan Balsiger aboard Chelsea Z left him on the podium for a second day running, this time in first position. With a time of 65.84 seconds, Balsiger was challenged by second place getter, and long-time leader of today’s class, Lorenzo de Luca aboard Don Vito, who finished in a time of 66.44 seconds.

Third place was taken out by Turkish maestro, Omer Karaevli and Maurice, a few seconds behind the two leaders in 69.20 seconds. Just 2.14 seconds separated fourth placed Mathijs van Asten and Sirocco and eight placed Eric Ten Cate with Incredible.

CSI2* Sports Report

At 8am, the first combination entered the arena for the 2* Medium Tour competition, against the clock. Spain's Pilar Lucrecia Cordon immediately took the lead as the second starter and for many her time was unattainable until Belgian Kasper De Boeck entered the arena. The 16-year-old former Belgian junior champion showed with a super fast ride that things could be much faster. In this competition, he started the 12-year-old mare Dalida which he has had under the saddle since May this year, and stopped the clock at 65.39 seconds. With this time, 50-year-old Cordon and the 11-year-old BWP mare Missouri van 't Ruytershof were relegated to second place. Cordon is no stranger to the international scene. She has represented Spain many times at Olympic Games (2016), World Championships (2010, 2014 and 2018) and European Championships (2011, 2013 and 2015). Third place went to Iñigo Lopez De La Osa Franco (MON) and the 13-year-old stallion Chatocino.

None other than American Jessica Springsteen won the qualifier for the 2* Grand Prix at Longines Top Internation Arena. The rider, who lives in Belgium and won team silver in 2020 during her Olympic debut, rode an incredibly fast round in a time of 60.92 seconds. She rode the 10-year-old BWP mare Naomi van het Keizershof who was ridden by her partner Lorenzo de Luca until the end of 2021. Dutchman Siebe Leemans was almost seven seconds slower with the SF stallion Estoril du Cedre (Jarnac x Diamant de Semilly), but the time was fast enough for second place. Third place was also for a Dutchman, Pim Mulder. He realised a time of 70.98 seconds with Jagger SRK (KWPN, Untouchable 27 x Burggraaf NV).

CSI1* Sports Report

The first competition for 1* riders was a class where riders rode their jump-off immediately after a clear round. 22 combinations out of 57 managed to stay clear in the first round. Soon the Belgian rider Rune Reynders was in the lead with Ziolita DS Z with a time of 29.22 seconds, but as was to be expected, the Dutchman Siebe Leemans did everything he could to improve Reynders' time. And he succeeded with a ride at the cutting edge. Leemans and the eight-year-old Zangersheide stallion Gem vd Riloo Z crossed the finish line in 28.49 seconds. Dutch rider Aniek Diks, as the last starter, made a very good attempt with Qointreau van 't Hoogeinde but fell just short, finishing in a nice second place and relegating Reynders to third place.

Today, Britain's Alice Crowley showed again that she is the very fastest. With her fiesty grey Bridge Town, she went over the obstacles of the 1.10m class at a high pace and every turn was taken as short as possible. No difficult task for this mare who also went for victory with conviction yesterday. Dutchman Daniel Schepers, who had already been present at the previous two Summer Events, came second with Arequipa van de Wolfsakker Z. Brazilian Maria Elisa Conceicao Gonzaga finished in third place with the 14-year-old mare Sindiva Joter.

The qualifier for the 1* Grand Prix was held later in the afternoon in the beautiful sand arena. Victory was hard fought for in this against the clock competition (1.35m), which eventually went to Brazilian Isabella Vendramine Appelboom. Dutchman Siebe Leemans went as usually fast with Plopsa Blue Z  but moments later the Brazilian dipped below his time. Isabella rode the 10-year-old KWPN mare Installera Balia RS to a time of 57.11 seconds, making her 0.13 seconds faster than Leemans. Third place was for Belgian Patrick Jonkmans and I Bay van het Langwater.

Young Horses Sports Report

Yesterday she won the Two Phases class for the Young Horses and today she repeated this great result. This time, Belgium's Melanie Gelin was the fastest in the competition against the clock with six-year-old BWP stallion Reflex van 't Roosakker. The combination rushed across the finish line in a time of 63.43 seconds. Yesterday, she won the class with the seven-year-old Zangersheide stallion Freeman Heureka Z. This time she also took second place with this horse. A better result a rider could not wish for. France's Cyrine Cherif finished in third place with the seven-year-old Oldenburg gelding Triple T Calamando Blue.

All eyes now look ahead to the third and final day of Summer Festival 3, with tickets still available to witness the action unfold and entertainment get underway!