Tim Price and Vitali Photo courtesy Leszek Wójcik
New Zealand’s Tim Price riding the 11-year-old Vitali was the winner of the CCI4*-L class at the weekend’s Strzegom Spring Open
Price, the current world number two who had just come from Kentucky Three Day Event where he finished second in the CCI5*, was the one to watch in the class from the beginning. He took the lead after dressage but added time penalties in the cross-country and dropped to third place. However, he then made up for it by jumping a clear round to ensure his victory.
Second place went to Mélody Johner aboard Toubleu de Rueire. The Swiss rider was the only one clear inside the time in the cross country and went into the final phase as the leader, but two rails cost her the leading position. Merel Blom (NED) with Ceda N.O.P. finished third.
Belgian rider Lara De Liedekerke-Meier was victorious in the CCI3*-L with Cascaria V after a clear round in the jumping. Second place went to Rebecca-Juana Gerken (GER) with Fame 227, and third to Seppe Vilain (BEL) riding Lamparo V.
The long two-star class ended with the win of Nicholas Goldbeck (GER) with Chintano 7. Andreas Ostholt (GER) finished second with Chilli Supreme and third went to Nadja Minder (SUI) with Victoryhope Treille.
Merel Blom and The Quizmaster
Cross-country on Saturday ended the rivalry in the short format classes. The best pair of the CCI4*-S was Merel Blom (NED) and The Quizmaster. Niklas Lindbäck (SWE) with Focus Filiocus was second, and Andreas Dibowski (GER) with Brennus – third.
Hella Jensen (GER) took home the win in the CCI3*-S with Canjo, before Julia Gillmaier (POL) riding Red Dream Princes and Dutch rider Merel Blom with Crossborder Radar Love N.O.P. Blom was the best rider of the CCI*-Intro aboard Calgary 92.
The Strzegom Spring Open ran six international and three national classes, with 185 riders competing with almost 300 horses from 17 countries.
