Unique: not one, but two winners in the CHIO Rotterdam Prize
A unique result in the CHIO Rotterdam Prize. Friday's second showjumping competition had not one, but two winners, who were also from the same country. In the jump-off, German riders Hans-Dieter Dreher and Katrin Eckermann stayed in the clear in the exact same time, staying ahead of Belgium's Jos Verlooy.
14 of the 32 combinations who entered the arena managed to produce a clear first round in this 1,50-meter competition. A thrilling jump-off saw Hans-Dieter Dreher remain faultless once again, and with gelding Vestmalle des Cotis he set a very sharp time, 34,67 seconds.
Katrin Eckermann and Cascadello Boy Rm however matched his achievement with the exact same time. The combinations who entered the Rotterdam Arena after that could not top their performance, granting Dreher and Eckermann a shared victory. Side by side, the compatriots rode their lap of honour during the prize giving ceremony.
With a clear round and a time of 34,86 seconds, Jos Verlooy and FTS Killossery Konfusion came in third place. One step lower on the podium than yesterday, when the combination was second in the Dura Vermeer Prize.
The home audience had already enjoyed three victories for Dutch riders in showjumping competitions. The best Dutch rider in the CHIO Rotterdam Prize, Harrie Smolders, rode a clear round in the jump-off but his time of 35,41 put him just outside of the podium.