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Report from Olympia International Showjumping Championships, day 4 |
| December 22, 2003 |
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Helena Weinberg, one
of only four female riders at Olympia, snatched the most prestigious
competition of all when she beat 31 other world-class riders to victory in
the Sony Ericsson World Cup qualifier, worth £18,500 to the winner. Sheffield-born Helena, now married to a German rider, and Kasting Horses Gavi, a horse she has ridden for five years since he was four, beat 13 other riders in a thrilling jump-off against the clock. Second fastest was European gold medallist Marcus Ehning, also from Germany, on the 17-year-old Olympic horse For Pleasure. Belgium's Ludo Phillipaerts, who won the class in 1988 on Darco, was third on this horse's son, Parco. Michael Whitaker was best of the British, in fourth on a new ride, the exciting Portofino. Other winners today were America's Peter Wylde, the world bronze medallist, in the Christmas Cake Accumulator, in which he won £1,500, Sweden's Maria Gretzner in the Knock-Out, and Britain's Robert Smith in the final Ivy Stakes. However, in a triumph of character over circumstance, leading rider of the show is now Britain's Nick Skelton, second in the Ivy Stakes. Nick, who three years ago broke his neck and faced the prospect of never riding again, has made a miraculous recovery. This week, with his three horses Arko, Pandur and Russel, all owned by the Hales family, Nick has thrilled the home crowd by jumping skilled clear round after clear round to be easily the most consistent rider. |