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As spectators in Aachen's packed stadium held their breath, Hickstead's heart pounded. With ears pricked and cantering full-out, the Hamlet son gave his all in the jump-off of the prestigious Aachen Grand Prix and received the ultimate reward: victory. The KWPN-bred stallion and his Canadian rider Eric Lamaze gave a fantastic performance, and as a result, the reigning Olympic champions won the world's most important Grand Prix. Bred by Jan van Schijndel (out of Jomara ster pref s.Ekstein), Hickstead once again bested a formidable field of competitors. With that achievement, KWPN horses are now number one in Aachen in both dressage and jumping!
In Aachen's Rolex Grand Prix, which included two rounds, four combinations stayed double-clear to qualify for the jump-off. Among them were Hickstead, the winner, and Action Breaker (Heartbreaker x Lys de Darmen), who placed third under Sergio Alvarez Moya of Spain. Second place was for the Holsteiner mare Carlina (s.Carvallo) under Pius Schwizer of Switzerland. Many were surprised by Shutterfly's (s.Silvio I) two downed poles, but Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who recently started competing again after giving birth, was quite happy with her fourth place finish.
Twenty combinations kept clear in the first round to advance to the second, among them the KWPN stallion Opium (s.Polydor) with Marc Houtzager.
(Photo: www.hippofoto.be)
