After a four-horses jump-off, Marcus Ehning (GER) and Funky Fred (For Pleasure x Pilot) ended on top of Saturday's 1,55m Rabobank Championship of Rotterdam.

Out of the 46 riders that lined up for the class, it was only four that managed to produce clear rounds to qualify for the jump-off. It was the first fence – an oxer placed straight towards the entrance – and the last fence – a triple combination with a vertical-vertical-oxer with two short strides between the a- and b-element and one long stride to the c-element – that caused the most problems.

Wilton Porter (USA) with Delinquent JX (Darco x I Need You) and Manuel Fernandez Saro (ESP) with Santiago de Blondel (Calvaro x Vondeen) both did great rounds to stay clear on the fences, but were kept away from the jump-off by a single time penalty – to end 5th and 6th.

Aniek Poels (NED) was the pathfinder in the jump-off aboard Barry White 3 (Twisther x Animo), but had to see a pole fall on her way through the shortened course – crossing the finish line in 43,00 seconds. Next out was Germany’s Marco Kutscher riding Balermo (Baloubet du Rouet x Silvio I) and after being clear in 41,19 seconds he took over the lead.

It was a short-lived lead though, as Marcus Ehning entered the ring next. In his natural Ehning-way, he made it all look easy and shaved off more than a second on Kutscher’s time.

Last to go was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) with Spring Dark (Jazz Band Courcelle x Palestro II), who looked dangerous all the way around. But the pole on the very last fence fell to the ground and Bengtsson had to settle for 3rd place with his four faults in 40,33 seconds.

Earlier in the day, Lillie Keenan (USA) won the 1,45m class riding Be Gentle (Ticallux Verte x Gentleman). It was a competition in two phases with 26 clears in the first phase. The always speedy Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) ended second with Einstein (Clinton x Nimmerdor) ahead of Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) with Dana Blue (Mr. Blue x Hemmingway), Cian O’Connor (IRL) with Cybel II (Varo x Lancer) and Michel Hendrix (NED) with Don Diablo HX (Vittorio x Calvados).