In Saturday's CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix of Odense, it was Norway’s Marit Haarr Skollerud who took home the victory aboard the 9-year-old mare Nicole. In the Grand Prix over two rounds, only three riders finished with a double clear and Marit Harr Skollerud turned out faster than Sweden’s Helena Persson and her world-class compatriot Rolf-Göran Bengtsson.

Some of the world’s very best riders gave it a go in the Orifarm Grand Prix of Odense, but only four of them kept a clean sheet in the first round. In addition to Marit Harr Skollerud, Helena Persson and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, also Norway’s Amalie Hegre kept the zero on the scoreboard. In the second round, Hegre and her mare Remedy (Ladiesdream x Centauer Z) finished on four faults.

With a time of 36.15 seconds, Marit Skollerud and her 9-year-old mare Nicole – Polish bred with unknown pedigree – were the ones to beat. Of the three double clears, Helena Persson and her experienced 16-year-old mount Bonzai H (Baloubet du Rouet x Caletto II) came closest in a time of 36.64 seconds. Sweden’s Olympic pair Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Unita Ask (Corrado I x Caretino) finished on 38.08 seconds, to end up third.

Canada’s Brian Walker and the Netherlands’ Gerco Schröder both finished on a single time penalty in the first round and took their time in the second. Brian Walker and the 11-year-old Oldenburg bred mare Cookie B (Cordalmé Z x Zeus) finished fourth in 40.88 seconds. Gerco Schröder and the highly talented 9-year-old Glock’s Lausejunge (Ludwig As x Cornet Obolensky) ended fifth in 41.60 seconds.

Reigning World and European Champion Jeroen Dubbeldam pulled of the fastest time in the second round of the CSI3* Grand Prix. Aboard the 14-year-old Carusso LS La Silla (Portofino x Joost) – a son of 1993 Grand Prix of Aachen-winner Carrera – Jeroen Dubbeldam finished on four faults in the first round, but was clear in 35.13 seconds in the round two. Dubbeldam ended up sixth, just ahead of Germany’s Marcus Ehning and Cristy (Canturo x Landlord) that finished on 35.54 seconds in the second round after knocking down one rail in the first.

Text © World of Showjumping by Peter van der Waaij // Picture © Private