Philippaerts and Cox top CSIO5* Longines Prize of Poland
Nicola Philippaerts and Karel Cox secured a double pair of Belgian boots on top of the podium in Saturday’s CSIO5* Longines Prize of Poland in Sopot.
Aboard the 11-year-old stallion Forever D Arco ter Linden (Darco x Tenor Manciais), Nicola won the 1.60 Longines Ranking competition that counted no less than 62 riders. Moving on towards the jump-off as one of sixteen riders, Philippaerts was in for a race and stopping the clock on 39.30 seconds he took a comfortable victory with more than two seconds down to his compatriot Cox aboard Cor van de Wateringhoeve (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Lys de Darmen). Third place went to Ukraine's Cassio Rivetti on Coleman (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Indorado), who followed another 0.29 seconds behind Cox.
Nicola also won Friday's 1.50 competition aboard the 12-year-old mare Ustina Sitte (Clinton x Parco). The victory came ahead of Poland's Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski on Ares (Cantanis x Arak), with 0.64 seconds in between the two. Msciwoj Kiecon secured another good result for the hosts finishing third.
Darragh Kenny and Shane Breen secure two Irish wins
Shane Breen opened up well for Ireland at the Polish event, when he won Thursday's Longines Ranking class on Acoustik Solo du Baloubet (Baloubet du Rouet x Ksar Sitte). Aboard the 10-year-old gelding, Breen took a narrow win ahead of Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski in this 1.50 competition with only 0.06 seconds separating the two riders. Third place went to another Irish rider; Alexander Butler on Monastery Stud More Pleasure (Stolzenberg x For Pleasure).
On Saturday, Breen's compatriot Darragh Kenny followed up and jumped to victory in the 1.50 Tallinder Prize riding the 9-year-old Catuso (Canto x Corrado I). One second behind on the clock in this speed class was Germany's Holger Wulschner aboard BSC Cavity (Caretino x Lansing) while again Cassio Rivetti was in the ribbons taking third place on Beau Limit (No Limit x Hors la Loi II).