Text by World of Showjumping
Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) made it a popular home win in Saturday night’s CSI5* 1.55m Audi Prize at The Dutch Masters.
Riding the 11-year-old mare Dana Blue (Mr. Blue x Hemmingway), Maikel made the home crowds go crazy when setting a double clear in the jump-off that counted twelve horse-and-rider combinations – shaving 3.86 seconds off Niels Bruynseels (BEL) and Utamaro d’Ecaussines’s (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel) leading time.
“There were a few riders that started on six strides on the first line in the jump-off, but my horse is naturally fast so I actually decided to start on a quiet seven and from there on let her go a little bit still keeping the clear in mind,” Maikel said after his win. “Dana Blue is very competitive, she always gives me the feeling she also likes to win. She is not the easiest in the warm-up, but once I come through the start line she always fights for me.”
“We had great sport, it was a good jump-off and sport at the highest level. It’s always good to come out with a win,” Maikel said about the competition that saw Christian Ahlmann (GER) and the spectacular stallion Dominator 2000 Z (Diamant de Semilly x Cassini I) squeeze into the second place between Van der Vleuten and Bruynseels.
The victory was the second in a row for Maikel and Dana Blue, that also won Friday's 1.45m Gemeente 's-Hertogenbosch Prize at The Dutch Masters.
For Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix, Maikel van der Vleuten is opting for his top horse Verdi TN (Quidam de Revel x Landgraf). “He felt good on Friday, nice and fresh,” Maikel said. “It’s going to be tough tomorrow though, and it’s easy to get a fault. But, it’s always better to start with a horse in good shape and a bit of confidence,” Maikel smiled.