Saturday night's highlight at Olympia was the Martin Collins Enterprises Christmas Tree Stakes, where Bertram Allen (IRL) went off with the top honours.
The 1.55m class saw 22 starters line up for the challenge, with ten of them clearing their way into the jump-off. With some of the fastest riders on the circuit being present at Olympia, the jump-off once again turned into a real race. In the end it was Bertram Allen on the 11-year-old gelding Gin Chin van het Lindenhof (Chin Chin x Calido I) that snatched the win from Harrie Smolders (NED), after clocking a time of 30,76 seconds. Riding the 10-year-old gelding Cas (Indoctro x Numero Uno), Smolders had to this time settle for the runner-up position after the clocks stopped at 31,14 seconds. Simon Delestre (FRA) on the 11-year-old gelding Gain Line (Stolzenberg x Raphael) placed third with a time of 32,63 seconds, while Steve Guerdat (SUI) on the 9-year-old mare Ulysse des Forets (Col Canto x Le Tot de Semilly) took the fourth place. The fifth spot went to Wilm Vermeir (BEL) on the 8-year-old stallion DM Jacqmotte (Toulon x Indoctro) with a time of 33,54 seconds.
Text © World of Showjumping // Picture © Haide Westring