Text © World of Showjumping

Saturday's highlight at the 2024-edition of Jumping Amsterdam was the CSI5*-W 1.60m Anemone Horse Trucks Grand Prix of Amsterdam powered by Stoeterij Sterrehof and it was France's Julien Epaillard and his 11-year-old mare Dubai du Cedre (Baloubet du Rouet x Diamant de Semilly, bred by Perrine Cateline and Sylvain Pitois) that took the top honours after a lightning fast jump-off.

Stopping the clock on 34.16 seconds, the current world number five took the win ahead of home hero Willem Greve (NED) and Pretty Woman van'T Paradijs (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Bamako de Muze, bred by Johan Rooms-Vandenbranden) in second in 36.57. 

"I am happy, she jumped good," Epaillard told World of Showjumping after his victory. "She had a long break after Geneva with one month in the field and I started again with her 15 days ago in Oliva with small classes," he said about his chestnut mare Dubai du Cedre. "She is very, very fresh, but she jumped super. I did not have the best control, but she is like this; she has a lot of blood."

"I didn't really have a plan, I just went as fast as possible," Epaillard said about his jump-off round. "I watched the first one go to see the distances a little bit, so I knew one to two was eight but the rest was anyway only about feeling and turning short."

Eleven out of the total of 40 horse-and-rider-combinations at start in the 1.60m Grand Prix counting for the Longines Ranking Group B cleared the first-round set by the Dutch duo of Quintin Maertens and Louis Konickx. Fifth to go in the jump-off, Epaillard's time of 34.16 left those to come with an impossible mission, but the Dutch delivered – much to the delight of the fully packed RAI Amsterdam – with Lars Kersten (NED) and Funky Fred Marienshof Z (Fantomas de Muze x Libero H, bred by Stal Marienshof) placing third in 37.98, while Sara Vingralkova (CZE) and How Easy (Talan x Flyinge Quite Easy, breeder unknown) slotted into fourth in 39.04, followed by Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) aboard Dywis HH (Toulon x Corofino II, bred by Peter Huisman) in fifth in 39.62. 

Earlier during the day, the CSI5*-W 1.45m RAI Amsterdam Prize – counting for the Longines Ranking Group D – went to Matthew Sampson (GBR) and MGH Candy Girl (Sligo Candy Boy x Cruising, bred by Timothy Kelleher) ahead of Jana Wargers (GER) and Chacco's Lady 2 (Chacco-Blue x Indoctro, bred by Harm Wiebush) in second in 63.02 and Denis Lynch (IRL) aboard Cornets Iberio (Cornet Obolensky x Charlottenshof's Iberio, bred by Heinrich Ramsbrock) in third in 63.12.