Friday's biggest class in London was the CSI5*-W 25,000 Euro Christmas Cracker, where Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten was the fastest to take the top honours.

The 1.60m course set by the designer duo Guilherme Jorge (BRA) and Bob Ellis (GBR), counted 12 obstacles and 15 efforts in the first round. Seven out of the 27 horse-and-rider combinations that jumped, cleared the challenge and joined the jump-off over a shortened, eight fence track. 

With some of the fastest pairs on the circuit taking part, it was Maikel van der Vleuten on the 12-year-old mare VDL Groep Arera C (Indoctro x Voltaire) that took home the win in the electric battle after clocking the time of 34,19 seconds. 

Marcus Ehning (GER) on the 12-year-old stallion Comme Il Faut (Cornet Obolensky x Ramiro) had to settle for the runner-up position, when the clocks stopped at 34,38 seconds. With a time of 36,38, the third place went to the fairly new combination of Simon Delestre (FRA) and the 12-year-old mare Teavanta II C Z (Treasure x Ahorn). With one fence down, Harrie Smolders (NED) on the 10-year-old gelding Cas (Indoctro x Numero Uno) ended fourth, while Laura Kraut (USA) on the 10-year-old gelding Confu (Contact Me x Cambridge) also saw a pole fall to place fifth.