No doubt about one thing on Saturday night at the Paardensportcentrum Lichtenvoorde, the level of the riders and horses was high. As many as 18 of the 39 jumped clear through Jos Brinkman’s 1.40m course, which still required a lot of horsemanship. In short, there was hard riding for the PSC cup, even though three riders dropped out. Remco Been kicked off and shot through the course so fast with Granny Smith Apple (Eldorado van de Zeshoek) that no one came even close.
“With the other two horses it didn’t go so well, so I was hot to win,” Remco Been explained his motivation. “I hadn’t ridden that hard with this one before.” Incidentally, the winning horse owes the unusual name Granny Smith Apple to his breeder, fruit grower Nico van Maaswaal, who always incorporates an apple into the horses’ names.
Home riders Micky Morssinkhof and her friend Melvin Greveling also accelerated on Saturday night with their horses Graziano (Baltic VDL) and Noukie (Deauville de la Vie), finishing second and third with one more canter jump toward the final oxer than the winner. “It just didn’t work out, but hopefully this was a good preparation for us for the international show we are riding in Poland next weekend,” Micky Morssinkhof said. “In any case, the horses jumped great.” With Hawai Balia NL (Van Gogh), she also finished ninth with two clear rounds.
Left & center Micky Morssinkhof and her KWPN stallion Graziano, right Melvin Greveling on Noukie
There was no size on Remco Been. “Being the first to start in the jump-off was not ideal, especially with so many in it. As a sportsman it is nicer to have a little less competition, but there was nice and fair construction. I’m sure that most riders look back positively on this 1.40m competition and were able to make nice videos. That’s worth something too, especially in view of the trade. I was happy with my strong start. The first turn went very well immediately and I didn’t leave anything out towards the last fence.”
There is no lack of experience with Granny Smit Apple, who has already jumped 1.50m courses clear. “But I hadn’t ridden such fast rounds with him yet. He has to learn that too, to become competitive and that can be done very nicely at this kind of competition. If you want to compete at the front internationally, you will have to set your pace higher anyway.”
Remco Been will ride internationally next week at De Peelbergen in Limburg and then prepare through the national Roelofsen Horse Trucks Winter Classics for the international show Jumping de Achterhoek, in early December in Vragender. “At first I thought about going to Spain with the horses, but we also have very nice competitions here in the Netherlands where you can build up the horses to a higher level,” says the stable rider of Hank Melse in Winterswijk.
Tani Joosten finished fourth in the Grand Prix with Galdal Me, ahead of Jurre van Bommel on Edmond and Irishman John Mulligan on the stallion El Greco. Melvin Greveling won seventh prize with Goldstar.
The four-day Jumping Lichtenvoorde concludes Sunday with national youth competitions.
Text & photos Wendy Scholten