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CHIO Aachen 2010: Beezie Madden wins the WARSTEINER-Prize, Prize of Europe
Source/Photo: News Release
The times set by her fellow competitors weren’t really a challenge for Beezie Madden: The rider from America was last to enter the ring in the jump-off of the WARSTEINER-Prize, Prize of Europe, which nine riders had qualified for. Together with Coral Reef Via Volo the 45-year-old jumped to victory with a clear round in 48.27 seconds, ahead of the Swedish rider, Rolf-Göran Bengsston on Ninja la Silla (0/50.07) and Harrie Smolders from the Netherlands with Exquis Oliver Q (0/55.02). There wasn’t a German rider in the jump-off, the best German competitor after the first round was Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Thedinghausen) with Shutterfly. After picking up four faults they ranked 11th.
“That was the most significant jumping competition I have won so far with Coral Reef Via Volo, because I have only been riding the mare since March,” Beezie Madden said overjoyed with her victory. Coral Reef Via Volo is a 12-year-old mare bred in Belgium that descends from the stallion Clinton, who came second in the “Grand Prix of Aachen” in 2005 and fourth in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 with the Belgian rider, Dirk Demeersman. Her dam’s sire is Heartbreaker, who was successful at international level under Peter Geerink. Clinton x Heartbreaker – that is the same bloodline as Marco Kutscher’s stallion, Cornet Obolensky. Beezie Madden’s horse, Danny Boy, is also a Clinton son.
“It was a very fair course, which you could ride at a good pace,“ said the winner praising the course designed by Frank Rothenberger, which was 580 metres long and which led over 13 obstacles and 17 fences. “The course was great. The faults were divided up equally at the different fences,” was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s assessment. The 48-year-old Swedish rider saddled his 15-year-old gelding, Ninja la Silla, with whom he claimed the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. “I only enter a limited number of competitions with Ninja. After Aachen my aim is to compete with him at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.“
Whereas the Swedish rider has been living and working in Schleswig-Holstein for years, the Dutch rider Harrie Smolders lives in Belgium. “I have been riding at the stables of Axel Verlooy in Grobbendonk for around seven or eight years,” the 30-year-old reported. He took longer to complete the course than his fellow competitors. “On the one hand Exquis Oliver Q is not the fastest, but he is a fighter, who I have to keep under control, so I have to take things a little more slowly. On the other hand with such good riders following you, even if I had been four seconds quicker, Beezie and Rolf would still have ridden faster.”
The times set by her fellow competitors weren’t really a challenge for Beezie Madden: The rider from America was last to enter the ring in the jump-off of the WARSTEINER-Prize, Prize of Europe, which nine riders had qualified for. Together with Coral Reef Via Volo the 45-year-old jumped to victory with a clear round in 48.27 seconds, ahead of the Swedish rider, Rolf-Göran Bengsston on Ninja la Silla (0/50.07) and Harrie Smolders from the Netherlands with Exquis Oliver Q (0/55.02). There wasn’t a German rider in the jump-off, the best German competitor after the first round was Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Thedinghausen) with Shutterfly. After picking up four faults they ranked 11th.
A cool beer as a reward for the fastest round
“That was the most significant jumping competition I have won so far with Coral Reef Via Volo, because I have only been riding the mare since March,” Beezie Madden said overjoyed with her victory. Coral Reef Via Volo is a 12-year-old mare bred in Belgium that descends from the stallion Clinton, who came second in the “Grand Prix of Aachen” in 2005 and fourth in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 with the Belgian rider, Dirk Demeersman. Her dam’s sire is Heartbreaker, who was successful at international level under Peter Geerink. Clinton x Heartbreaker – that is the same bloodline as Marco Kutscher’s stallion, Cornet Obolensky. Beezie Madden’s horse, Danny Boy, is also a Clinton son.
“It was a very fair course, which you could ride at a good pace,“ said the winner praising the course designed by Frank Rothenberger, which was 580 metres long and which led over 13 obstacles and 17 fences. “The course was great. The faults were divided up equally at the different fences,” was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s assessment. The 48-year-old Swedish rider saddled his 15-year-old gelding, Ninja la Silla, with whom he claimed the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. “I only enter a limited number of competitions with Ninja. After Aachen my aim is to compete with him at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.“
Whereas the Swedish rider has been living and working in Schleswig-Holstein for years, the Dutch rider Harrie Smolders lives in Belgium. “I have been riding at the stables of Axel Verlooy in Grobbendonk for around seven or eight years,” the 30-year-old reported. He took longer to complete the course than his fellow competitors. “On the one hand Exquis Oliver Q is not the fastest, but he is a fighter, who I have to keep under control, so I have to take things a little more slowly. On the other hand with such good riders following you, even if I had been four seconds quicker, Beezie and Rolf would still have ridden faster.”
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