... at Longines Tops International Arena

The curtain came down on the Longines Tops International Arena Summer Showcase in spectacular style as Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Kaleni Jo produced a flawless performance to claim victory in the CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix, mastering a high-quality field with the fastest jump-off of the afternoon.

With a demanding first-round track separating the contenders from the pretenders, only six combinations earned their place in the jump-off. As the pressure intensified, every fraction of a second proved decisive in a thrilling finale.

Germany’s Sophie Hinners and the 10-year-old mare Iron Dames Kaleni Jo set the benchmark with a brilliant round in 43.44 seconds, combining precision, bravery and speed to secure the Grand Prix title in emphatic fashion. Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander looked poised to challenge all the way aboard Caetlin vd Heffinck Z, delivering another polished clear round, but her time of 45.18 seconds left her just short of the winning pace, earning a well-deserved second place.

Just eight hundredths of a second further back, Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa guided Major Tom to third after another composed double-clear effort, underlining the depth of quality assembled for the Summer Showcase finale. French rider Antoine Ermann continued his consistent form to finish fourth with Jiamo VDS, while Germany’s Daniel Deusser rounded out the top five aboard Otello de Guldenboom after another faultless jump-off performance.

Dutchman Michael Greeve looked set to threaten the podium with the quickest time of the jump-off, but a single rail aboard Rubens relegated the pair to sixth despite stopping the clock in 43.52 seconds.

The CSI4* Grand Prix brought an outstanding weekend of international sport to a fitting conclusion, showcasing elite horses and riders in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Longines Tops International Arena. As attention now turns to the next chapter of the season, the Summer Showcase once again demonstrated why the venue continues to attract many of the world’s leading names in show jumping.

Sophie Hinners smiled: “I’m absolutely delighted. Kaleni Jo has been improving every time she steps into the ring, and today she showed just how much potential she has. She’s naturally incredibly careful, but she’s also becoming so much more confident. To win a Grand Prix like this is a special moment and a real reward for everyone involved. I have to say a huge thank you to Deborah Mayer and the entire Iron Dames team for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to ride such an amazing horse. Their support means so much, and it’s incredibly motivating to be part of a team that invests so much in both the horses and the riders”

CSI2* Big Tour -  Leopold van Asten Seals Thrilling Victory in CSI2* Grand Prix

A spectacular contest that had it all - high-class horsemanship, high-stakes drama, and riders pushing their limits to the absolute maximum. The CSI2* Grand Prix (1.45m with jump-off) at the Longines Tops International Arena proved to be a thrilling highlight of the day. Out of a massive starting field of 66 entries, 15 combinations earned their spot in the decisive jump-off.

To the delight of the home crowd, the Grand Prix crowned a Dutch winner. Stoeterij Duyselshof’s Leopold van Asten produced a masterclass aboard the 11-year-old KWPN mare VDL Groep Kwienbellie (Toulon x Indoctro). Riding a beautifully calculated and blazingly fast round, Van Asten stopped the clock in 38.69 seconds to claim a well-deserved victory.

Van Asten's electric performance pushed Belgium's Koen Vereecke into second place. Vereecke, who has enjoyed a phenomenal weekend at the Summer Showcase with multiple wins, had held the lead from the early stages of the jump-off. Riding the nine-year-old BWP gelding Riverflow van ’t Ruytershof (Tornedo FCS x For Pleasure), he crossed the finish in 39.55 seconds to secure the runner-up spot.

Third place went to fellow countryman Nicola Philippaerts. Always a fierce contender, Philippaerts set a scorching pace, executing tight turns and a powerful sprint to the final fence aboard the 10-year-old gelding Cornethagos PS (OS, Cornet du Lys x Conthargos). Crossing the finish line in 40.52 seconds, he secured a hard-fought podium finish.

Australia’s Hilary Scott claimed fourth place aboard the 10-year-old KWPN mare Lola (Cardento x Otangelo). Despite a challenging moment at fence three, Scott's skillful riding and her horse's sheer athleticism kept all rails up, stopping the clock in 41.09 seconds.

CSI2* Medium Tour - Unstoppable Koen Vereecke Claims CSI2* Medium Tour (1.40m) Victory

Koen Vereecke’s sensational form continued on the final day of the Summer Showcase at the Longines Tops International Arena. After winning Friday’s Big Tour and taking the Medium Tour victory on Saturday with the same horse, the Belgian rider repeated his winning performance in Sunday’s CSI2 Medium Tour (1.40m speed class against the clock)*.

In a competitive field of 44 entries, where 18 combinations registered a clear round, Vereecke guided the 12-year-old BWP mare Oilily de Muze (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Ramiro Z) to a superb victory, stopping the clock in an unbeatable 57.84 seconds. Second place went to 2004 Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA). Riding the 10-year-old SF gelding Giorgio d’Ellipse (Prestigio LS La Silla x Kannan), Pessoa delivered a strong clear round in 58.60 seconds.

Dutch rider Siebe Leemans secured the final spot on the podium. Aboard the Zangersheide mare Pippa Blue Z (Pilot Blue x Calvados Z), he crossed the finish line in 59.38 seconds to claim a well-deserved third place.

CSI2* Small Tour - Henk van de Pol Repeats Triumph with CSI2* 1.35m Victory

Replicating his victory from yesterday, local hero Henk van de Pol claimed top honors in the CSI2* 1.35m speed competition against the clock at the Longines Tops International Arena. The 59-year-old rider from Eindhoven showed outstanding form aboard his 13-year-old BWP mare No Fathers Girl (Verde Gaio x Eldorado van de Zeshoek), stopping the clock in a blazingly fast 63.55 seconds to secure a dominant victory.

American rider Madison Wu finished more than four seconds behind to claim a strong second place. Riding the 13-year-old KWPN stallion Impian D, she posted a clear round in 67.67 seconds. Third place went to Spain's Carlos Lopez Fanjul Tartiere aboard the eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding Bombay Z (Bamako de Muze), crossing the finish line in 72.95 seconds to round out the podium.

CSI1* GP - Pieter Devos Claims Spectacular Victory in CSI1* Grand Prix

A thrilling contest right down to the very last combination: the CSI1* Grand Prix (1.35m international jumping competition with jump-off) kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the final fence. Out of 40 horse-and-rider combinations, 15 produced faultless initial rounds to earn their spot in the decisive jump-off.

It was the very last starter of the class who ultimately sealed the victory. Belgian star rider Pieter Devos produced a beautifully controlled and blazingly fast round aboard the nine-year-old Zangersheide mare Alice de Poteau Z (Aganix du Seigneur x Casall), stopping the clock in an incredible 34.88 seconds - by far the fastest time of the day. For the 40-year-old rider this marked his first international win with this talented young mare.

Second place went to Saudi Arabia's Saad Alajmi riding the CDE mare Corisha del Maset (Cornet Obolensky x Indret del Maset). Going all out for victory, the 26-year-old rider delivered a super-fast round in 36.68 seconds. Remarkably, Alajmi has only been competing with the talented mare since earlier this month.

Mexico's Federica Fernandez secured the third spot on the podium with the 13-year-old Hanoverian stallion Cador Rubin (Cador x Quidam’s Rubin). The 2021 North American Junior Championship team silver medalist made great use of the bay stallion's massive stride, stopping the clock in 37.75 seconds.

Austrian veteran Max Kühner delivered another fast, smooth round with the eight-year-old mare Chagrandina PS (MECKL, Chacfly PS x Grandino), crossing the finish line in 37.95 seconds to take fourth place. The top Dutch performance came from Tamara Klop, who guided the 14-year-old KWPN gelding Happy Handsome (Elvis ter Putte x Indoctro) to sixth place in 39.56 seconds.

CSI1* 1.25m - Alexandra Crown Doubles Up with CSI1* 1.25m Victory at Valkenswaard

American rider Alexandra Crown crowned a fantastic weekend at the Longines Tops International Arena by claiming victory in the CSI1* 1.25m competition against the clock. Facing a stacked field of 52 combinations, the 31-year-old New York native guided her reliable 17-year-old Hanoverian mare Starlett (Stakkato x Cornet Obolensky) to a smooth and blazingly fast clear round, stopping the clock in 57.31 seconds. It marked Crown's second victory of the show following her win on Friday. 

Dutch rider Rosanne Janssen came agonisingly close to taking top honors, continuing an outstanding weekend in Valkenswaard that already featured a win on Friday and a runner-up spot on Saturday. Riding the 12-year-old KWPN mare Janeiro VHL, Janssen stopped the clock in 57.38 seconds - just 0.07 seconds behind Crown - to claim another impressive second place. Germany's Franziska Bockhorn repeated her Friday performance to round out the podium. Riding the eight-year-old Westphalian gelding Derrick 122 (Diamant de Semilly x Comme Il Faut), Bockhorn posted a clear round in 57.49 seconds to secure third place.

CSI1* 1.15m - 14-Year-Old Dylan Clark Takes Victory in CSI* 1.15m

The final CSI1* class of the Summer Showcase (1.15m competition with immediate jump-off) was claimed by Dylan Clark. Midway through the class, the 14-year-old American rider set an unbeatable target aboard her 12-year-old SWB gelding Nevado de Toluca (Toulouse x Hector X), stopping the clock in a blazingly fast 31.13 seconds.

Out of 31 combinations, Brazil's Giulia Schulze Blanck Fiorentino came closest to the winning time. Riding the 16-year-old BWP gelding Genasis (Echo van ’t Spieveld x Montender), she stopped the clock in 33.22 seconds to secure a well-deserved second place. Italy's Bianca Abbruzzesi rounded out an all-female podium, guiding the nine-year-old Zangersheide mare Cressida II van de Lentakker Z (Comme Il Faut x Darco) into third place in 33.88 seconds.

FULL RESULTS