British showjumpers started the 2010 Nations Cup Series with a victory in the Longine sponsored CSIO Abu Dhabi event yesterday.
Leading from the start the team of Ben Maher, Ellen Whitaker, Guy Williams and Robert Smith beat Germany and the Netherlands into second and third with the UAE an astonishing fourth. That team was in its first Nations Cup with none of the riders having ridden in a show of this level before. They have now qualified for the Promotional league Final in Barcelona this September.
The first round ended with Great Britain holding a slight lead over Germany, a single time penalty dividing the nations. Then came the three-man Dutch team on four, Egypt on six and Ireland on eight. Italy with nine and the UAE on ten made up the remainder of the second round teams.
Olaf Peterson Snr had made good use of a tight time to sort out the teams and time was once again a factor in the second round.
Britain's first three riders all jumped perfect rounds again but when Max Kuhner scored a time penalty it was all over as Britain then could not be beaten as they would finish on zero.
Gerco Schroder was also double clear to keep his team third after a clear round from Sheik Latifa al Maktoum put the pressure on the team.
The Irish effort did not go entirely too bad after Dermott Lennon had a bad second round but their seventh place finish earned €4000 for the Haiti relief fund.
Germany's second place was all the more creditable when Carino was found to be a bit lame in the morning and in another very sporting gesture, for which this contest is becoming known, Mario Stevens offered Uli Kirchoff his other horse rather than let his team go down to three men.
"This is not normal at a show of this level," said Uli, "but Mario was quite sure and said he trusted me completely with his horse so I could not let him down even though it was not so nice to jump a nations cup the first time you ride a horse," continued the 1996 Olympic Champion.
The day had began with a speed class, the Dubai Racing Speed Cup, and it went to Gerco Schroder with Eurocommerce Milano. The Dutchman was nearly last to go and had to endure a nervous few minutes while he watched compatriot Gert-Jan Bruggink try to catch him. But Gerco's time of 63.11 was just too quick. Second place went to Jordan's Hani Bisharat who took the lead half way through from Robert Smith by two seconds and meant that that the aptly named Trouble Maker caused all sorts of it, as the other riders tried to better 63.21.
Only Gerco managed it, Gert-Jan was a fraction slower finshing on 63.54. Robert Smith was fourth, Clarissa Crotta fifth and the previous day's winner Dermott Lennon sixth.
The prizegiving ceremonies took place on the Ghantoot Polo Club ponies to make sure European and Arabic horses do not mix and comply with strict quarantine conditions. Some of the riders are becoming quite proficient at managing them. However, this is one area where Hani outshone his more well known rivals cantering circles around them.
"I am very pleased and proud to have done so well in this company, amongst all these top riders and I tried very hard so I could hear the national anthem of Jordan being played but Gerco was just too good. However I do play some polo also, so perhaps in this I might win," he laughed.
The show concludes today with the €300,000 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.
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