16yo Sterrehof’s Dante and Marc clinch one of their finest victories
A world-class field at the start of the 75th anniversary edition, no fewer than 15 competitors in the jump-off, and ultimately the most beautiful outcome imaginable for Sterrehof’s Dante and Marc! The Grand Prix of CHIO Rotterdam was won in an unprecedented way by our top duo, twelve years after Marc also took this historic Grand Prix with Sterrehof’s Tamino.
World’s best
Being one of the very exclusive shows in the Longines League of Nations, the Grand Prix of the CHIO Rotterdam was assured of a very strong field, which included not only the world’s best, but also the strongest combinations of the Netherlands. The outcome of the first round said a lot, as still fifteen combination stayed clear and came back for the jump-off. It was great to see that our now 16-year-old Dante and her rider were among these remaining candidates for victory.
Nail biting
An amazing climax followed in the jump-off. Marc, who like no other knows how to manage Dante and let her peak at the right moments, took all risks in the decisive round and got rewarded with a superb clear in 36.07 seconds. Enough for the lead but still some strong competition ahead. It meant nail biting till the end but when the dust settled our duo topped the leader board and left German Christian Kukuk with Just be Gentle behind in second and fellow countryman Harrie Smolders and Uricas v/d Kattevennen in third.
A unique trio: Marc, Sterrehof’s Dante and groom Madeleine Broek, also crowned as best groom of the show.