Eric van der Vleuten from the Netherlands took home a £4,500 cheque at the Horse of the Year Show this afternoon.
Aboard Audi’s Paloma, van der Vleuten was one of the few riders to jump clear in the easibed Stakes and his 56.01 sec time proved to be unbeatable.
British riders certainly put up a good fight. Michael Whitaker and Insultech Portofino also jumped clear but their 56.87 sec time was just fractionally slower.
Similarly William Funnell and Cortaflex Amber de Montois couldn’t quite match van der Vleuten’s time, but a stylish clear left them in third place behind Whitaker.
Young talent Gemma Paternoster also gave the big guns a run for their money. The 21-year-old, who won individual gold at the 2006 Young Rider Championships, jumped clear in 66.69 sec on Osiris to take the £950 fifth prize.
Final results
1. Eric van der Vleuten Audi’s Paloma £4,500
2. Michael Whitaker Insultech Portofino £3,000
3. William Funnell Cortaflex Amber de Montois £2,000
4. Ben Maher Gama A Londra £1,250
5. Gemma Paternoster Osiris £950
