British jumpers perform well at Estoril five-star show

Michael Whitaker and his 10-year-old chestnut gelding Viking V were second in the 1.60m €285,000 Grand Prix at Estoril, Portugal, on Saturday (14 July).

This placing puts him in third place in the Global Champions Tour rankings, with 120 points, behind Edwina Tops-Alexander (189) and Denis Lynch (121).

Ben Maher is in fourth with 115 points.

Michael was just one of four riders to jump clear across the first two rounds plus a further clear in the timed third and final round.

He came through the finish in a time of 45.65 seconds, less than a second behind the winner – Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Leoville 2.

The show also saw solid placings for British riders in other classes.

Laura Renwick took fourth place in the 1.45m Speed class on the Friday (13 July), with Roller Coaster III, an 11-year-old bay gelding owned by her mother Marian.

Laura also took second place, just above Michael and Viking V, in the 1.50m Jump Off class on the same day, with 10-year-old chestnut gelding Oz de Breve, owned by Lady Pauline Kirkham and Lady Pauline Harris.

Laura and Oz de Breve also went on to jump clear in the first round of the Grand Prix but four faults in the second round knocked them back to tenth.

Ben Maher was placed fourth, with his own eight-year-old chestnut gelding Aristo Z, in the 1.45m two-phase class.

Michael Whitaker in sixth, in that class, with Alison Rodgerson’s 11-year-old bay stallion Ingliston Twister.