JOHN WHITAKER & ARGENTO WIN AMSTERDAM GRAND PRIX
Monday 27 January 2014
John Whitaker won the €76,000 Amsterdam Grand Prix yesterday (26th January) with Clare Whitaker's impressive 12 year-old bay stallion Argento.
The 1.60m course which saw twelve competitors come forward for the jump off spanning five nations. Joining John for Great Britain was his son Robert with John and Clare’s 11 year-old brown stallion Catwalk IV.
It was globally respected and renown John Whitaker though who secured the class as his own jumping double clear in an unbeatable time of 38.69 seconds. Hot in his heels was dutch rider, Gert Jan Bruggink with Primeval Déjà vu with their clear in a time of 38.99 seconds. Third place went to Ireland’s Alex Duffy and Living the Dream who stopped the clock having left all fences unscathed in a time of 39.58 seconds.
A total of six combinations managed to achieve a double clear. Robert, who unfortunately incurred 4 penalties in the jump off finished in 11th place with their time of 40.32 seconds.
The show had been a solid one for not only John who had also won the 1.50m €27,500 class on the Friday with Argento but for the other British riders contesting the classes. Michael Whitaker took 2nd place in the Friday class just behind John with the grey Elie vd Kolmen whilst Robert took 5th on the opening day in the Mercedes Benz 1.45m with USA Today along with a 4th on Saturday in the Six Bar Challenge with Jahil.
Guy Williams furthered the GB presence with a win on Saturday in the 1.45m Accumulator with Casper de Muze. He also secured a 5th place in Friday’s 1.40m Speed class and a 7th on the Sunday in the 1.45m Jump Off class with Zaire.
