Saturday kicked off with the Young Horse Final for the MSLT Prize. The overall prize money for the 125-130cm event was 1,000 EUR, with a special prize offered by the René Tebbel Stud.
Of the 45 competitors 11 six-year-old and 7 seven-year-old horses made it to the jump-off. The first clear round of the jump-off was achieved by the Greek Angelos Touloupis on Karima 25, while Tamás Mráz on Cornet Champion-N was the first Hungarian to score a clear round. Both horse and rider pairs were eventually placed, but their performances were not enough for the podium as the lead was taken and held by Gábor Szabó. Jnr. and Genius Conference by Zico Blue bred and owned by Ferenc Koncz.
Gyula Szuhai, Jnr. also managed to ride fast and clear on Cornet’s Blue SZ by Cornet Obolensky, winning second place.
Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj representing Thailand, who started in the second half of the competition on the seven-year-old Diamo De L’anglissant Z, finished third.
Fanni Debreceni on DB GI Citsun by Givano and Roland Kovács on Chabluerino of the Hungarian riders did not touch a single bar in the jump-off. Balázs Horváth on Acteon and László Babinszki on Gago Z closed also with clear round but ran out of the allowed time, collecting time penalties.
The riders were congratulated by the President of the Jury, Melinda Schlezák, President of the Hungarian Sport Horse Breeders Association, Dr. Miklós Jármy, and Ferenc Szentirmai on behalf of the René Tebbel Stud.
The CSI* 135cm Big Tour took place in a two-phase with interruption and was presented by the Foundation for the National Riding Hall. Out of a field of 23 riders, seven competitors managed to complete both phases clear. Among them Czech Marek Klus on L-Querida scored the fastest time and won the competition.
Roland Kovács and Kánaán by Kannan came second, with Filip Dolezal and Olaf VD Begijnakker, also representing the Czech Republic, in third place.
Fourth place went to Annamária Zárug on Coolman, the pair having won the national contest at this level a week ago.
The riders were congratulated by Robert Fekar on behalf of the jury and Gábor Karig representing the Foundation for the National Riding Hall.
In the 140cm competition for the Horse Trans Cargo Prize, 28 riders lined up at the start, but only ten of them managed to complete the course clear. The Szuhai family took the first top places in the event. The youngest rider in the entire field, Rodrigo Szuhai on Cornet, was deemed winner and his father, Gyula Szuhai on Shiarado SZ claimed silver.
Third place went to Gábor Szabó, Jnr. and XIXO Borgia.
On this technical course, quite a few other Hungarian pairs – Fanni Debreceni on DB Variette, György Fekete on Kahuna, András Kövy, Jnr. on Chupa Chups PS, Gyula Szuhai, Jnr. on Perthy Jackson, Borbála Burucs on Ching – managed to get in the first half of the field.
Róbert Lengyel congratulated the competitors on behalf of Horse Trans Cargo.
The main sponsor of the event is Szerencsejáték Zrt.
Photo: CSIO Budapest / Krisztina Hajdu