The Stal Van der Haar Prize went to Kevin Staut tonight. The former world number one rode his relatively inexperienced horse Hermes de Vesquerie (by Vigo d’Arsouilles) to a clear round in 27.28 seconds in the second phase of the 1.45 m course. This put the Frenchman 0.7 seconds ahead of an experienced combination from Germany: Mario Stevens with the 12-year-old Carrie (by Christian). Third place went to Jodie Hall McAteer from Great Britain with the 16-year-old BWP horse Kimosa van het Kritrahof (by Chatman). The pair did not touch the fences and finished in 27.59 seconds, one hundredth of a second slower than Mario Stevens.

“I have only been riding Hermes de Vesquerie for six months.”

Kevin Staut: “I’ve only been riding Hermes de Vesquerie for six months and he’s only nine years old. At the end of December, we won the 1.50m jump-off at the London International Horse Show. I have high expectations for this horse because he is very talented. He has a lot of spirit and energy. In the ring, he is focused on me and jumps well as a result. He knows when he really has to do his best for me. He is truly a horse for the future, made for the highest level.”

“I wanted to ride my own round.”

“I didn’t expect to win. I wanted to ride my own round. I didn’t concern myself with the other competitors. After jumping the first obstacle, I knew he was fast. He also jumps with very good technique. I am very happy with him. Tomorrow and Sunday, he will also compete in the 1.45m and 1.50m classes. After Amsterdam, I will start him in Helsinki and Gothenburg in the 1.45m classes. After that, I will take him to the outdoor competitions in Vilamoura. We are taking it step by step, so that he will be ready for the big championships in a while.”

Photo by Digishots

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By Eline Korving on behalf of Jumping Amsterdam