Willem Greve and Grandorado TN N.O.P. were unbeatable in the Telegraaf Prize at Jumping Amsterdam tonight. The son of Eldorado van de Zeshoek is not known as a speed horse, but Greve and Grandorado left no fewer than 15 competitors behind with a furious ride against the clock.

Extremely short turns and one gallop less

The Telegraaf Prize remained in Dutch hands in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd, as Willem Greve and Grandorado stopped the clock at 33.29 seconds after a flawless ride with extremely short turns and one gallop less here and there.

Top three

Julien Epaillard and the 12-year-old chestnut Easy Up de Grandry (by Jarnac) came close with a clear jump-off in 33.51 seconds. Third place went to Robert Whitaker and the 13-year-old black Vermento (by Argento), who took advantage of a clever shortcut past the Longines clock and finished clear in 34.11 seconds.

Getting lucky

Willem Greve: “There were a lot of them in the jump-off. I knew I had to get the turns right. Grandorado performed very well and was very focused. By going through the middle, I took one less gallop stride. A few riders took the inside route to the double jump, but I didn’t do this in order to maintain harmony. It went really well from start to finish, and then you have to be lucky that the combinations coming after me struggle with my time.”

“I knew my time was fast”

“I knew my time was fast. Grandorado makes big gallop strides very easily, so you’re there in no time. I didn’t expect to win, but I did expect it to be enough for a top three finish.”

“You can feel the crowd supporting you”

“The crowd here is incredible. You can just feel that they are rooting for you and supporting you. This is really fantastic. Grandorado will be competing in the Grand Prix tomorrow evening. I have no expectations for this, because past results are no guarantee for the future.”

Photo by Digishots

View all results here

By Eline Korving on behalf of Jumping Amsterdam