Frank Schuttert claimed his second Grand Prix of Amsterdam tonight with a thrilling jump-off victory. Back in 2013, it was a very young Frank Schuttert who captured the prestigious title with Winchester, the horse that marked his breakthrough at the top level. Thirteen years later, Schuttert has found a worthy successor in Isis (by Cardento), a mare with the same fierce winning mentality.

In a jump-off featuring eleven combinations, the rider from Ommen was simply untouchable: clear in 37.82 seconds. Second place went to the strongly riding New Zealander Luke Dee, who guided Gangster WW (by Grand Slam VDL) to a clear round in 38.78 seconds. Gilles Thomas also pushed hard with Chuck Marienshof (by Colestus), but his faultless round in 39.18 seconds was not enough to challenge Schuttert. And so, the Anemone Horse Trucks Grand Prix of Amsterdam presented by Stephex Group went to the combination that fought hardest for the win: Frank Schuttert and Isis.

“I knew exactly where I could make up time”
“Very little could have gone better. I was hard to beat today and I’m extremely happy about that. The jump-off went exactly as I had planned, from start to finish. She was fully with me. She’s naturally very fast, which means I have to stay calm myself. I saw Gilles Thomas go and he was very quick, but I knew exactly where I could gain time. If I ride the same lines as my competitors, Isis is often still faster. At the end I rode seven strides to the final fence. It’s fantastic that it all worked out.”

“The crowd completely lost it”
“It’s fantastic to ride for this crowd. This is the best audience in the world. Winning here as a Dutch rider makes it even more special. Every year it’s a privilege to compete here. The crowd completely lost it, and that gives you an incredible rush as a rider.”

“When the stands are full, she knows it’s time”
“I’ve been riding Isis for two and a half years now and we’ve already won several Grand Prix together. She’s an exceptional horse with a special character. She’s very fresh and happy, sometimes maybe a bit too eager. She loves going to shows and enjoys the attention she gets. When the stands are full, she knows it’s time to perform.”

Photo by Digishots

View all results here

Written by Eline Korving on behalf of Jumping Amsterdam